Our 3 Biggest Takeaways from Optech 2019

The National Multifamily Housing Committee (NMHC) hosted its 2019 OPTECH Conference and Expo this year in Dallas, TX. The Operations and Technology Property Management geeks were out in full force, including the geeks from Aptly.

We captured a few overarching trends and takeaways from this year’s event that may be of interest not just to those in multifamily, but any property management vertical leveraging automation, CRMs, and lean operation.

Takeaway #1: AI only gets you so far

“While the industry is chasing the self-touring white rabbit hoping to make big efficiency gains in site operations, the real opportunity is in the optimization of all work and helping people work smarter, together.” — Sina Shekou, CEO of Aptly

Sina points out automation products are oftentimes not all-encompassing stopping short at the department for which the product is designed. Other departments — particularly those in daily resident/owner relations — demand a more controlled, human approach.

Aptly tries to solve for fragmentation and AI limitations by providing visibility tools for both the inbox and work management boards. We think consolidation is the key to visibility and visibility is the key to solving diffusion of responsibility. We intend to be a sort of hub for all work, all conversations, and all teams.

Takeaway #2: Rigid CRMs hinder sales efficiency

“If 2018 was the year of the Multifamily CRM, 2019 was the realization that CRMs are simply another obligation for an already overworked site team. Tools beyond CRMs that help teams complete their work quicker and with more efficiency rise above all.” — Scott Allan, VP of Sales at Aptly

Many conversations overheard at OpTech mirror conversations spreading in social media groups questioning the value of niche (yet uncompromising) CRMs over more flexible and collaborative tools:

Aptly recently released custom work management boards that integrate with an omni-channel inbox and your property management software. No tedious record noting, constant platform toggling, or sales manager updating required. Build a board with flexible data fields that can track any process with information readily accessible to your entire team in a single platform.

Takeaway #3: Ambiguity threatens productivity

“The industry at large recognizes teams need guidance. They need tools to structure their day and keep them focused on the most relevant task.” — Christina Klopp, Head of Product at Aptly

Structure, focus, and relevancy are elusive qualities in a world of ever-increasing distractions.

Additionally, with job burnout now officially “a thing” we need structure and meaning in work more than ever. Symptoms of job burnout include trouble getting started, lacking energy to be constantly productive, and lacking satisfaction about your achievements. Sound familiar?

Some causes of job burnout include the lack of resources and unclear expectations. Daily goal setting and working in the moment may help curb some of the productivity-killing side effects job burnout produces.

What Aptly is developing in light of work management optimization trends

Aptly’s work management boards came from the rise of (and need for) task tools like Trello and Asana. We already had the inbox and PMS integration capabilities wired up. We simply supercharged traditional digital kanban organization boards with phone, inbox, and PMS integrations supporting the property management industry specifically.

Check out how Aptly integrates work management, property management software, email, and phone/sms in less than 30 seconds:

Expect to see more development in Aptly around:

? Building more robust bi-directional PMS integration features (and integrations with other platforms in general)
? Work management dashboards, consolidated to-do lists, reporting, and map and calendar views of tasks and events
? Advanced communication template features to streamline and semi-automate conversations while maintaining control and human touch

Not using Aptly?

Aptly is a task management tool specifically designed for property teams. We integrate task boards with your inbox, phone, and property management software (PMS) giving teams a single place to collaborate and manage all work.

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