Managing Maintenance Requests
Feature Overview
The Maintenance feature serves as a vital tool for both residents and administrators, revolutionising the way maintenance issues are reported and addressed. It offers a streamlined, user-friendly process that enhances administrative efficiency while providing residents with real-time updates. This feature fosters a more cohesive and responsive community environment, allowing administrators to manage the entire maintenance workflow seamlessly within the platform, eliminating the need for a separate maintenance program, simplifying access through a single login.
Reporting a Maintenance Request
Maintenance can be reported in two ways: via the app or it can be entered directly into the admin portal.
Via the App
To report a maintenance issue through the app, residents can access the 'Hub' and select 'Maintenance'. From this section, they can submit a request along with any supporting photos.
TIP: Team members who are logged into the app also have the ability to report maintenance requests in the same manner. This is particularly useful when they are out and about walking through the community. So, always make sure that you add your team members as users in the app - please reach out to support if you have any questions about creating team members as users.
When submitting a request in the app, the resident can provide access permissions, such as allowing the contractor access if they are not home.
Via the Admin Portal
To report maintenance through the admin portal, team members can navigate to the 'Maintenance' section in the left hand menu and select the 'Create Request' button.
You will be asked to complete the maintenance request form to submit your request into the system. The form requires you to select the following fields:
- The building (if there are multiple in the community),
- The user submitting the request,
- Maintenance details including - title, category, urgency, description, and any relevant photos.
The Maintenance Request Screen Explained
Before we demonstrate how to manage a request, we will first explain the maintenance screen and all its relevant fields & components.
The maintenance request screen features additional fields to streamline the process, ensuring greater efficiency when using the admin portal to request quotes and issue work orders.
The screen is divided into three sections - user information, maintenance details, and additional fields located on the right-hand side. We will review each section to clarify the meaning of the fields.
User Information Section
The first section, user information, includes details of the person who submitted the maintenance request, such as name, date requested and contact information. For example, if a resident reports the maintenance through the app, this will be pre-filled with the residents information.
Maintenance Information Section
The maintenance information section provides details about the maintenance issue. Some information is prefilled from the maintenance submission, while the remaining fields need to be completed by the team member managing the request.
- Status - This is the status of the request, this can be updated when the maintenance progresses through the stages, additional fields have been added to this section.
- Updated At - This is non configurable and displays the date and time that the last status was updated.
- Category - This field will be prefilled from the submission. The category types are configurable by admin users and are used as a way of categories maintenance requests.
- Urgency - This field will be prefilled from the submission. The urgency types are configurable by admin users.
- Owner - The owner is not prefilled from the submission. This is used to assign the maintenance request to a specific team member responsible for managing the request, such as the on-site maintenance manager or gardener. This is internal use only.
- Access Contact - This filed is prefilled from the request if submitted by the resident through the app. It relates to the person that the relevant trades person needs to contact to enter the premises, for example a resident. This field is reflected on the quotes and work order.
- Tags - This is a new feature that is configurable by the admin user. It is a great new tool that can be used for reporting purposes. You can create tags relating to specific items and when a maintenance request is submitted for that item, you can tag it. You can then generate a report based on the specific tag.
- Entry Permission - Resident can provide entry permission if they will not be home.
- Common Area - When this box is checked, the asset box will appear allowing you to add a common area asset.
- Asset - This is an asset for a common area, this could be an escalator or elevator in the clubhouse, a dishwasher in the kitchen, a fridge in the bar etc.
- Description - The maintenance request description.
- Notes - This is an internal filed that allows you to leave notes on the maintenance request.
Additional Fields
There are 3 areas that we will explain, the Buttons, Activity and Related.
Buttons
Firstly, we will explain the buttons on the top right.
The first button is a 'Status' button. This will display the next logical step in the maintenance journey. If its 'Pending', the button will display 'In Progress', if its 'In Progress' it will display 'Complete' etc.
The Action button includes shortcuts for requesting quotes and sending work orders. The 'Send for Inspection' option is used to alert the resident that the job has been completed, they can then confirm that the job has been completed to their satisfaction.
Activity
Comments - The comments section provides the ability to chat directly with the resident regarding the maintenance request. You can send messages with status updates, or ask them for additional information regarding the request. The resident will receive the message in the app, and will be able to respond.
Log - The log section will show you the history of the maintenance request.
Related
The related section shows any work orders, quotes sent or invoices that relate to the job. You can also add or create new ones in this section.
Managing a Maintenance Request
Once the maintenance request has been submitted, the relevant team member will be notified via email and the maintenance request can be accessed from 'Maintenance' section on the left hand menu in the Admin Portal.
When you start working on the maintenance request, you can fill out all the relevant fields as mentioned above, and update the 'Status' from the drop down or by using the button ain the top right of the screen.
When updating the Status, the resident who submitted the request will be updated on the app.
The status also acts as a filter in the Admin portal, so that you can easily keep track of your maintenance requests.
Requesting Quotes
To Request a quote, click the 'Action' button in the top right and by clicking Request Quote.
You will be prompted to add suppliers (please note: you can select multiple suppliers at the same time by checking the boxes), add additional notes regarding the job.
Once the quote has been sent, the quotes will be stored in the quotes section under the related tab.
Sending a Work Order
Sending a work order is done in the same manner as a quote.
Invoice Management
Entering an invoice
To add an invoice to a maintenance job, navigate to the job, click related and then under the invoice heading.
You will be prompted to add the invoice and complete the invoice details.
Once completed, press save.
