To overcome problems with solutions providers creating their own Microsoft Dynamics and Keyfax integrations, Omfax developed KeyNamics: a standardised, complete integration solution. We caught up with Technical Director Trevor Helps to find out how KeyNamics has since changed the game for customer service IT in housing
For those who don’t know, what is Omfax and what does it do?
Omfax is part of the TOUCH-BASE group. We bought Omfax out about three years ago: the director was retiring, and we thought it was a sensible move to buy the company.
Previously, Omfax had been a publishing company, so they produced printed matter that could be tenant handbooks, it could be repair books, and advisories, and guidelines and so on. They supplied local authorities and housing associations.
They wanted to mechanise this. We got involved, and we’ve been doing that pretty much ever since. We’ve had a few incarnations of the product, and right now, it’s all-singing, all-dancing. We interface with about 25 different host systems – some of those are bespoke housing systems that have been developed in house.
What is Keyfax?
Keyfax itself, the scripting tool, avails itself of the host data. In most cases, host data can be used to influence the flow through the questions and answers in that, if it’s a vulnerable tenant or if there are certain asset attributes – for example, there might be asbestos, there might be details of the boiler type, there might be details of the window material, the frames, wooden, PVC – all that sort of information is held at asset level.
That, with the tenant profile data – whether they’re vulnerable, elderly, etc. – can be used to formulate the best solution, as well as the right priority for that particular job.
It can also check things like planned maintenance. So, if somebody is recording a rotten window, for example, if that’s detected, that there’s going to be a replacement of windows in that particular block or street within the next three months, the tenant will be told, just hang on, because it’s coming anyway. That’s it in a nutshell.
Where does KeyNamics come in?
We found that, when a lot of people started using Dynamics, they started to roll their own integration. This is generally third-party Dynamics solution providers who have been doing this.
The proliferation of these was becoming a problem support wise, because we never really knew how they integrated, what they were supplying in the way of data to the Keyfax scripts, and how they were handling the results of the diagnostic. We kept getting support calls saying, “Oh, we’ve got this error message that has come up,” and we don’t know what that means because it’s not our area.
Dynamics’ latest incarnation is Power Apps, and this [KeyNamics] is just another Power App based on model-driven application.
In the scripting tool, there’s also schematics of the script flow…all of that is maintained in these Admin Tools, which empowers the user to build a script exactly how they want – particularly, how much data they want to consume from Dynamics in formulating their scripts and how much they want to return. All of that is what happens on KeyNamics itself.
So, all this ultimately makes things easier for the end-user.
Absolutely. We added this level of flexibility in the mappings purely to allow either administrators or more typically IT staff in an organisation to be able to make changes themselves. So, if they needed to pick up some indicator in the host system that indicated that, say, there was a case of COVID in the last three weeks.
If that was recorded in the host data against the tenant details, or if they’d known from a previous engagement that they needed to visit in pair, any contractor might needed to visit in pairs, then that would be sent through, and the housing association or local authority have the control to add that in as a mapping. It’s very simple to do that.
Previously, if they wanted any change to the start-up data or the way that the export data is built, it would have required the involvement of Omfax and/or the solution provider, because all three parties would have been involved…Now, they can do that all themselves.
Can you explain a bit more about what mappings are and what they do?
When the button is clicked to launch Keyfax, it will perform a number of mappings. This is pulling data from Dynamics and providing it for Keyfax’s use. So, the script can run and it can preempt questions because it knows what type of windows they are or what type of boiler the tenants has, or any of those details.
All of this data goes to build up a start-up packet. So, if we look at a start-up packet that we would send to Keyfax…there’s an originating-system ID, company name, repairs diagnostics, username. So, you can see there’s a whole collection of information…You get that picture that anything that’s relevant for this diagnosis can be sent across. We call those ‘mappings’.
It sounds like a lot of work has been done to simplify and streamline the whole process, is that fair to say?
Certainly, yes. And perhaps more so than anything, is a single-call resolution. So, the job can be wrapped up without any need for inspection or further diagnosis.
First-time resolution is a big thing. If they can get a call and handle it right there and then, it’s sent through to contractors, it’s scheduled, they don’t need to think about it any longer. Whereas, if something is sitting around needing further action, those things can soon bulk up and cause all sorts of delays.
