We live in a time where information moves fast, and we are used to getting the details and data we want in seconds. Technology allows us to retrieve information conveniently at the press of a button. So why aren’t we focusing on maintenance automation to ensure residents and property investors have the information they need at the push of a button?

Take Amazon’s “press-to-order” Dash button, for example. You can press a digital shortcut to reorder your favorite product. This is automation at its finest. And automation is the future for businesses to handle work efficiently and at a lower cost.

Property management companies use online technology to control leasing, rent payments, and invoices. So why would property management companies view maintenance any differently? Many companies are still relying on the old pen-and-paper method to coordinate maintenance. Utilizing an outdated maintenance process can lead to work order requests falling through the cracks, missed deadlines, lost or late invoices, and unhappy residents and property owners.

Maintenance Automation Removes Human Error

No matter how great you are at your job, we all make mistakes from time to time. Imagine receiving a maintenance request for a running toilet. After speaking with your maintenance team, they will likely tell you the earliest they can arrive at the unit is two days or more. While emailing your resident to inform them of the vendor’s arrival date, you receive a call from someone inquiring about renting a separate unit. This distraction takes time, and you forget to send the email. The next day, you receive a negative review from the resident because you never responded to their maintenance request.

We understand that property managers are incredibly busy, and things pop up that cause distraction. With automated workflows from Meld, you can set up auto-replies to maintenance requests that include specific keywords. For example, if a resident submits a Meld for a running toilet, you can set up an auto-reply with instructions on how your resident can fix it. If the issue still occurs, your auto-reply can give them the following steps to schedule a vendor to resolve it. As a maintenance coordinator, this saves time and provides your residents with a positive maintenance experience! 

Maintenance Automation Increases Productivity  

Finding and employing well-trained maintenance technicians can take time and effort. So, you must ensure your technicians are as efficient as possible by providing the tools needed to do the job. With streamlined property management software, you can increase the efficiency and productivity of your internal staff by up to 60%! Additionally, automating portions of your maintenance processes can eliminate employee burnout and help you retain them!

Maintenance Automation Impacts Resident Satisfaction

We can’t stress enough how much maintenance processes correlate with resident satisfaction. One of the most common resident complaints is slow repair speed. In other words, a resident will submit a maintenance request, and it may take days for someone to get back to them. With workflows, you can set automated instructions to help speed up the scheduling process. For example, if your technician has yet to accept a Meld assigned to them, it is automatically sent back to your maintenance coordinator so that it can be reassigned. Automation helps troubleshoot issues without needing to send a technician to the property, keeping your residents happy and staying longer.

Maintenance Automation= quick response times = happy residents = a profitable business.  

Maintenance Automation Saves Money

Maintenance is one of the most expensive expenses for many property management companies, but it doesn’t have to be! By automating your maintenance process, you can complete maintenance requests more efficiently while focusing time on profitable projects and tasks. Your technicians can spend more time on billable projects by working more efficiently. Not only can automating your maintenance save you money, but it can also make you money. Maintenance could generate up to 50% of your company’s revenue if you run your process smoothly and efficiently.

If you struggle with the problems mentioned or with maintenance productivity, don’t worry, we’ve got your back. Schedule a demo with one of our maintenance experts and start solving your biggest maintenance problems.