How Property Management Companies Can Overcome Talent Shortages with Software

Maintenance and repairs are crucial for any property manager. When there are service delays, it affects not only profits from delayed tenant turnover but also tenant satisfaction. Unfortunately, one of the biggest issues right now is the industry's talent shortage. There aren’t enough skilled workers entering the profession to fill the gaps left by those leaving due to retirement.

However, there is a solution that can help property managers overcome this challenge. Field Service Management (FSM) software improves employee productivity, fosters better communication with tenants, and even lets you leverage a blend of employed and contracted workforces. ServicePower’s cutting-edge, AI-enhanced FSM software provides the tools needed to achieve all that while increasing profitability.

5 Ways ServicePower Helps Overcome Talent Shortages

1.  Maximize Your Existing Workforce

ServicePower FSM software is one of the best tools to increase the productivity of your existing workforce. It’s equipped with real-time AI technology that optimizes scheduling and routing for field technicians, ensuring the best available technician arrives onsite with the right parts to do the job efficiently. Our innovative software has improved first-time fix rates by as much as 40%, which decreases property turnover time and increases tenant satisfaction. 

Mobility apps built into the software also help technicians make better decisions.
With comprehensive job information, contracts, equipment histories, and technical documentation at their fingertips, there is less paperwork and fewer delays.

Another way to avoid talent shortages is to create a blended workforce of employees and contractors. Augmenting your workforce gives you a pool of contractors ready to fill in any gaps in coverage, whether due to a staff shortage or someone taking a personal day.

It's important to note that even though these contractors are not full-time employees, they still need to meet the same service quality standards as your staff. According to a recent IDC study, customers are placing increasing importance on an organizations' ability to deliver quality work.

ServicePower offers direct access to a network of vetted and highly skilled contractors who can help get work done and meet your service quality standards. Better still, the software seamlessly manages both workforces.

Like in other industries, property management can benefit from artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. ServicePower’s AI-enhanced software automates the management of technicians and parts so that the right technician shows up at the right time with all the necessary resources to fix the problem. That means no more wasting time trying to schedule and route technicians—the platform takes care of it.

When you use real-time automation to optimize productivity, costs go down, turnover times decrease, and vacancies get filled faster. Plus, customer service improves, so everyone's happy.

4. Deploy a Self-Service Portal for Consumers

In today’s fast-paced world, consumers don’t have time to sit around for hours waiting for a technician. They want self-service options and to stay in the loop on what's happening with repair requests in real time.

With ServicePower’s consumer portal, you can offer tenants a way to easily schedule appointments, track the status of their repair requests, and even chat with service providers. This level of transparency and control makes tenants more likely to stick around.

Furthermore, by empowering tenants to upload photos, videos, and other key information prior to arrival, ServicePower portals help technicians diagnose and resolve issues faster. You’ll not only deliver great service, but you’ll also reduce truck rolls.

One of the best things about modern FSM software is that it mines data for trends, patterns, and anomalies in seconds. That means you can identify and mitigate maintenance issues faster.

Perhaps the most valuable sources of data are maintenance and repair records. Integrating those records into FSM software streamlines facility management and maintenance even further. For example, ServicePower can identify patterns of breakdowns and figure out the most cost-effective maintenance schedules just by analyzing your appliances, fixtures, and equipment, along with their service histories.

Analyzing service data also shows areas that need improvement. Travel times indicate how efficiently technicians are traveling between service calls and how much schedule optimization has improved route management and overall efficiency. Fix rates, on the other hand, can give insight into the effectiveness of technicians in resolving service issues. Low fix rates may indicate technicians need the training or equipment to handle certain types of service calls.

Grow Past Talent Shortages With ServicePower

A lack of skilled workers is expected to be a major issue for some time. That doesn’t mean it has to slow you down. There’s still massive potential for growth, with experts expecting the property management industry to see almost double-digit compound annual growth for the next few years.

As a global leader in field service management, our solutions are designed to help you not just maintain but grow revenue streams over time. With ServicePower, you’ll see higher profit margins and deliver fast service that elevates the tenant experience.

Explore ServicePower’s property management solutions.