As part of our ongoing consultations with the real estate sector, we have been meeting with national portfolios and individual building owners to understand what challenges and opportunities they face, and how technology can support the short- and long-term visions for their properties. For many, requirements are evolving, and quickly.
While many requirements are reactive to COVID, most are not.
COVID sparked some immediate needs around security and connectivity. More importantly, it pushed us to reflect on what our buildings offer, how we manage them more efficiently (and profitably) and how we manage the interactions our buildings have with the people who use them as well as the environment they sit in.
While change is constant with building landscapes, the degree of change and opportunity it offers right now is unprecedented.
Here are a few key takeaways from our recent consultations in the market.
Landlords Know How to Manage Access. We need to make it easier.
Managing commercial real estate involves much more than simply providing people with space. Tenants expect workplaces that are connected, engaging, reactive, and seamless. The services and amenities that support this experience come with increased requirements, which if not handled well lead to complexity and inefficiencies.
We understand that landlords need a plan to triage requests and manage the workflow appropriately.
We are working with various landlords to improve the in-take and operational workflow of their contact centres and their property management teams. We have analyzed thousands of access requests and it is obvious that a very small number of requests actually require technical oversight. We have focused our efforts on technical oversight and inspection while working with landlords to assist on training and development of their contact centre and property management staff.
Flexibility is the Key.
Not all assets are the same. Solutions and programs need to reflect the individual buildings and aspects of each portfolio. However, many plans adopt a one-size-fits-all approach which leads to some buildings being over-engineered and others below their full potential.
How can we apply best practices without a cookie-cutter approach?
The right solution for all buildings starts with the right questions. Our industry-leading AIM – Attain Intelligent Management Program ensures the right-sized, customized approach for each project. In cases where a full program is not needed, we offer à la carte offerings for landlords/buildings that require oversight but not a full program.
Understanding of Real Estate + Telecom + Technology
The best solutions come from a holistic and integrated approach with real estate; the telecom industry and technology.
We are proud to say that we have deep roots and an understanding of the real estate industry in Canada. We have managed and worked with portfolios that include various assets of the building market including:
- Commercial
- Retail
- Industrial
- Residential
- Hospitality
- Government – Federal, Provincial, Municipal, Education, Health Care
Why is this important? If you own or manage a national portfolio that has different asset classes you want to depend upon a vendor that can provide guidance to all aspects of your business. Carrier and vendor strategies may intersect and impact your entire business requirements.
We are bilingual!! Of course, we can service you in French and English but we also speak telecom + technology + real estate. Our technical and design staff are industry leaders, but linking the technical with the business requirements of BOMA and carrier communities is critical to our value proposition.
Looking forward to continued dialogue. Our next post will focus on Improving the Buildings and
Data is Critical – Who Owns the Data is Even More Critical.
