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issues are handled on an individual basis, but also helps to maintain visibility and control over exactly what is happening for various repairs.
2.) INTEGRATED WORK ORDER MANAGEMENT
Manually tracking and managing work orders with paper and pen or even disconnected tools can lead to things falling through the cracks, like an unpaid contractor invoice or a missed maintenance request from a resident.
Gain more oversight into your maintenance operations by moving all of your work orders online. When you have a single, integrated system to manage and track everything — from vendors to billing — repairs get done faster and correctly.
For instance, Tony Hillis, Maintenance Director at Total Maintenance, LLC has been able to eliminate errors and gain more oversight by using technology to manage work orders for their 587 units. “Having my property management software in a mobile app allows me to put in work orders in real-time when I see issues in the field, says Tony. “We can log receipts, expenses, hours, photos, and notes for each work order. I can also look at inspections done after a tenant moves out to create the tenant damages report,” he says.
Along with managing general maintenance work orders, move-out inspections are another critical workflow. However, if the inspection is conducted using paper and pen, things can go overlooked or get left out of the final report, once you’re back at the office to enter your notes. By implementing a software with mobile inspections, like AppFolio Property Manager, your team can manage the inspection right on-site complete with notes, photos, and descriptions. In addition to mobile inspections, AppFolio also offers Offline Inspections for iOS users, which enable your team to have the same capabilities they do with a mobile inspection, but without wi-fi or using your cellular data. Once you regain connectivity, you can upload the information to your AppFolio Property Manager database.
Unit turns are another area that can quickly lead to wasted time and a loss of revenue if not handled
efficiently. Make your unit turns as efficient as possible by implementing solutions, like AppFolio’s Unit Turn Board, that help you manage all tasks and work orders related to turning over units, improving communication, visibility, and efficiency overall. Innovative features like this can give your business a competitive edge during leasing season. In fact, we surveyed our most successful AppFolio customers and 62% agree that unit turns are faster to do on our software than other solutions.
3.) OFFER WAYS TO SELF SERVE
Having to go back and forth responding to residents who call and leave messages about maintenance issues eats up your time and can be frustrating for everyone involved.
You can improve the experience for all parties by offering a way for residents to self-serve with maintenance requests. This eliminates the friction often caused by having to call or come into the office to facilitate a repair, and gives your team back valuable time. In addition, AppFolio Smart Maintenance comes with three-way communication via in-app messaging and tracking that allows you to effortlessly communicate with residents, property managers, and vendors about the repair and keep them updated on the status. These communications are stored online, so you can easily go back and reference them or even use them as proof if necessary.
Responding to maintenance requests isn’t the only task that takes up your team’s time, physically having to drive to a unit and conduct a move-in walkthrough is equally inefficient. You can speed up the process by letting your new residents conduct the inspection themselves. With a solution like AppFolio, residents can submit walkthrough inspections right through their online portal complete with notes and pictures.
Today’s innovative tech tools can make a world of a difference when it comes to overcoming maintenance struggles. Automation, digital systems, and self- service features not only eliminate inefficiencies and provide a better customer experience, but they also help you gain better internal control and focus on what matters.
Founded in 2006, AppFolio is a company that offers powerful cloud-based property management software that property managers use to get their work done from anywhere, maintaining business continuity and keeping connected to their teams and customers. AppFolio is a different kind of property management software, and the company is laser-focused on its customers and their success. AppFolio works tirelessly to develop intuitive technology that really works. Explore why AppFolio is the last property management software you’ll ever need. For more information, go to: https://www.appfolio.com/.
80 NOVEMBER 2021 - APARTMENT MANAGEMENT MAGAZINE AMM3