How to avoid the 3 facilities management software headaches that plague associations

By Srishti Singh

It’s no easy task to handle all the issues that come with managing the facilities at your POA or HOA. Sometimes it can feel like a never-ending stream of challenges.

No doubt you have systems in place to help track and manage the operation. But what many often miss is that those very systems that were supposed to help streamline things may actually be contributing to the problems that can plague an association.

The good news is that you don’t have to live with the pain. Let’s look at the three facilities management software headaches and what can be done to handle them.

Headache 1: anxiety caused by a murky view of your association

One of the biggest causes of stress is the feeling like you don’t have a clear enough picture of the properties and the owners and/or renters in your association.

Decision-making becomes more difficult. And forget about trying to be proactive – whether that’s anticipating the needs of your members or doing what it takes to optimize your occupancy.

The quickest way to clear up the murkiness is to get everything connected. For example, with Northstar’s comprehensive association/facilities management software solution, all systems run on the same database. This uber-connected approach helps eliminate gaps in visibility across your operation.

This also enables industry-leading tracking of the properties and the owners and/or renters. Through an integration with Google Maps, you can get a bird’s eye view of your entire operation. Each property is color-coded to give you a quick overview of its status (owned, rented, for sale, or vacant). With a click, you can drill down to the information on the property, including pictures, utility information, violations and liens, and the history of the property’s owners or renters. Additionally, you can access information on the owner/renter connected to that property, including owner preferences – like the landscaping company that the owner prefers to use. On top of it, updating is easy with an intuitive wizard for modifying owner/renter information.

This connected and multi-level view of your operation helps you identify:

• Trends in the different sections of your properties
• Priorities that need addressing
• Intelligence that allows you to better communicate with and serve members

Headache 2: operational hiccups that have you constantly putting out fires

When you’re working with disparate systems, things can get overlooked. That can lead to scrambling to address the resulting problems.

With a system operating on one database, you can be rest assured that nothing is gone missing. This is especially important at billing to ensure you’re capturing all assessments as well as the association dues.

With solutions like the Northstar facilities management system, you have the connectivity to make this happen. A good example is the connected work orders module. Owners can request work through the website or mobile app, attaching any related videos, pictures, and documents. That work order is automatically accessible to your team in the field. You can track the progress of the request and the owner can get updates through the website and app. Once the work is marked complete, any associated charges are immediately relayed to the accounts receivable module for inclusion in the next bill.

The connected system also helps streamline the management of unique needs. Like if you have vacation properties in your operation. You can allow the owners to request checks and maintenance on the property through the website or app. And you can handle the rental of the property for the owner, billing the renter and splitting the revenue between the owner and the association. The system also ensures the front gate is automatically updated with the renter’s information and the dates they will be on the property.

You can also designate different rules for the different types of members of your association. For example, you may grant access to the golf course to owners and not renters. A fully connected system helps you communicate the rules to everyone in your community and makes this information readily available across your operation, mitigating misunderstandings that could lead to disgruntled members.

Headache 3: a frustratingly complex technology stack that hijacks your time

One of the often-overlooked challenges of not having a comprehensive facilities management software solution is the time it takes to manage all the disparate systems.

It’s easy for hours to slip away as you wrangle the different interfaces and databases. And that’s not counting the time required to update, maintain, and train on multiple systems.

With a comprehensive, single-database solution like Northstar’s, you have one familiar interface no matter which part of the operation you’re dealing with. And if you have a question, there is just one number you need to remember – for any kind of support.

Better yet, complete solutions like the Northstar system give you unsurpassed connectivity. Does your association have lifestyle offerings like a golf course, food & beverage operations, or on-site events? Northstar’s system has modules for each of these offerings, making it easy for members to book tee times, order food, register for events, and much more. It all ties back to your accounts receivable module. And it’s all integrated into a robust reports and analytics offering to help you make better decisions.

If you’d like to make your facilities management software headaches a thing of the past, request a demo of the Northstar comprehensive association management solution. A solution built on one database for connectivity to help you streamline the management of your association and give you the time to focus on what matters most.

The right club management software can help a club put itself in a position to take advantage of all these opportunities in 2022. To learn how, request a demo, of the Northstar Technologies complete club management platform. A premier platform built on one database to give your entire operation a single source of truth for better decisions for the club. And a better experience for members. Request a demo, today.