It’s no secret that everyone is talking about mobile slowly taking over the commercial real estate industry, but what does that mean exactly for property owners and managers? The word “mobile” is generally associated with allowing your employees to work remotely. But it’s much more than that – it’s what your employees are able to do away from their desks that truly determines the presence of an effective mobile workforce.

When evaluating a property management software provider, inquiring about its mobility platform is a must. As such, here are the top four mobility trends any Best-in-Class provider should recognize:

1. Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) Policies. Mobile devices have rapidly become ubiquitous work tools, and 50% of companies are projected to demand employees BYOD by 2017. Furthermore, 49% of CRE employees use a personal device for work – every day. As a result, your property management software should work on all devices (Android, Apple and BlackBerry!) and operating systems.
2. Offline App Use. The concept of accessing your property management system (and its data) from anywhere, at any time continues to have a growing impact on commercial real estate operators. Maintenance workers need to be able to retrieve equipment manuals, maintenance history and more from areas of unreliable service (i.e. the basement of a building). In addition, they need to be able to track arrival and work completion times, and escalate issues, in the moment, know that their data syncs seamlessly when service is restored.
3. Videos. Allowing a maintenance worker to access an instructional video during an on-site repair can save time and money. It ensures the task is done correctly, and eliminates the employee having to stop mid-task to get help.
4. Photos. A mobile app that has photo capabilities allows maintenance employees to add detail to service requests, enhance Incident Reports, capture inspection issues, and track changes over time. In addition, they can view equipment manuals, floor plans, schematics and more which ultimately leads to increased productivity.

Of course, there is much more to a successful mobile platform than just the four trends listed above, but if a potential partner has those, you’re off to a good start.

Want to learn more about mobile? Click here to download our Definitive Guide to Mobile Property and Tenant Management.