With BI, Our Data Is Not Only Clear but Also Transparent

With the Virkplan Business Platform, Our Data Is Not Only Clear but Also Transparent

“It has given us a significantly better overview. It is a management tool for the development of the business, ensuring that we are always able to identify where we need to pay attention.”
Flemming Agerskov Christensen, Managing Director, Ungdomsbo

The collaboration with Virkplan was initiated because Ungdomsbo wanted a single place where their data could be consolidated in a clear and structured way, enabling it to be used as a management tool. Until then, the organization relied on manual analyses in Excel spreadsheets, where relevant data was manually extracted from EG Bolig.

EG Bolig is a software solution for large housing associations, supporting all aspects of administration—from communication with tenants to financial management and even follow-up on building maintenance.

With Virkplan BI, data is now transferred automatically from EG Bolig on a daily basis, ensuring that Ungdomsbo always has an up-to-date view of their data without having to perform manual work. In addition, this has made data much more accessible, allowing Ungdomsbo to leverage it to make well-informed decisions and identify both potential issues and beneficial opportunities.

“Everything has become more visible to us in the management team, making it easier to ask questions and reflect—and thereby initiate dialogue. We can now more easily work with what we might do differently, where we need to intervene, and so on.”
Annette Olsen, Business Controller, Ungdomsbo

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A Consolidated Overview of Rental History and Activities

So far, Ungdomsbo has implemented four different reports in Virkplan BI:

• Move-in and move-out history
• Waiting lists
• Vacancy
• Budget control across the association

By being able to combine different data sources and always having automated reports available, Ungdomsbo finds it easier to ensure continuous development in the right direction—and to reflect on potential deviations in a timely manner.

“Here we have everything in one dashboard—it’s dynamic, and the figures are fresh every morning when we open it (…) and once it’s set up, it updates itself going forward.”
Flemming Agerskov Christensen, Managing Director, Ungdomsbo

During the setup of the reports, Ungdomsbo also gained greater insight into the quality of their data. For example, when configuring the waiting list report, it became apparent that several applicants had not specified which type of housing they were seeking. Based on this insight, Ungdomsbo was able to clean up their waiting lists.

In addition, the reporting setup revealed how inconsistencies in applicant-entered information complicated downstream processes. Differences between uppercase and lowercase letters, as well as between Danish and English, made sorting much more complex when identifying suitable applicants for specific properties. These issues can now be corrected.

Overall, Ungdomsbo has significantly improved the quality of its data—benefiting both the organization itself and prospective tenants.

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Fewer Gut Feelings, More Factual Arguments

One of the most important and overarching benefits Ungdomsbo highlights is how the BI system makes decision-making documentation more fact-based. For example, the move-out history report helps confirm and nuance what Ungdomsbo refers to as “seasonal fluctuations.” These fluctuations often relate to student housing, where moves and demand increase around the start of the academic year.

While these seasonal patterns were already known, the BI system now provides a more nuanced understanding of when these fluctuations begin and where they have the greatest impact.

“For many people who haven’t previously worked with factual data like this, decisions often rely on gut feeling. People ask, for example, ‘Which types of rentals do we hear most about? What are we missing?’ If you’ve just had four calls about a certain type of apartment, you might conclude that this is exactly what’s missing. But that doesn’t necessarily reflect the thousands of people who haven’t spoken up.”
Flemming Agerskov Christensen, Managing Director, Ungdomsbo

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Improved Ability to Target Initiatives Based on Tenant Needs

The reports on waiting lists, vacancies, and move-out history have also given Ungdomsbo deeper insight into tenant preferences. By visualizing this data, they can identify:

• Which properties are most attractive
• Where the most move-outs occur
• Which types and sizes of housing are in highest demand

These insights allow Ungdomsbo to plan future projects and initiatives based on actual tenant needs.

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“What we can now see in the waiting list report clearly improves our ability to plan what kind of housing we should build. We can see where demand is highest and which age groups are applying, allowing us to determine the type and size of housing to build. We can also use this in political processes and when applying for construction quotas.”
Bettina Spaanheden, Financial Controller, Ungdomsbo

Previously, these insights were very difficult to access, as only fragmented information could be extracted from the system. A large number of separate reports had to be created and then manually combined to form an overall picture—an extremely time-consuming process.

“At that point, we stopped producing these kinds of reports because we simply couldn’t justify the time required. So it’s really great that we’ve now regained that overview.”
Bettina Spaanheden, Financial Controller, Ungdomsbo

The ability to drill down into overall trends also provides a more nuanced understanding of where action is required and where fluctuations may be natural. With a BI system, Ungdomsbo can allocate resources more effectively by quickly moving from a high-level overview to detailed underlying data.

“It has become easier for us to use move-out statistics to reflect and detect sudden changes we haven’t seen before. For example, we had a department that suddenly experienced a very high number of move-outs for that time period—that’s exactly where we need to react and assess whether it relates to the department or the housing itself.”
Annette Olsen, Business Controller, Ungdomsbo

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Virkplan as a Collaboration Partner

Ungdomsbo describes Virkplan as a very open and collaborative partner who took their Business Intelligence needs as the starting point. The collaboration began with the development of the waiting list history report, with the aim of visualizing what kind of insights could be created. This approach turned the process into an ongoing collaboration, where possibilities and value were explored jointly—rather than delivering a predefined product.

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“When it comes to IT, hitting the bullseye in terms of expectations and goals before starting a collaboration is very difficult. Instead, we found a shared path where we agreed to get started with the waiting list report to see what insights we could uncover and whether we would see value as it took shape. We then added the others afterward—and I think that was a fantastic way to do it.”
Flemming Agerskov Christensen, Managing Director, Ungdomsbo

This approach ensured that Ungdomsbo never felt they were committing blindly to a large agreement. Instead, they were able to provide input throughout the process by developing one report at a time. As the reports evolved, it also became clearer how additional data could be used for other purposes. As a result, Ungdomsbo continues to be in dialogue with Virkplan about how to further leverage their data in the future.

“There is absolutely nothing to criticize—it has truly been a positive experience. And I have to say that Lars has responded at the most unbelievable times. Whenever I’ve needed help, he responds almost immediately and is always quick to understand exactly what we mean.”
Annette Olsen, Business Controller, Ungdomsbo

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