Category Archives: Useful Tips
How Can You Supervise Your Daily Operations in an Amenity?
Many multifamily resident complexes offer residents a range of amenities such as swimming pools, gyms, jogging areas, clubhouses, playgrounds, laundry facilities, trash collection areas, parks, and more. These amenities offer convenience and also contribute towards the overall enjoyment of the living spaces. To ensure residents continue to derive maximum enjoyment from these amenities, you need to supervise their daily operations.
How to supervise the daily operations in an amenity
As a property owner, you can take the following amenity management steps to supervise the daily operations:
Facilitate amenity bookings
You can provide your tenants with a seamless resident experience by automating amenities. They can use the mobile-based application to get detailed information about available amenities and view photo displays. Additionally, they can use the resident app to quickly and easily book community spaces. With the booking system, residents can check amenities for availability, choose free or paid amenity options, book time slots, and use different payment options.
Automation can also help you stay organized regarding assigning work orders, scheduling preventive maintenance, and carrying out periodic inspections. You can track ongoing maintenance work and communicate with the on-site team. You can organize daily cleaning activities for the amenity spaces.
Monitor amenity metrics
You can monitor the metrics and measurements around the daily operations of your amenities to find out which ones are the most popular ones and which ones are the least used. Business-wise, it makes sense to focus on the ones that are profitable and phase out the least used ones. Doing so can save you a lot of money, time, and other resources.
Engage with amenity vendors
You can keep track of the vendors that you engage in amenity-related work such as community space maintenance, event management, trash management, and recycling services. By automating the vendor relationships, you ensure that there are no missed invoices, you can reduce labor costs, and you can maintain an accurate record of vendor payments. You can review your partnerships with local businesses to offer discounted services to residents.
Check amenity payments
You can integrate the amenity management app with various payment portals so that residents can choose to pay by credit card, debit card, online transfer, and other payment modes. You can customize the resident app to accept offline payments by cash or check and send auto-intimation to residents on approval. Keeping track of payments can help you understand which amenities residents prefer, how often they use them, and how much profit you make from them.
Engage with residents
As part of the amenity management, you can engage with residents in person or via the resident app. You can gather their feedback, listen to their concerns, and try to resolve their resident-related issues. You can inform them of scheduled maintenance work, encourage them to participate in community events, and help cultivate a sense of belonging and friendship among them. By ensuring open communication channels you can enhance the resident experience and encourage tenants to renew or extend their leases with you.
What are the Main Features of Tenant Apps?
Tenant apps are part of the modern strategies that landlords adopt to facilitate property management, improve the overall resident experience, and gain a competitive edge in the evolving rental industry. The benefit of these apps is that you can access them at any time from any location on your smartphone. You can get all the information you want quickly and use it to make sound data-driven business decisions.
Main features of tenant apps
The main features of tenant apps include the following:
1. Built-in communication tools
The apps come with a built-in communication tool that you can use to share content and engage with your building community. You can post crucial information you want residents to know and get informed in your turn about their issues. You can bring attention to move-in orientation, community events, building protocols, and public initiatives. You can use these apps to provide details and updates about upcoming or on-going property maintenance work. By engaging the residents, the app can create a sense of community among them and improve the resident experience.
2. Automated rental payment options
Tenant apps allow you to track which tenants occupy which units, their lease duration, rental fees, and rental payment schedules. You can automate rental payment reminders so that tenants can pay on time. You can receive the rental payments securely via the tenant app and keep financial records.
3. Home maintenance requests
Residents can use the tenant app to place requests for home maintenance services of a plumber, electrician, painter, carpenter, window cleaner, and so on to the on-site property manager. They can receive quick responses to their requests and complaints. When the maintenance work commences, they can receive reports and updates on the ongoing work status.
4. Resource booking facility
The tenant apps can inform residents about available on-site resources they can use. Through these apps, they can book conferences halls, event spaces, computer rooms, exercise rooms, swimming pools, restaurants, and other shared community spaces. They can check when specific areas are available for booking and select the time slots they prefer. They can then make reservations for the date, time, and duration of their preference.
5. Information about local services
The tenant apps allow residents to find information about on-site or local retailers and connect with them directly to avail of their services. For example, they can use the app to place food delivery orders, shop for groceries, buy fruit and vegetables, and more. They can avail of pet sitting services, laundry services, cleaning services, and so on. They may be able to get discounted rates for their purchases through the app.
6. Information about the locality
Through the app, residents can get essential information about their locality. For example, they can find out where the nearest railway station, bus station, and airport are. They can learn about the locations of the closest markets, shopping malls, hospitals, gyms, theaters, parks, government offices, banks, ATMs, and schools. They can get informed about local modes of public transport and local routes.
