Case study
Housing Association Digital Transformation for Accent Group
Konsolute moved Accent Group off legacy systems and onto Microsoft 365. We migrated their data, automated processes with Power Platform and gave frontline staff access from any device.
Overview
Digital transformation for a 20,000-home housing association
Accent Group manages more than 20,000 homes across the North, East and South of England, on behalf of several local authorities.
Its ways of working had outgrown its technology. Information was spread across legacy systems. Routine processes relied on manual effort. And tools built for the office didn't serve staff working in the community.
Konsolute led a housing association digital transformation programme to modernise how Accent works, built on the Microsoft 365 licences it already owned. We migrated data from legacy systems into SharePoint Online. We automated processes and reporting with Microsoft Power Platform. And we delivered a modern digital workplace that every employee can use from any device.
The challenge
Legacy systems and a mobile workforce
At the time of the project, more than 60% of Accent's staff worked in the field, visiting homes and communities rather than sitting at a desk.
Legacy platforms made it hard for them to find, share and upload information on the move. This kept frontline teams at a distance from the rest of the organisation.
Accent needed to:
- Move away from ageing systems without disrupting daily operations
- Bring years of content and data into a secure, modern platform
- Reduce manual work in everyday processes and reporting
- Give frontline staff mobile access to information and colleagues
- Create one consistent digital experience that reflects its brand and culture
- Government
- Housing Management
- Property Management
- Modern Workplace
- Enterprise Content Management
- Microsoft 365
- SharePoint Online
- Microsoft Power Platform
- Power Apps
- Power Automate
- Power BI
Our approach
Modernise, migrate and automate
We started by understanding how Accent’s people actually work, then delivered the transformation in phases so each department could move across with confidence.
Discovery workshops with staff and stakeholders across Accent shaped the programme from the outset. Together, we defined personas, agreed user stories and set acceptance criteria, giving the client a clear set of requirements and a delivery roadmap.
We delivered in Scrum sprints, with wireframes and requirements agreed up front. The core platform came first, followed by a department-by-department rollout with reviews at every stage. As each department came on board, we migrated its documents and content from legacy systems into SharePoint Online, restructuring the information to suit the new environment.
Microsoft Power Platform extended what the new environment could do. We built business applications in Power Apps to support Accent’s organisational processes, used Power Automate to handle routine workflows, and brought reporting into everyday work with Power BI.
A SharePoint intranet tied everything together, giving every colleague one place for news, documents, applications and people, with mobile access for staff working away from the office. Business change and readiness sessions, supported by learning materials and rollout support, helped each department adopt the new ways of working and complete the move to Microsoft 365.
Result
A modern, connected organisation
We started by understanding how Accent’s people actually work, then delivered the transformation in phases so each department could move across with confidence.
Discovery workshops with staff and stakeholders across Accent shaped the programme from the outset. Together, we defined personas, agreed user stories and set acceptance criteria, giving the client a clear set of requirements and a delivery roadmap.
We delivered in Scrum sprints, with wireframes and requirements agreed up front. The core platform came first, followed by a department-by-department rollout with reviews at every stage. As each department came on board, we migrated its documents and content from legacy systems into SharePoint Online, restructuring the information to suit the new environment.
Microsoft Power Platform extended what the new environment could do. We built business applications in Power Apps to support Accent’s organisational processes, used Power Automate to handle routine workflows, and brought reporting into everyday work with Power BI.
A SharePoint intranet tied everything together, giving every colleague one place for news, documents, applications and people, with mobile access for staff working away from the office. Business change and readiness sessions, supported by learning materials and rollout support, helped each department adopt the new ways of working and complete the move to Microsoft 365.
Your questions
Housing association digital transformation FAQs
Microsoft 365 can bring documents, collaboration and business tools into a connected working environment. For Accent Group, Konsolute combined a SharePoint Online intranet, legacy document migration and Power Platform applications to support the organisation’s workforce. The approach for another housing association would depend on its systems, priorities and user needs.
Yes. In the Accent Group project, Konsolute migrated documents and content from legacy systems into SharePoint Online as part of the phased rollout. For a new migration, the source systems, content structure, permissions and retention requirements should be assessed before agreeing the delivery approach.
Power Apps can provide business applications designed around specific organisational processes. Konsolute used Power Apps within Accent’s Microsoft 365 environment to support business requirements. Other housing associations can start by identifying a process, its users, required data and access controls before deciding whether Power Apps is suitable.
A SharePoint intranet can give colleagues a shared place to find news, documents, applications and organisational information. Accent’s intranet supported access for employees working across different locations, helping connect frontline and office-based teams. Device access and security arrangements should be agreed for each organisation.