Smart Work Management to Complement Existing Proptech

By: Kathryn Casna

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There are many ways to invest in smart proptech in your multifamily community. Many owners start with hardware solutions like access control and smart apartments, then move on to installing community-wide Wi-Fi or adding a resident app. If you have even one of these upgrades, you can help your maintenance team level up by adding smart maintenance management.

Work Management, SmartRent’s work management solution, brings your maintenance team’s workflow into the cloud. That makes it easy to assign, track and complete work orders on the go while keeping residents and other team members in the loop. Let’s look at how smart maintenance management like Work Management can both leverage and elevate your other smart tech investments.

Smart access control

Smart access control allows residents and maintenance teams to move through your community without keys. They can use a mobile phone, PIN code, card or fob to open doors and gates, while your site team manages access quickly and easily from anywhere in the world.

How to level up with Maintenance Management

A mobile work app becomes each technician’s key to success. They use it to communicate with their team and residents. They use it to keep track of work orders. They can even use it to open doors throughout your community.

Benefits of combining smart access control and maintenance management

  • Better asset protection: Monitor access logs to find lost equipment while securing tools, supplies and amenities.

  • Improves efficiency: Help your staff get around quickly, day or night, without having to make multiple trips to the office to sign keys in or out.

  • Improves job satisfaction and NOI: Lugging around keys and rekeying locks when keys are lost is stressful — and expensive.

Smart Apartments

Smart apartment technology improves resident satisfaction by delivering a convenient, elevated living experience. Residents enjoy keyless access, smart thermostats, security sensors and leak protection. But did you know these features can also improve your maintenance services?

How to level up with Maintenance Management

Smart apartments provide more efficient unit access, alert your techs to emergencies and smooth conflicts.

Benefits of combining smart apartments and maintenance management

  • Authorized unit access: Keyless entry means the ability to grant unit-level access only as needed, adding convenience for your techs and peace of mind for residents.

  • Leak sensors: Alert your team to plumbing emergencies immediately — whether a resident is home or not — and save thousands of dollars in potential water damage.

  • Dispute resolution: Should a conflict between residents and staff ensue, you can view clear records of when techs entered and left the unit. Meanwhile, contact sensors and smart locks ensure the unit is secured after the technician leaves.

Resident app

With the right resident app, the people living in your community can manage their home lives via Smart Apartment technology. But they can also use it to stay connected to your community, creating two-way communication that helps your maintenance techs better serve residents — and care for your assets.

How to level up with Maintenance Management

The SmartRent resident app includes the ability to submit maintenance requests. And because it’s a paperless system, residents can add photos and videos to help your techs better understand the problem. But that’s just the beginning.

Benefits of combining the resident app and maintenance management

  • Direct communication: Techs and residents can communicate in the app or over the phone, which makes it easier for the tech to complete the job while reassuring the resident at every step. And all communication is kept with the work order for easy handoff and dispute resolution.

  • Self-help content: Empower your residents to quickly solve small issues, like clogged toilets or tripped breakers, on their own. That frees your techs to focus on more complex issues.

  • Community engagement: Leverage community notifications to announce maintenance events like water shutoffs and parking lot repavings. Include clear instructions and work-arounds to prevent confusion and conflict.

Community Wi-Fi

Managed, community-wide Wi-Fi helps your residents stay connected everywhere — and helps boost your property’s value and revenue. But it can also improve your maintenance program.

How to level up with Maintenance Management

Your residents aren’t the only ones who can take advantage of being able to stay connected in units and shared spaces. Your techs help you maximize your Wi-Fi investment every time they use their mobile work app.

Benefits of combining community Wi-Fi and maintenance management

  • Improve communication and efficiency: When your techs don’t have to rely on a cell signal to stay connected, they become more efficient communicators.

  • Hands-off internet: Managed internet often comes with remote tech support from network specialists who can help residents troubleshoot without taxing your staff. Meanwhile, residents can handle service setup and shutdown when they move in or out.

Work Management enhances your smart community

If you already have smart access control, smart apartments and other proptech, you’ve done most of the heavy lifting to prepare your community for streamlined, digital maintenance management. It’s like you’ve sent your smart community through college, all the way to getting its masters degree. So why not wrap it all up with a proptech PhD? You could improve resident experience, job satisfaction and your NOI, all with this single solution.