How Work Order Software Can Simplify Property Management

How Work Order Software Can Simplify Property Management

Working in property management means constantly changing your plans and schedule throughout the day. You can plan to work on one project, only to have it derailed by a crisis in another part of the building or campus. Your residents (and your boss) expect you to solve these problems quickly and take steps to prevent similar issues. 

Without a system, this work can get overwhelming, and important tasks can slip through the cracks. But with the right work order software, you can manage your work requests and make it easier to solve problems before they balloon out of control. 

Here are five ways that the right work order software can simplify property management. 

#1) Easily Track and Manage Work Orders

If there’s one common problem for all property managers. It’s that service requests can pop up at unexpected times and quickly double your list of tasks for the day. 

Along with general property improvements, like pruning trees and maintaining common areas, property managers often have to respond to resident requests to make repairs. Without a clear organizational system, you’re bound to forget some of these requests. 

Work order software makes this management easy. When a request comes in, you can add it to your queue or quickly assign someone to the job. Some requests will likely jump to the top of your queue (like a plumbing emergency), while other smaller and less time-sensitive jobs can be queued to be taken care of at a more convenient or strategic time. 

You can also look for common threads and call maintenance teams to solve multiple problems at once. For example, if more than one resident submits a work order to fix their heating and air conditioning, you can get an HVAC professional to fix all of these issues in one day.  

Learn more: 7 Ways a Property Management Maintenance App Makes Renters Happy

#2) Assign Work Orders to In-house Maintenance Techs

If you are a property manager who has multiple maintenance techs working at a space, you can use work order software to manage their time and assign various tasks. 

For example, a property manager can assign tasks related to putting up or removing holiday decorations, addressing unexpected problems within certain buildings, and completing regular maintenance that needs to be done daily or weekly. 

Property management is often people management. You need to make sure that your maintenance staff is able to address problems quickly but doesn’t feel overwhelmed by the number of problems and projects that need to be completed. Work order software makes it easy to assign projects without leaving your staff frustrated and overworked.  

#3) Assign Work Orders to Qualified Contractors 

If you need to outsource a project to an external contractor, work order software can make it easy to find and vet various professionals and hire them to work at your property. For example, if you need to hire a specialized electrician to work on the hot tub at an apartment complex, you can review qualified, vetted professionals that have already been pre-screened when you use HOMEE property maintenance software. 

You can submit a request for them to work at your property and mark their arrival in your calendar, so you can supervise them. Handling this scheduling within one app is exponentially easier than reading reviews from various sources, calling different numbers to request quotes, and finally scheduling an appointment when you find someone who is available. 

If you need to hire plumbers or HVAC technicians who may have multiple competitors in your area, you can quickly see who is available and able to come out right away. This decreases the time it takes for you to resolve a problem, resulting in happier residents and fewer complaints. 

Plus, HOMEE’s software charges down to the minute. We never round up to a half-day or full-day, so you can schedule your time accurately and expect fair billing from the people you hire. 

#4) Schedule Regular Maintenance and Property Turns

While you may feel overwhelmed by a resident crisis, there are plenty of day-to-day tasks and maintenance projects that need to be scheduled to keep the property in good working order. For example, you may be legally required to schedule smoke alarm tests multiple times each year in order to keep residents safe. With work order software, you can schedule these events several months out, reducing the chance that you forget about them. 

Work order software can also help with property turns. You can schedule the exact dates that residents are out of their property and set up a cleaning and repair crew to come in immediately after. This allows you to turn a property quickly and reduce the amount of time that a space is sitting vacant and costing the property owner money. You can’t be expected to remember every task or move-out date. Find a tool that manages these events for you. 

#5) Stick to the Budget 

Work order software can help you save time and money by hiring the right people who can respond quickly. However, it can also be a valuable tool for budgeting and expense planning. With HOMEE, rates are pre-determined down to the minute, so you know you are getting a fair cost. 

You may evaluate some contractors that are significantly overcharging you for parts alongside others that are offering a fair price for both parts and labor. This transparency makes it easy to determine which contractors to hire who can do a good job without charging your property more than they should.   

Request a Demo For HOMEE’s Work Order Software

If you are still manually managing a property with a calendar and task list, then it is time to upgrade. 

You can better manage your maintenance techs, keep residents happier, and solve problems faster with a dedicated work order management tool. Your residents will thank you, and your job will be less stressful. 

Request a demo with HOMEE to see our work order software in action. You can test it out and see if service management and contractor vetting is any easier. HOMEE has been called the “Uber of property maintenance” because of its convenience and ease. See if our reputation stacks up against your expectations by trying HOMEE today. Get your demo today.