The challenge
Uppsalahem is a municipally owned housing company in Uppsala that builds, develops and manages rental housing. As digitalisation and technology have advanced, expectations and demands for new digital services have increased in recent years. Consid became involved as early as 2019, when we were appointed as Uppsalahem’s partner for development, support and management of their website, uppsalahem.se, including associated digital services. We were asked whether we could also help Uppsalahem build a mobile app. The process moved quickly from initial request to project start. Given our close collaboration on the website, the question naturally came to us. The project was initiated at the end of August 2020 and the app was launched before the end of the same year.
The app was intended to play a central role in Uppsalahem’s digital presence, as mobile usage has become a natural part of everyday life for many people. We therefore developed a strategy for how Uppsalahem could bring everything together in a single app. The primary target audience for both the website and the resident app is Uppsalahem’s tenants. A key objective of Consid’s work was to develop digital services that enable tenants to resolve many of their questions independently.
Consid’s assignment included:
- Development including system development and .NET
- App development as a hybrid app built in Flutter
- Architecture including overall system architecture and integration work
- Strategy including a digital roadmap and defining the app’s role
- Design and UX including user flows and design aligned with Uppsalahem’s visual identity
The solution
In this project, we used a relatively new technology and hybrid framework called Flutter, Google’s framework for app development. While native development is often the default choice, this hybrid approach allows the same codebase to be used across platforms, making the app available on both iOS and Android. The app is integrated with business and property management systems and is also connected to the website.
Through the app, tenants can report faults, book laundry rooms and receive updates about what is happening in their residential area. It offers services that simplify bookings and issue reporting, while also supporting shared user accounts so that multiple people within the same household can access the app’s functionality. Previously, only the person listed on the rental contract could book laundry time.
– Developing the app together with Uppsalahem has been incredibly exciting. We focused on customer value and on making the app as user-friendly as possible, says Mårten Stengel, digital strategist at Consid.
The result
The new resident app enables smoother communication with tenants and makes it easy for users to create and track various tenant-related cases through a clear and user-friendly interface. At the same time, the integration ensures that Uppsalahem’s employees always have access to the latest information directly in Xpand. Any updates registered by employees are automatically communicated to tenants via the web and the app.
– The result is a focused app where Uppsalahem’s functionality takes centre stage. We have tailored the solution specifically for the client, rather than building on an existing product as before. I am very proud of the outcome, says Hanna Sommardahl, project manager at Consid.
The app is now under ongoing management, with a long-term ambition to continue developing and adapting it as new functionality and needs emerge.
About Uppsalahem
Uppsalahem is Uppsala’s leading housing company, managing approximately 17,000 homes. Through long-term and goal-driven property management, Uppsalahem creates safe and attractive environments where people want to live. The resident app was named Digital Solution of the Year at the Guld-M awards in early 2021, an annual prize awarded by the Marketing Association of Uppsala to highlight outstanding communication and marketing.
