Choosing a digital complaints portal: seven criteria
Choosing a digital complaints portal? Many complaints and disputes committees are replacing the shared mailbox and paper case files with one. The differences between suppliers are large and rarely visible at first glance. This guide sets out seven testable criteria to help the board and committee make a careful choice.
Why the choice matters
A complaints portal is not an ordinary administration package. It bears directly on the legal protection of complainants and respondents, on the committee's independence and on the handling of sensitive personal data. You only notice a poor choice when it counts: a GDPR request, a disputed deadline or advice that turns out not to stand up legally.
The seven criteria below are deliberately phrased as test questions. Put them to every supplier you are considering, ourselves included. If your committee works in housing, you will find the sector-specific version in our nine testable requirements.
Select a criterion. The biggest difference in quality between suppliers lies in the legal underpinning: that is where follow-up questions pay off most.
What the test questions achieve
Asking these seven questions turns every supplier conversation into a discussion of substance rather than a sales pitch. Adminio is built around each of these criteria, from European hosting and role separation to an assistant that finds similar rulings and legislation and an annual report that comes straight from the case files. We are therefore happy to answer the seven test questions in writing, before you sit down with anyone.
Does your committee work outside housing? Adminio also supports committees in healthcare, education and sport. Not sure which steps to digitise first? See automating the complaints process.
Frequently asked questions
That varies widely by supplier and by the size of the committee. Transparency matters more than the amount: a serious supplier sets out its fees, implementation costs and terms in advance, so you can compare suppliers.
No, a portal is not a legal requirement. There are, however, requirements for careful complaint handling and for the way personal data is handled. A well-configured portal makes it considerably easier to show that you meet them.
It should be the other way round: a good portal is configured around the committee's own regulations and templates. Ask every supplier explicitly whether your regulations take precedence, and how much can be configured without custom development.
Ask in advance how existing and ongoing case files will be migrated, in which format the archive will be delivered and what happens to your data if you ever leave. A serious supplier records these exit arrangements in the contract.
With a modern platform, a committee is usually up and running within a few weeks. The lead time depends mainly on configuring your own complaints regulations and house style, and on briefing committee members and the secretariat.
Receive our answers on all seven criteria and compare them with any other supplier, before your first meeting.
Request the answersThis article is general information, not legal advice. Last updated: .