No two buildings are the same, so any property management software solution must ultimately provide a degree of flexibility. This is especially important when it comes to reporting functions.

Recent years have seen a general shift towards the use of cloud based ‘Proptech’ solutions and an explosion of new software vendors entering the market, fighting for attention and lifting the bar in terms of user experience for landlords, occupiers and property managers. We now expect to be able to access and use systems from any device in any location.

Some landlords and property managers prefer to procure off the shelf software solutions, which can offer considerable advantages in terms of time scale and cost. Others choose to build and maintain a bespoke solution that is able to meet their exact needs. In either circumstance, it’s rare that these solutions can cover all requirements.

The explosion of new concepts has fuelled and necessitated an age of integration. It’s now essential that management tools are provided with an application programme interface (API): essentially a subset of routines, tools and protocols that allow us to knit systems together and ensure we have efficient, effective and accurate mobility of our data.

Although the business requirements associated with property management software remain largely unchanged, advances in technology mean we are now able to collect and process more data than ever before. This is creating new reporting possibilities that simply didn’t exist in the past.

More in-depth analysis of data, and the availability of this information in the palms of our hands, drives better decision making and in turn the feedback loop gets faster. With the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI), future data analysis is likely to be able to unlock even more treasures, so it’s important that we can rely on the foundations of the technology built and data collected today.

Looking ahead, AI-driven technology developments will likely augment and facilitate many property systems and processes, but also create more opportunities for human engagement with data.

Property managers will have to adapt reporting solutions for the ‘on demand’ generation and be able to provide services direct and bespoke to each occupier. Everything will need to be faster, and even more flexible, with technology following suit.

The day an app will help welcome you to your office and predict your needs, such as calling you a lift, pouring your coffee and preconfiguring a hot desk to your favourite settings, is probably closer than you think. 

Further information

Contact Savills Property Management