A Summary Of This Case Study
Lake Linganore is a large-scale, self-managed HOA with a mix of condominiums, townhomes, single family homes, and a few commercial properties. The association is in a rural area, covering about 3,400 acres. Jennifer Edwards, the IT Coordinator for Lake Linganore, is responsible for overseeing community operations and managing data. Her team was using HOA software before they found Condo Control, but they were working with multiple platforms. Condo Control provided them with one comprehensive solution, and residents really liked the mobile app. Now the entire Lake Linganore team can conduct operations with one software, and Jennifer can get to other tasks that she couldn’t find time for before she switched to Condo Control.
It Takes A Skilled Team And Great Technology To Maintain A Big Community Like Lake Linganore
Lake Linganore is the perfect community for people who love spending time outdoors. The association has multiple beaches, gardens, trails and playgrounds, and an events tent. But it’s the beautiful ponds and lakes that make this development stand out from others.
The HOA is home to about 20,000 private members. Currently, there are 5,000 units on the property, but that number is expected to grow to 7,000 units when development is complete.
The association does not employ a property management company. Instead, it trusts 15 employees and staff, including IT Coordinator Jennifer Edwards, to maintain operations and serve the community. It would be nearly impossible for this team to do their jobs if they relied on paper and manual processes.
Why Condo Control Was The Best Choice For Lake Linganore
“Modern technology brings huge value to the community and staff,” shared Jennifer. “It would be extremely costly, both in the sense of time and money, to operate a community of this size without it.”
Lake Linganore has always used HOA software, but the old programs were not as robust or practical as the staff needed them to be. The platforms were not connected and couldn’t work together, so the same data needed to be entered into multiple places. Staff were also receiving the data in multiple ways – walk-ins, phone calls, paper forms, online forms, emails – and with various staff members entering the same data in multiple databases, logging and tracking information was inherently prone to errors. Nothing was mobile-friendly either, and in the smartphone era, this was a frustration for staff and members. “The only mobile communications we were sending out were email announcements, but this was frustrating for [residents] because they didn’t have a way of selecting the types of communications they wanted to receive. It was all or nothing,” explained Jennifer.
Tired of having to work harder and overcompensate for the software platforms’ shortcomings, Lake Linganore was ready for a meaningful change. The team thought they might have to pay for custom software and a mobile app, but after evaluating Condo Control, they agreed that this platform could meet all of their needs at a cost that was more affordable than a custom solution.
Must-haves
- One platform to log and track all data
- Ability to integrate with accounting software
- Access control for amenities and vehicles
- Mobile app
- Real-time updates and reports
Valuable extras
- More customizable communication tool
- Modern platform, easy to use
- Reliable customer support
- Maintenance request feature
Impactful Results
Condo Control has saved Lake Linganore thousands of dollars. It helped optimize operations and elevate resident services. And now that all of the HOA data and documents have been consolidated onto one platform, staff are far less likely to make mistakes.
Making the switch saved Lake Linganore money
The staff who care for Lake Linganore do not doubt that they have saved both time and money since they started using Condo Control. Productivity has increased, and they don’t need to pay for multiple HOA management platforms anymore. “The cost of multiple pieces of software and our proxy mailing alone has saved us around $10,000 annually” shared Jennifer.
Architectural application permits used to be mailed to residents once they were approved. Stage one violation letters used to be mailed as well. Now those items can be sent to recipients through Condo Control, and this process is both easier and faster. Sharing digital permits and letters has also saved the community an average of $3,000. And, since it is printing a lot less, the association reduced its budget for printing and mailing equipment leases. Due to the lower production volumes, staff could lease smaller, less expensive equipment.
Lake Linganore also bumped up revenue coming in from amenity bookings. Condo Control makes it possible for residents to reserve and pay for amenities online. They used to have to make a trip to the office, fill out a form, and pay with a check. That old process was inconvenient, and discouraged residents from booking amenities often.
Staff have the tools they need to perform at a higher level
“Condo Control has changed my IT role,” said Jennifer. “Much of my time used to be spent analyzing and cleaning up our disparate databases and ensuring the data was consistent throughout the platforms. Now I can spend the time on other areas and tasks that I was not able to before.”
She explained that every department uses the software, from the board and general manager, to the part-time summer maintenance worker. Staff can host proxy voting online, committees can review items and vote online instead of having to organize in person meetings, and they can even issue digital badges rather than print plastic member ID cards.
The maintenance department has seen great success using Condo Control, and tickets are not lost or forgotten since all requests are submitted online. Management can also run reports and quickly reassign tickets to different staff members to keep everything moving.
Finally, the custom reports, automatically created by the platform, and the digital records which can be accessed from any device have greatly improved workflows for the departments. Since they don’t waste time searching for what they need, they can get a lot more done in a lot less time.
If there were ever questions about how to change a setting or use a feature, Condo Control’s support team was happy to help. Condo Control’s responsiveness and commitment to customer service made everyone feel at ease while they were learning how to master the new software.
Condo Control is just as beneficial to board members and residents
Condo Control’s mobile app is exactly what Lake Linganore members were looking for. Even though there are thousands of residents, the app has made it possible for all of them to stay engaged. They can view announcements and community events, and access shared documents, budgets and meeting minutes. They can also select their email preferences and decide what information they want to receive.
“A popular request from [residents] was to be able to track maintenance tickets. They see something out in the community and they would call in, but then they would not know what was going on after that. Now they can submit questions, architectural applications, change applications, or maintenance requests, and when staff reply on these or make a change to the status, the member automatically receives a notification.”
Board members appreciate that they have a “board only” folder in the file library where they can find what they need in seconds. It saves time and headaches, and it ensures that board members have access to information from just about any location.
Condo Control also gives them real-time information regarding compliance and architectural review applications, and maintenance tickets. They can approve requests without having to meet in person, and they now have a much better understanding of what’s being accomplished and what still needs to be completed.
Final Words
“I know converting software is a huge decision. But it is definitely not a decision we regret.”
“I can now say, after about a year after we’ve launched, we definitely made the right choice. We couldn’t be happier with their level of service; all staff are very pleased.”