There’s a lot of talk about ChatGPT and concerns about process automation. Property managers might feel defensive about changes to their jobs and the potential impact of advancing technologies. However, planned maintenance is a prime example of work that should be automated, as it often involves repetitive tasks that consume valuable time.
To put your mind at ease, we explore why automating your Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM) tasks should be viewed as a powerful tool in your arsenal, without the fear of robot overlords taking over just yet.
PPM is already wasting hours every week
Planned maintenance tasks eat up hours of a property manager’s time every week; they’re as necessary as they are unavoidable. But the repetitive nature of these tasks, such as sending emails to tenants and contractors and reviewing and approving files like Gas Safety Certificates and Legionnaire’s Risk Assessments, is not an efficient use of anyone’s time. Although individual property managers may find more efficient ways to handle these tasks, the next step is for the industry to recognise the need for automation.
Automating PPM is easy
The good news is that automating PPM tasks can be as straightforward as a property manager wants it to be. There are a number of ways to streamline planned maintenance tasks. The most hands-on would be manually setting up automated email reminders about PPM tasks to give all the relevant parties advance notice of upcoming maintenance events.
Exploring the different options gives property managers the opportunity to find the right solution for them based on the size of their business and client base.
Get your time back
Imagine having an extra three or four hours in the workweek. What could you achieve? By automating PPM tasks, property managers can reclaim those precious hours and redirect them into more impactful – and, frankly, interesting – activities.
Instead of being bogged down by administrative duties, the focus can turn to building stronger relationships with clients, tenants, and contractors. Extra hours can be used to win new business, sit down for a coffee with a client to work out the knots in a thorny issue, or find innovative solutions to tenant problems that have been sitting on the to-do list.
Automating PPM tasks isn’t about sacrificing your job to a robot; it’s about finding a smart solution to time-wasting tasks and giving property managers the chance to put their efforts into the problems that really matter.
Keeping the human touch
Automation doesn’t mean sacrificing the human touch that makes property management fulfilling. On the contrary, it provides an opportunity to leverage technology to improve efficiency while nurturing the relationships that drive the industry forward. By delegating repetitive and time-consuming tasks to automation, property managers can allocate more time to meaningful interactions. Building and maintaining relationships with clients, tenants, and contractors are the cornerstone of success, and automation is a valuable aid to that goal.
The prospect of AI and automation in property management may cause anxiety for some professionals. However, in the coming years, property managers will be divided into two camps: the ostriches sticking their heads in the sand, resisting change and becoming less efficient over time, and the high-fliers who embrace automation as a tool in their arsenal. Automating planned maintenance isn’t a threat to anyone’s job. It’s an opportunity to enhance your efficiency and thrive in a dynamic property management industry.
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