6 Important Questions to Ask Your Community Manager About Their Work Order Management System

There are many benefits to hiring a community management company to help oversee the maintenance of your community. One of the greatest benefits is the systems and processes that they have in place to make sure that work is handled smoothly, so the association board can focus on other important priorities. 

When hiring a new community manager, it’s important to make sure that they have a robust property work order management system (sometimes referred to as a CMMS or Computerized Maintenance Management System). This is critical since 61% property and community management companies don’t currently utilize a work order system. This leaves you vulnerable to working with a company that relies on disorganized or inefficient processes.  

What is a Work Order Management System? 

A CMMS or work order management system is a program that allows property and community  management companies to track facility and maintenance requests. This system gives the community manager visibility to all of the work that needs to be completed. The system also helps to streamline the process with various automations, such as dispatching purchase orders to a selected vendor or sending an email notification to the property owner or association when work orders have been completed. 

6 Questions to Ask Your Community Manager About Their Work Order Management System

As an association board member, you rely on your community manager to make sure that facility and maintenance requests are being addressed properly and efficiently. It’s important to understand what system will be used to process work order requests and what benefits you can expect to see from the system.

Question #1 – How Do Work Orders Get Entered into the System?

First, ask the community manager how work orders get entered into the system. There are many different options including web portals or mobile apps. Some community management companies provide their clients with a phone number to a call center that enters the work order on their behalf. 

In addition to corrective maintenance work orders, your community manager will also use the system to set up and track regularly scheduled preventative maintenance work orders.

Question #2 – How Does the System Prioritize Work?

You want to have the confidence that urgent work order requests, like a burst pipe, will be addressed quickly. A good work order system will be able to automatically prioritize urgent work orders based on the type of request.

Question #3 – What Communication Comes from the Work Order System?

When community members request work to be completed, you want to ensure that they receive regular status updates. Ask your community manager what communication you or the property owners can expect to see from the system including work order completion, status updates, or information regarding scheduling delays.

Question #4 – What KPIs Does the Work Order System Track? 

Ask your community manager how they track performance through their work order management system. Common KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) in the industry include average days to complete a work order, work order aging (past due), and quantities per category (plumbing, electrical, etc.).

Question #5 – What Reporting is Available to the Board?

Your community management company will likely use the data that is collected in the system to provide the association with regular updates. Ask your community manager for a preview of what information will be available on those reports such as total maintenance costs, which buildings require the most maintenance, or how many work orders were completed during the time period.

Question #6 – Will the Board Retain Ownership of the System Data? 

Data and information are some of the most powerful assets when managing properties. You want to ensure that you will retain ownership of the data that is collected. In the event that you need to hire a new community manager, you want to be able to get a download of the historical maintenance data to pass along to the new manager.

Let Corner Property Management Keep Your Community Running Smoothly

At Corner Property Management, our expert staff of community managers will make sure that maintenance requests are handled quickly. Our work order system and processes have been developed to provide association boards with lots of transparency and hassle-free service. We understand that how your community looks and operates is critical to your success. 

Frequently Asked Question (FAQ)

Q: How Does a Work Order Management System (or CMMS) Save Money? 

A: Property management companies use work order management systems to ensure that maintenance issues are addressed quickly before they become bigger issues. The system also provides historical data to help property owners make smart decisions regarding asset replacement. For example, if the work order system shows high maintenance costs on an HVAC unit, you might save money by replacing the unit altogether.