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'Cost conscious staff deliver huge savings'
04 May 2010
A scheme to involve staff in developing innovative cost-cutting measures has saved more than £150,000 for Shropshire Housing Group in less than a year.
The social landlord, which encompasses South Shropshire Housing Association, Meres & Mosses Housing Association and maintenance firm, Total Response Ltd, introduced its Value for Money Group in July last year.
Since then a string of suggestions and ideas from staff have been implemented which led to savings ranging from £10 to £1,100 per year.
Staff are encouraged to report all of their cost-cutting measures to quarterly meetings of the group, which has now also agreed that a prize of £50 each quarter will be awarded to the member of staff or team who make the best suggestion. The winners will be chosen by the tenants groups for SSHA and MMHA.
Some of the cost-cutting moves have seen key operational changes, such as moving towards paperless billing and electronic invoicing, saving the group £1,016 so far. A handheld computer-based work scheduling and appointment system for Total Response workers in the firm's south division has led to £606 being saved in fuel costs, as well as 3,058 miles avoided in travel and nearly 88 hours less spent on the road. And Total Response Operatives suggested selling the scrap metal they accumulated to form a fund to purchase more tools.
Shropshire Housing Group chief executive, Martin Holland, said: “The response and ingenuity from our staff has been excellent. They've really embraced the initiative to get the best value for money for our work and in the process there have been key environmental benefits, such as less paper use and lower road miles, which are also very important to us as an organisation.
“From changing suppliers to get better value to being sharp enough to order supplies before the VAT increase, every avenue is being explored and it all ensures that the people we work for, our residents, get the best service possible from the Shropshire Housing Group companies.”
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