Still using spreadsheets, paper forms, or outdated software to manage your building? You’re not alone—but you might be making your job harder than it needs to be. Here are five telltale signs that it’s time to upgrade your building management software.
Sign 1: You’re Losing Track of Maintenance Requests
The problem: Maintenance requests come in via email, phone calls, text messages, and handwritten notes. Some get lost. Others get duplicated. Residents complain that their issues aren’t being addressed.
What good software looks like: A single system where all requests are logged, tracked, and visible. Residents submit through a portal or QR code, and nothing falls through the cracks.
Real-world impact
When maintenance requests are scattered across different channels:
- Response times increase
- Issues get duplicated or lost entirely
- Residents lose trust in management
- You spend more time searching for information than solving problems
Solution: Centralised maintenance management that tracks every request from submission to completion.
Sign 2: You Can’t Work When You’re Away From Your Desk
The problem: Your building management only works when you’re at your computer. Walking the building? Driving between properties? In the plant room? You’re disconnected.
What good software looks like: A mobile app that lets you log issues, complete inspections, and manage work orders from anywhere—even without internet.
Why offline matters
Many areas of your building have poor or no mobile signal:
- Basements and car parks
- Plant rooms
- Lift shafts
- Some stairwells
If your software only works online, you’re forced to write notes and enter them later. That’s double-handling and a recipe for forgotten information.
Solution: Offline-capable mobile apps that sync automatically when you’re back online.
Sign 3: Your Contractors Don’t Know What’s Going On
The problem: You email or call contractors to assign work. They don’t respond. You chase them. They claim they never received the job. There’s no record of who said what.
What good software looks like: A contractor portal where they receive work orders, update job status, and communicate through the system. Full audit trail.
The contractor communication cycle
Without proper systems, contractor management becomes a time sink:
- You identify an issue
- You call or email the contractor
- They don’t respond
- You follow up
- They do the work but don’t tell you
- Resident complains it’s still not fixed
- You discover it was actually completed last week
Solution: Contractor portals with real-time status updates and automatic notifications.
Sign 4: You Dread Committee Meetings
The problem: Before every committee meeting, you spend hours compiling reports from various sources. What maintenance was completed? What’s outstanding? What did we spend?
What good software looks like: Reports generated at the click of a button. Maintenance history, cost summaries, and building updates all in one place.
Time spent on reporting
Building managers typically spend 4-8 hours preparing for committee meetings when using manual systems. That’s time that could be spent actually managing the building.
Good software should give you:
- Instant maintenance reports
- Work order summaries
- Contractor performance data
- Financial overviews
Solution: Automated reporting that pulls from your live data.
Sign 5: Residents Keep Asking for Updates
The problem: “What’s happening with my maintenance request?” You get this question constantly because residents have no visibility into the process.
What good software looks like: A resident portal where they can submit requests and track progress themselves. Automatic notifications when status changes.
The update problem
Every time a resident asks for an update:
- You stop what you’re doing
- Look up the request
- Find out the status
- Communicate back to them
- Get back to your original task
Multiply this by dozens of residents and hundreds of requests, and you’ve lost a significant chunk of your week.
Solution: Resident portals with self-service status tracking.
The Cost of Outdated Systems
Beyond the daily frustrations, outdated building management systems have real costs:
| Problem | Cost |
|---|---|
| Lost maintenance requests | Resident complaints, property damage |
| Manual data entry | Hours of wasted time |
| Poor contractor management | Delayed repairs, overpayment |
| No mobile access | Inefficient workflows |
| Manual reporting | Preparation time, inaccurate data |
What to Look for in Modern Building Management Software
If you recognise these signs, it’s time to evaluate new solutions. Look for:
Must-have features
- Centralised maintenance management
- Mobile app with offline capability
- Resident and contractor portals
- Automated reporting
- Work order management
- Asset tracking
Nice-to-have features
- Key management
- QR code reporting
- AI assistance
- Amenity booking
- Document storage
Practical considerations
- Simple, transparent pricing
- Free trial period
- Free data migration
- Australian-based support
- No long-term contracts
Making the Switch
Worried about switching from your current system? Most modern providers (including ComtyLink) offer:
- Free data migration: Your history comes with you
- Free trial periods: Test before you commit
- No lock-in contracts: Leave if it doesn’t work for you
Conclusion
If you’re experiencing any of these five signs, your current system is holding you back. Modern building management software should make your job easier, not harder.
The right software will:
- Save you hours every week
- Improve resident satisfaction
- Give you visibility across all properties
- Work wherever you are
Ready to see what modern building management looks like? Start a free 3-month trial of ComtyLink—no credit card required.