What Services to Look for From an Epicor ERP Consulting Firm
For organizations that have decided to take the step to implement Epicor ERP or are looking to upgrade their existing systems that are in place, they’re best chance at having a successful implementation that is on time and on budget is to rely on experts at an Epicor ERP consulting firm. But before they can choose the right firm for them, they need to understand a few things, such as whether the consulting firm has the right services for what they need or if the firm does only one or two specific services.
For the best result for any organization, choosing a firm that offers a full range of Epicor ERP services will be best, as it’ll be more budget friendly and building a rapport with a single firm is much easier than with multiples.
What Services to Look For:
Multi-Company, Multi-Site Functionality
Multi-site functionality is a key service for any Epicor ERP consulting firm looking to work with larger organizations. While smaller companies might not need this service, large companies will definitely require it as they could have offices, factories, and distribution centers all around the globe. Implementing Epicor ERP at a single site or a single company is a different beast than doing a country wide, or world wide multi-company implementation. The consulting firm must be familiar with global master records and how to share information between systems, such as charts of accounts, parts, customers, suppliers, coordinate purchasing with divisions, consolidate financial data, and other data sharing activities.
Epicor Implementation
For an organization that doesn’t already have a version of Epicor ERP deployed, the main feature they should be looking for in any consulting firm is implementation services. This includes understanding business goals and key requirements and building a business case for ERP with positive ROI. They also must get executive and organizational commitment to the project before it can be implemented with proper management and resource commitment.
Epicor Installation
While getting key resources and management in place is key, having a consulting firm that actually performs IT services with Epicor installation can take a lot of stress off of in-house IT teams. With the consulting firm’s experiences and certified technicians, hardware and software installation will go much more smoothly as they will know the necessary optimizations that need to take place in the IT infrastructure for a smooth deployment of Epicor ERP.
Epicor Training and Education
Epicor ERP is almost useless without proper training and education. When choosing an Epicor ERP consulting firm, an organization should choose one that offers training and education services. This includes training for each role within the system, as well as adjacent systems so that employees understand how to use their workstations, and how what they do leads impacts other systems. Continuous training is also a great idea as workflows over time will change, and new packages may be installed into the organization’s Epicor ERP deployment, requiring extra employee training.
Upgrading from Earlier Versions
Organizations that already have Epicor ERP installed, but need to upgrade, should find a consulting firm that is experienced and certified in upgrading from any previous version of Epicor to the latest version. This includes data upgrading and migration, and updated training.
Epicor Kinetic Customization
The best part of Epicor is its customizable interface for any employee interface and reports. A chosen consulting firm should be able to fully customize Epicor ERP’s interface to the exact needs of the organization so that they are not relying on generic interfaces with extraneous buttons or information.
Epicor Project Management
Implementing Epicor ERP is a tall order, so having a consulting firm with experienced, trained, and certified project managers to take a leadership role in the organization during the implementation phase will result in a successful implementation that is on time and on budget.
Epicor Support
Finally, an organization that has chosen an Epicor ERP consulting firm should expect a strong level of support from that firm, not only during implementation and training, but also after it has been successfully deployed. Having a consulting firm that the organization has built up a rapport with that also provides technical support, ensures employees have all the resources they need to succeed with Epicor ERP. They can help analyze reports and suggest or even implement more efficient workflows and interfaces customized to the organizations needs.
Epicor ERP
Epicor ERP is a powerful and robust system that can help improve organizational efficiencies and workflows. With the right Epicor ERP consulting firm supporting an organization, they will have a successful implementation or upgrade that results in a positive ROI, and gives them a more competitive edge in their market.
Five Ways to Improve the Resident Experience
When you, as an apartment owner or administrator, set up a resident experience platform wherein there are the highly desired features, then that will be handy for the residents. In our time, many apartment managers will be keen and willing to take all possible steps that will make their customers pleased. This age is the age of competition, and one can see the fierceness of the same in all matters of human interest and actions. It is here the pragmatic utility of a resident experience platform pops up. However, one must take care while installing such a platform within their organizational setup. For this, they can seek the professional guidance of a specialized IT company that has hands-on experience in the creation of bespoke software. Some of these inbuilt features make the resident experience platform highly popular. The list of such handy features includes easy event and experience booking, a neighborhood perks program, customized check-in checklists that will facilitate easy onboarding, on-demand personal concierge services, white-labeled services, and a building-branded resident app. Apart from these, there will be monitored social feed and resident marketplace.
• The lease agreement must be in sync with the prevailing laws of the country. You must remember that rules and regulations about rental or lease agreements vary from state to state. Hence, you must use the right one. This point is vital, and you must make sure that you are using the correct format. Your potential resident will appreciate this preciseness and professionalism.
