Mobile technology helps to increase productivity at commercial real estate (CRE) properties, enhance building communications, extend the usable life of key equipment, and improve overall CRE property management.
From the start to the end of their day, property managers and engineers can instantly see all building tasks from work orders to maintenance tasks and even inspections. Imagine your property teams working solely from a tablet or phone and not needing to go back to their desks throughout the day. By centralizing all communications (from tenants and managers) and tasks, property teams can save both time and money.
However, it’s hard to know where to start when considering going mobile. So, we made it easy for CRE owners and operators.
Here are five benefits to mobilizing property teams for better CRE property management.
1. Receive Real-Time Updates
Property teams can reduce their time spent on administrative work by using a mobile app built specifically for building operations. Engineers can get real-time task updates and instantly send questions to teammates or tenants from the field. Teams won’t have to waste time going back and forth to their offices to input handwritten data or find out about a new task.
How property teams can use a mobile app: Operators organize and plan what to do in an order that’s most efficient for them. For example, they can group tasks in the same building, floor, or suite. And any task updates during the day are instantly pushed to the mobile app.
2. Work Online and Offline
With the right mobile app, you can add data, capture all billable revenue from services, log time and materials, and open new work orders – even in locations without connectivity (basements, rooftops, etc.).
So, instead of dedicating hours to sitting at their desks logging building information, property teams can work on the go. Information can be saved and stored for later, so don’t worry about losing important notes if connectivity goes out.
How property teams can use a mobile app: Engineers efficiently work their way around buildings by utilizing digital floor plans (with work order and equipment markers) offline. This makes it easy to plan efficient routes, avoid backtracks, and complete tasks faster in case there is a loss of connectivity.
3. Connect with Your Team
A mobile app lets your teams easily communicate directly with the relevant engineer or property manager from several preferred channels: text message, email, Slack, and more. If there is an emergency, property teams can instantly send their manager a message wherever they are in the building and vice versa. This takes out communication lag time and moves tasks along much quicker.
How property teams can use a mobile app: When property teams complete a task during the day, the mobile app digitally files and reports it, and automatically sends the information to all relevant parties. No need to set up in-person communications. With a mobile app, all information and tasks can be communicated online.
4. Digitize Building Inventory
Imagine this: You or your team simply scan a QR code or a barcode to add equipment items to your inventory. The right mobile app can then be used to quickly call up any item’s identifying information, location, service history, readings, and more. Forget trying to find the right file in a stack of documents.
And with all equipment information stored online, property teams can ensure compliance is met. Simply look up the equipment on your mobile app to view details.
How property teams can use a mobile app: When new equipment arrives in a building, the mobile app makes it quick and easy to create, update, and institute the new rounds and processes required to maintain the system. And when a regulation update causes specific tasks to change, property teams can update the tasks immediately from their phones.
5. Communicate with Building Tenants
Tenants instantly get automatic updates on outstanding work order progress, including target completion times and status updates — no more waiting for results. Especially with tenants demanding more from their buildings these days, it’s important to keep relations at ease. A mobile app allows for property teams and tenants to have open communication with one another.
How property teams can use a mobile app: When a new work order is filed and assigned, property teams get an instant notification on their mobile device with status and urgent details. These new tasks can be prioritized on the go, and teams can communicate directly with tenants if needed via the app.
Improve CRE Property Management at Your Buildings
There are many benefits to mobilizing your property teams. The main benefit: better CRE property management.
With the right technology, property teams have the information they need to do their jobs right at their fingertips. That same mobile technology also gives tenants a convenient channel for placing requests and receiving real-time updates on the go.
You can learn more about how to mobile enable your property teams, including how it fits into a larger strategy to grow your NOI and improve CRE property management, by downloading our latest eBook, “The CRE Tech Guide to Boosting NOI.”
