Dijleland Care Homes Streamline Maintenance with FixForm: Goodbye Post-Its, Hello Efficiency

FixForm in Dijleland’s Care Homes: No More Post-Its or Spreadsheets

‍

For the past year and a half, the four care homes in Dijleland, near Leuven, have been using FixForm. Zoltan Wassenberg, who manages all facility services for the group, and Stefan, a technician at De Wingerd (one of the care homes), share their experience. “We didn’t even need the communication campaign we had prepared. FixForm is just that intuitive,” says Stefan.

‍

Stefan remembers how chaotic things used to be. “I’d get interrupted while fixing a leak, my phone would ring, and then I’d return to find a Post-It on my desk chair. If I was lucky, it clearly said where to go and what to fix. But often, the notes were illegible or missing key details, like a room number. Most issues were just mentioned while I walked through the building—‘Oh, since you’re here…’ was probably the phrase I heard most.”

‍

Looking for a Solution

‍

That’s why Zoltan, the technical lead, started searching for a solution to streamline issue reporting across all four care homes in Dijleland. “We were dealing with Post-Its, phone calls, emails… Every site had its own unorganized way of doing things. Spreadsheets were the most advanced option we had,” Zoltan explains.

‍

“We looked at some larger systems, but they were expensive, complicated, and hard to use. FixForm stood out for its accessibility—it’s so easy to use that anyone can report an issue with just their smartphone.”

‍

Quicker Response Times

‍

“Our residents are elderly, and many have dementia. While they or their families sometimes report issues, it’s mainly our staff who use FixForm. They scan a QR code, attach a photo or video, and send it off. This reduces their workload and makes life easier for the technicians, who now find everything neatly organized on one platform instead of sifting through chaotic reports. This leads to faster response times and quicker solutions,” Zoltan notes.

‍

“For me, the biggest benefit is that I can now monitor everything across the group. I can see what the technicians are working on, how many problems we’re solving, and which ones are still open. In the old system, getting this level of visibility was almost impossible.”

‍

‍

A Picture Speaks a Thousand Words

‍

Stefan, one of the on-site technicians, finds that the photos and videos make his job much easier. “I used to get notes saying something vague like, ‘Something’s squeaking in room 43.’ But what was squeaking? A bed? A door? A chair? A tap? I had to check everything in the room just to find the issue, then go back for the right tools. Now, after 20 years on the job, I can usually tell from a video what the problem is right away. And with a photo, I can see exactly which lightbulb is out, so I don’t need to carry several types just to be safe. This makes my work so much more efficient—I don’t waste time running back and forth.”

‍

“For non-technical people, it can be hard to explain what’s wrong. But with a picture or video, they don’t have to. We can figure it out ourselves. We even have a colleague who’s still learning Dutch. Before, they’d struggle to understand handwritten notes, but with FixForm’s visuals, they can work independently.”

‍

‍

Organized and Prioritized

‍

Before using FixForm, technicians were losing track of issues as they came through multiple channels, and it was tough to prioritize them. “FixForm helps us set priorities more easily,” says Zoltan. “Across our four care homes, we receive around 70 issue reports each week. Not all of these are urgent or serious. If a door won’t open properly or water is leaking from the ceiling, that needs to be fixed immediately. But if the walls need a new coat of paint, we can schedule that for later, maybe for our summer student workers. FixForm lets us focus on what matters most.”

‍

‍

Always Improving

‍

Are there any areas where FixForm could improve? “It’s a dynamic tool,” says Zoltan. “The team at FixForm listens to our feedback and keeps improving it. Sometimes I wish I knew who reported an issue, so I could ask for more details or keep them updated. But if FixForm required registration or contact details, fewer people would use it, and we’d get fewer reports. The ease of use is crucial—it’s what makes FixForm so effective for us.”

‍

“When we first launched FixForm, we had a whole communication plan ready to go,” adds Stefan. “But we didn’t even need it—everyone picked it up right away. That speaks volumes about how user-friendly it is, doesn’t it?”

‍