• You must make sure that the residents get a cordial welcome on arrival. They must have all the needed support from your side for leading a peaceful life within the apartment. That said, practically, the support all residents will need includes both physical and moral. In brief, the residents must get an appreciable and perfect move-in experience.
• The residents must have all the facilities that will make their life pleasant. Here comes the practical necessity of an official orientation program. Such a program will make the residents aware of the overall facilities and amenities that they can expect from the apartment management. Forming a residents group is a must, and this will take away the isolated feelings of the residents. Most of the residents will be staying away from their near and dears, and when there is such a resident group, they will feel united. Remember, nobody will love to have an isolated life far away from their social settings. It will be wise for the management to conduct monthly get-togethers or outings. This arrangement will foster a typical unity among the different members of the apartment community. For sure, all residents will love such a move.
• There must be a provision to update the residents regarding the varied details related to the community. Such an initiative from the management’s side will make the residents feel safe. They will get a feeling that they are within a safe community.
• The move-in and move-out processes must be customer-friendly, and the residents must feel at home. There must not be any undue delay in solving their problems. There can be so many problems, and it’s natural. However, the management must make sure to solve them on the dot. There must be minimum paperwork. Besides, there must not be any delay in solving the problems. The management must make it a point to solve them promptly. Taking feedback from the customer is a good gesture. You will be able to comprehend the errors or the slip-ups and can rectify them. So, you will be able to serve the next customer in a much better way.
Above all, it’s the procedure that you follow that will decide the residence experience. In our time, the best bet to provide a top residence experience is to use a properly coded and tailored resident experience platform. This arrangement will make the process simple and highly effective. When you use a bespoke resident experience platform, there will be provisions that will take away the burden of the various tasks, which otherwise, the residents will have to do.
Effective Ways to Save Money on Hotel Booking
A hotel booking system has become a crucial, indispensable business tool for most hotels in present times. Since it is accessible at all hours, it offers more convenience for hotels to receive bookings and guests to make reservations. Aside from that, the system can enable the hotels to save money on their bookings, which is a crucial factor in increasing their profit margins.
Effective ways to save money on hotel booking
The first step in saving money on hotel booking is to install the hotel booking system. There will be an initial setup cost, and if the hotel decides to upgrade the system at a later date or add more features, there may be an additional charge. Apart from that, the hotel does not incur any regular expenses in running and using the system. It can save money on reservations in the following ways:
The system serves as a marketing brochure
Hotels have to set aside a specific budget for marketing purposes, but they can reduce this to an extent by using their hotel booking system as a marketing brochure. Prospective guests can use the booking system to preview the interior and exterior areas of the hotel. They can view photographs and videos of the hotel lobby, guest rooms, dining area, restaurant, conference rooms, recreation areas, and gardens. They can find out about the cuisine the hotel serves and the amenities it may offer, such as spa and beauty care, and the luxury item shops it has on its premises. The imagery and the available amenities can affect the guests’ decision to book their rooms at the hotel.
By using the system as a marketing brochure, the hotel can build its brand without expending additional expenses on the marketing front. Additionally, it can build brand loyalty with it by increasing customer satisfaction. Guests, who could book their rooms quickly and easily through the system and enjoyed their stay at the hotel, are likely to leave favorable hotel reviews and recommend the hotel to their families, friends, and acquaintances. The hotel can benefit from such word-of-mouth marketing without paying for it.
The system allows for direct booking
With a hotel booking system, prospective guests can book their hotel rooms directly. They can make their room selection, provide personal details, input how long they intend to stay at the hotel, and make their payment for reserving the room. The whole process is quick and easy. And if the guests decide to make changes, such as upgrading to a more luxurious room or extending the duration of their stay, they can do that without any issue.
By enabling guests to make direct bookings through its hotel booking system, the hotel does not need to depend on online travel agencies to get reservations for it. Of course, it may decide to also partner with the online travel agencies and give them access to its system, but it is no longer essential. Some hotels may forgo working with online travel agencies altogether.
If they do that, they can save on the commission that these agencies charge. Since some agencies charge up to 30% commission for every reservation that comes through them, it can add up to a substantial amount. Saving on these commission payments can increase the hotel’s profits.
The system gathers essential guest data
The prospective guests input their details into the hotel booking system, and this information then gets integrated into the hotel’s property management system. Since they have this guest data at hand, the hotel does not need to assign a team to undertake the independent market search, and that will save their money. The hotel management staff can review the available guest data and use it to create effective marketing strategies and marketing campaigns.
They can send guests regular newsletters and provide them with information about credit card points, perks, and rewards, hotel coupons, hotel loyalty programs, off-season deals, package deals, and more. They can also use the hotel guest data to stay informed about the preferences of returning guests and improve their hospitality experience by providing them with what they like. With these simple steps, the hotel can increase its room bookings and thereby earn greater profits in the long term.