Financial planning has long been a point of contention for UK housing associations, with outdated systems and rigid workflows causing growing frustration.
Finance teams frequently struggle with limited scenario modelling, inflexible tools, and a general lack of innovation that hampers strategic planning. These challenges have made it increasingly difficult to adapt to shifting policy, economic pressures, and long-term investment needs.
Ortec Finance, a global provider of technology and solutions for risk and return management, recently explored the lessons the UK could learn from the Netherlands on the subject.Â
In the Netherlands, housing associations have benefited from a very different model over the past 30 years. At the centre of this is WALS, a financial planning and risk management solution developed by Ortec Finance in close partnership with the sector. Now considered the standard across Dutch housing associations, WALS continues to evolve with changing regulations and financial demands, providing a tailored response to sector-specific challenges.
As WALS pilots begin rolling out across the UK, finance professionals—particularly CFOs—are finding it addresses longstanding issues with legacy systems, it said. The platform’s core strength lies in its ability to improve financial efficiency and align data systems, providing decision-makers with more accurate insights and faster response capabilities.
Designed with FP&A teams in mind, WALS enhances control and visibility across housing association structures. It supports subsidiary-level reporting and facilitates bank covenant tracking, offering finance teams more reliable oversight, especially in complex funding environments.
One of the most common bottlenecks in the UK has been reliance on outdated Excel spreadsheets and fragmented data handling. WALS replaces manual processes with automated data connections, reducing the burden on planning teams and increasing confidence in the data’s accuracy and integration with core back-office systems.
The platform also encourages stronger cross-functional collaboration, connecting CFOs with treasury teams, asset managers, and technology leaders to build coherent, data-led strategies. WALS supports a unified version of the truth, helping ensure consistent, high-quality data management across an organisation.
Crucially, WALS offers the flexibility needed to analyse plans by region, tenure, property type and more. This level of granularity enables finance leaders to explore and compare different strategies with greater clarity and confidence.
Read the story here.
Keep up with all the latest FinTech news here
Copyright © 2025 FinTech Global
The post An alternative to financial planning in UK social housing appeared first on FinTech Global.