“Support requests for KeyNamics are rare and armed with everything we have in KeyNamics itself – we can very easily pinpoint what’s needed to address a request”
The other part of the picture is General Enquiries. When we sell Keyfax, we supply it in module form. You can unlock any of the four Keyfax modules for access to a comprehensive model, supporting images and handy hints that cover your chosen subject and user group. Whether that be repairs and maintenance, tenancy management enquiries, complaints, compliments, and more – both for housing providers’ staff and for customer self-service.
What feedback have you had since launching KeyNamics in 2019?
We’ve been able to help our clients a lot with mappings since the launch of KeyNamics in 2019, but it’s been designed so they’re not reliant on our help. Clients continue to develop the mappings long after implementation, making changes as they need to without delay or additional cost.
One of our clients processes up to 1,200 repair orders every day, which is pretty significant. Having the ability to make these changes themselves within their own timeframe is a huge benefit.
Support requests for KeyNamics are rare and armed with everything we have in KeyNamics itself – we can very easily pinpoint what’s needed to address a request.
How are you looking to further develop the whole system going forward?
Our latest version of Keyfax includes a couple of new features.
It has out-of-the-box support for ReachDeck, so that visually impaired tenants can easily use the online repairs and enquiries modules. Keyfax will now produce a visual user journey through a diagnostic script that can be shared with colleagues via a unique URL, allowing key stakeholders with no administration training to easily understand the diagnostic flow and to update and change it as needed.
More exciting still is the work we’ve recently completed, which will allow a Keyfax user to launch a live video feed using the customer’s phone or tablet.
This new feature includes augmented reality options and offers the ability to record video, image stills, and audio of the repair or enquiry from the customers smart device camera, further helping contact centre staff to understand and diagnose the customers issue, getting it right first time.
Are you looking to add any further modules on top of General Enquiries and Repairs?
If there’s a need for another module or new product in the future, we’re certainly open to the idea, whether that be to accommodate new technology or subject matter.
Keyfax is designed for the housing sector, can work with almost any host system, and includes our comprehensive model. Coupled with the advice and guidance we provide at implementation for process design, Keyfax can already field any inbound request our clients receive, across multiple channels.
Although designed for residential housing, Keyfax is not limited to it. We’ve ventured into other sectors in the past and plan to again in the future.
We’ve worked with the Met Police looking after safehouses. And we’re currently in discussion with a potential partner which, if successful, will take Keyfax into the finance and retail sectors.
Will housing remain the core focus?
Certainly, housing remains our passion and area of expertise. We would certainly like to extend that coverage, and typically that would involve producing a new model that has some beef behind it, and we could deploy that in the first instance to a new site – be it an insurance company or a banking firm, or whatever it happens to be.
What does the future hold?
There’s a lot of work going on, a lot of customisation. All the time, we’re very much client-led, so if requirements pop up, we tend to crack on with those as a priority.
We focus a lot on KeyNamics and extending the functionality of that based on client requests, so we’re very responsive in that sense.
Continuing the conversation…
What advantages does KeyNamics hold over similar integrations?
- Provides a standard, robust, proven, well supported and documented integration
- Ensures synergy/compatibility with changes to the Keyfax application and Dynamics platform (e.g. Unified Interface, Dynamics API changes)
- Works consistently across Power Apps model-driven apps and Power Pages (portals)
- Launch any diagnostic script from the same form e.g. Repairs
- By their nature, low-code/no-code platforms demand flexibility and to this end, KeyNamics configurability and data mapping capabilities are now under the control of the end users and/or organisation’s IT
- Provides Omnichannel support, i.e. multiple concurrent Keyfax sessions
- The results of any diagnosis can be used to populate Form fields or workflows can be triggered to process raw diagnostic data in JSON or XML formats
- Comprehensive logging of requests help pinpoint any delays in each stage of the launch and return processing
What are the capabilities of KeyNamics?
- Importing a KeyNamics Solution is simple
- By dropping a KeyNamics control onto a form, Keyfax diagnostics can be easily added to any form/case type
- Creation and editing of Data mapping (in and out) is simple
- FetchXML can be used to source Startup data elements (typically asset and tenant/caller profile data) to be used by diagnostic scripts to pre-empt answers to questions and control script flow
Housing Digital stakeholder Omfax Systems is the leading provider of information solutions for customer service within social housing and other managed accommodation.
Main image: Trevor Helps, technical director, Omfax
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