Uniform working methods, efficient processes and better services for tenants: good process management is key at housing association Portaal. With the use of Sensus and SelfGuide, Portaal succeeds in logically linking processes and work instructions and keeping them up to date.
Portaal is a housing association with around 56,000 homes in five urban areas: Arnhem, Nijmegen, Amersfoort, Utrecht and Leiden. Together with more than 800 employees, Portaal works daily on its mission: contributing to good coexistence in vital neighborhoods. Availability, affordability and quality of living are key here. In order to continuously improve services to residents, Portaal invests in process-oriented work and smart digital solutions.
At Portaal, process management is seen as an essential part of professional services. Process Management Advisor Jacques van Iperen emphasizes:
“Good process management is more than just process flows and work instructions; it's really a unique way of working and thinking. In doing so, we always look at the entire chain — from start to finish — and especially what the tenant notices in it.”
By carefully recording processes and providing practical support in implementation, Portaal wants to keep a grip on quality, provide clarity for employees and create space for improvement. The combination of Sensus BPM Online and SelfGuide helps with this.
Sensus is used to visually map processes. Think of rent collection, complaint handling or the mutation process: what steps are there, who is responsible, and what needs to be done? But process descriptions alone are not enough. Especially when it comes to implementation, it comes down to clarity and structure.
That's where SelfGuide comes into the picture. “Within SelfGuide, you can see step by step how to perform an action, where you can really follow every click in the system,” says Tirza Prummel, Process Management Officer.
“A big advantage is that all work instructions are centrally located. Employees know: this is where I need to be, here it is, and this is up to date.”
An important starting point for Portaal is the interrelation between processes and work instructions. Thanks to the integration between Sensus and SelfGuide, employees can click directly from the process model to the corresponding work instructions. Tirza: “We've also linked it in such a way that you can find the work instructions for each process in Sensus. That helps us enormously to better master process-based working.”
This link ensures that employees understand both the 'why' and 'how' of their work, leading to better compliance with processes and fewer errors in execution.
“With SelfGuide, you can perfectly show 'how' an action should be performed.”
The use of SelfGuide also contributes to the faster onboarding of new colleagues and supporting internal changes. Tirza: “For example, if we use a new application, there is an update or a change in the law, that will be changed in Sensus and SelfGuide. Everyone then receives an update and can view the updated way of working in the software.”
This way of working allows employees to work independently with clear work instructions that are always up to date and centrally available.
“You open the process you need to perform and click directly to the linked instruction. This is very user-friendly and prevents errors.”
The combination of Sensus and SelfGuide provides Portaal with a solid foundation for further professionalizing its processes and services. By aligning process management and work instructions, knowledge is not only secured, but also creates space for continuous improvement. In this way, Portaal remains agile and able to increasingly tailor its services to the wishes and needs of residents.
(1) CorporatieGids.nl | Jacques van Iperen en Tirza Prummel (Portaal): Goed procesmanagement is een randvoorwaarde voor goede dienstverlening, CorporatieGids.
