CAFM & IT
CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF SAAS
A new breed of software is about to change the way property managers, facilities managers, and landlords work with their portfolios – in fact, that silent revolution is already gathering pace says cloud-based property management software provider, Re-Leased.
Software as a service, or SaaS, has left a sizeable footprint on the business world. From accounting software to online banking, file storage to document collaboration, SaaS provides powerful tools for businesses of all sizes. And with the advent of the cloud, those tools are becoming more intelligent, integrated and valuable than ever.
Cloud-based software is built to run online. Usually, the all-important data is stored safely in multiple geographical locations, meaning protecting against theft, fire, water damage and hardware failure is possible. APIs mean software can integrate seamlessly with other best-of-breed tools, extending each service’s usefulness and functionality. Information can be securely accessed anytime, anywhere, on any connected device. So far, so simple.
But there are endless benefits you might not imagine. Businesses are freed from costly server-based systems, data is more secure, back-ups are automatic and reliable, hardware updates and maintenance can be left behind… the list goes on. Though you might hear luddites bumbling on about unsubstantiated risks, the reality is that the cloud is more secure, more reliable and more affordable than any on- premise solution.
In 2011, an earthquake caused catastrophic damage in Christchurch, New Zealand. When the people of the city recovered, property managers found their losses even greater than they had initially imagined. Important data
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was lost forever, bound by the limitations of failed hardware on geographically isolated computers and servers. People’s livelihoods had been destroyed. The Queensland, Australia floods of the same year caused similar crises.
“DO MORE THAN EVER, IN NEXT TO
NO TIME WITHOUT THE LOOMING THREAT OF DATA
AND PRODUCTIVITY LOSSES.”
They were in need of a solution – and knew they’d find the answer in the cloud. Building a powerful property management tool that was more secure and reliable, as well as being more convenient and intelligent, than legacy systems meant changing the rules. And the powerful Microsoft Azure cloud platform allowed them to do just that.
From a super-secure and endlessly reliable online platform, Re-Leased set about automating the most tiresome elements of property management. They knew they could make a difference to businesses by reducing the time it takes to notify tenants of rent arrears, so they created a one-click notification system that reached tenants via SMS and email.
Customers wanted to have more visibility, more connectivity. So Re-Leased was integrated with inventory apps allowing property and facility managers to provide real-time reports on the condition of the facilities while on-site. Multimedia integration let property managers add videos and photos into an online system, so owners could log in remotely and view the exact condition the moment following an inspection. Integrations with accounting software like Xero cut out duplicate data entry and input errors between property accounting and business accounting; it all flowed through two-way synchronisations.
These innovations are live, here and now, enabling facilities managers to do more than ever in next to no time, and all without the looming threat of data and productivity losses through failed hardware, natural disasters and human error. The cloud really does change everything.
Before you know it, the public cloud will enable access to mass data and machine learning, with the capability to provide the kind of insights previously confined to science fiction.
Facilities Managers will be able to predict when maintenance tasks are likely to require attention, based on data and predictive analytics tools. Knowing when a heating or air conditioning system is most likely to be faulty before it happens, and even the most likely time of the month and week that security need to be on high alert for property damage and break- ins. The possibilities are endless.
www.re-leased.com
twitter.com/TomorrowsFM
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