|
Yesterday American Community Management, Inc., was formed in 1986 in response to the need for more professional community association management services. Generally, suburban association management companies lacked the sophisticated systems, procedures, technology and personnel required to effectively manage the business affairs of groups of common interest owners. There were a number of "property management" companies around at the time, but few were adept at managing the whole "community". Some of those still exist - most have gone out of business. Some companies hired part-time manicurists or retail sales people who wanted to supplement their income. Others looked to real estate agents because of their knowledge of the housing markets. Few, if any, property managers had any business, finance or construction background. Although Apple®*and IBM® had their personal computers on the market for a number of years, most management companies did not own one. Bookkeeping and check writing were done by hand, and typewriters were the equipment of choice for correspondence. With the proliferation of the personal computer, even more property management companies began to enter the market, but they too, lacked adequate software and trained personnel to meet the increasing needs of the association business clients they purported to serve. I can remember our first computer - nearly two decades ago. It was a Compaq® 386, 20 Megahertz, with a 20 Megabyte hard drive with 4 Megabytes of RAM - the fastest personal computer on the market! A mere six months after we made the purchase, Compaq® introduced a 25 megahertz machine that made our new one obsolete. ACM was one of the first in the area to utilize SKYLINE® -The Property Management SystemSM, software with integrated general ledger, accounts payable, data base, and report writer. ACM was the first management company in the suburban market to have a web site. Today We still use Skyline®, version 2006. Our processing equipment includes three HP® G3 network servers with the latest Novell® and Windows 2003 Enterprise operating software. Windows 2003 also powers our Exchange Server Internet email and places the Internet on every desktop via high speed broadband. Windows Outlook 2003, an intelligent intra-office and electronic messaging, scheduling and time and task manager, as well as a separate HP® server and Cisco Systems switches just to handle connections to bank lock boxes and our various on-site-managed Communities. All of our employees can VPN-connect directly to our proprietary network from any Internet connection in the world. Additionally, we utilize the Microsoft Office XP Professional® office suite in our day-to-day operation. Media storage is measured in hundreds of gigabytes and high-speed tape back-ups of all our networks are done daily and stored off-site. Our unique ACM Customer 1 customer relationship management system integrates our unit, occupant, financial, work order and correspondence programs for super fast answers to Customer questions, and tracking of issues through resolution. Although our goal was never to become the largest community management firm, ACM is among the top five largest in the area. Our technological sophistication is unsurpassed, as is the quality of our employees. Our management division is headed by an individual with over 20 years experience in real estate and community association management. Our managers are all certified. Our accounting and administrative staff boast Masters degrees, and our Customer Service staff are highly trained to place the customer first and exceed expectations! ACM is different than other management companies because our emphasis is on the overall community - not only the property - and focus on the Customer. Our callers never get a recorded message or voice mail as one can expect at an under-staffed company. We have the longest live Customer Care hours in the Industry - 7 am to 7 pm, and the longest open office hours as well - 8 am to 6 pm. As mentioned, our software is integrated - not merely a compilation of Lotus or Excel worksheets. Our record keeping is specialized and detailed and includes historic information on every single unit we manage. In-house maintenance technicians respond quickly to the ordinary as well as the extraordinary calls for repairs; can handle most any project size that may be presented and resolve emergencies 24-hours per day. We are our Client's partners. The Board and our Community Manager comprise a team with the interests, purpose and goals of the Community in clear focus. And everyday, we improve upon our systems and our services. We're different - we're better. Tomorrow So what does the future have in store? This ACM web site is one thing. We believe that an internet connection will provide an all-encompassing service to our Owner-Customers and our Client-Board Members. They will have access to ACM, as well as their Associations, 24 hours a day for timely information, hints and help. Our Customer Service staff will refocus their efforts on timely internet response and less on direct telephone work. They will have honed their skills to the extent that it becomes a genuine pleasure to contact the Management Company. Community Managers of the future will have all earned some type of certification that will represent a minimum standard for the industry. They will carry lap top computers in order to send and receive data from the field. A manager's car will be their virtual office and they will spend more time within the Communities they serve - not sitting behind a desk. Boards will take less of an active role in direct management and refocus their time on policy making. Community Managers will become the focal point of the day-to-day operation having been given the authority to make investment and expense decisions guided by the Board-approved budget. In preparation for the future, it is vital that Boards select the right management services provider that can get the Association beyond the 21st century. Confer with your professionals - attorneys and auditors - and get their opinion of your prospective management services provider. Visit the offices of the prospective management company and see, first hand, their operations, systems and staff. Most of all, enjoy community living. You can enjoy it more if you select the right Management Company. * The names of the manufacturers and products listed here are registered trademarks of the respective companies. Skyline is a software product of SS&C Technologies. |