Improving Expense Management with Mobile Facilities

Expense management is critical at any point during a run, but as cycles wane the need for preserving a budget lead or making up lost ground becomes more important. Eyes on spending get sharply focused on all operational facets, especially facilities management. The multifamily industry’s return to “normal” in 2018 has cast more attention on transparent inventory management through transitioning facility management from maintenance management to total inventory management. Operators can now gain cost and time efficiencies across their portfolios. “At this particular point in the cycle, companies are paying close attention to their expenses,” RealPage Senior Vice President Jason Lindwall said. “One area we are seeing this is in inventory management.” Increasing maintenance productivity in the field Automated spend management solutions provide visibility into purchasing and inventory management from a high-level view through property management platforms. While already highly effective, they have become energized by being accessible to technicians performing inspections in the field, where inventory levels can be seen so faster decisions can be made to get an apartment back on the market. Mobile facilities technology is keeping maintenance staffs productive in the field, closing service requests faster and keeping residents satisfied, Lindwall says. Multifamily properties are moving more swiftly through inspections and tracking and capturing damages during service requests and inspections. Operations are gaining efficiencies while technicians can walk through units and track, order and replace appliances, fixtures and other apartment amenities and necessities. The adoption of mobile technology is proliferating throughout multifamily property management. An informal poll on a recent RealPage webcast on facilities management notes that half of viewers embrace using mobile devices to operate properties. Managing inventory d...