Enhancing Efficiency: Empowering Your Multifamily Site Teams to Do More
In today's challenging economic landscape, with inflation and shifting market dynamics, controlling operating costs is more critical than ever for multifamily businesses. Your site teams are at the forefront of these operations, and optimizing their efficiency is a powerful way to protect your Net Operating Income (NOI). By strategically leveraging technology and process improvements, you can free up your teams from mundane tasks, allowing them to focus on higher-value activities and resident engagement.
One of the biggest drains on site team productivity is repetitive, manual tasks. Think about the endless cycle of processing service requests, managing vendors, handling invoices, and coordinating make-ready and move-out procedures. Many of these activities, while essential, eat up a significant chunk of time. The good news is that automation can transform these workflows. For example, implementing a system that automatically processes invoices with near-perfect accuracy and sends payments via preferred vendor methods can save countless hours. Similarly, streamlining vendor management by partnering with companies that have pre-vetted vendors and provide real-time pricing via punchout catalogs removes a tremendous burden from your team.
Beyond automation, it's crucial to understand where your teams are truly spending their time. A recent example from an Entrata customer highlighted this perfectly. Their maintenance team was swamped with after-hours "emergency" calls, which are costly due to overtime and mileage. Their research revealed that a significant portion of these calls weren't actual emergencies. By educating residents on what constitutes an emergency, they were able to dramatically reduce these costly calls without impacting resident satisfaction. This shows the power of analyzing existing processes and implementing intelligent solutions, sometimes as simple as clear communication.
Finally, don't underestimate the power of ongoing training. If certain maintenance issues, like a leaky faucet, frequently require multiple visits to resolve, there might be an opportunity to coach up technicians in that specific area. Regular training ensures your team stays current with the latest techniques and best practices, leading to more efficient first-visit resolutions and overall improved productivity.
By focusing on automating tedious tasks, analyzing time allocation, and investing in continuous training, you're not just making your site teams more efficient; you're empowering them to deliver better service and contribute more meaningfully to your property's success and financial health.
To learn more about how to drive efficient operations at your property, check out our latest ebook, Smarter Maintenance, Lower Costs: A Comprehensive Guide to Driving Efficiency in Multifamily Facilities Management.
