Category Apartment Management Software

Dos and Don’ts of Road Maintenance within your Society Gate

Roads are absolutely necessary for every apartment complex. They are used for easy commuting and also add an element of beauty to the society. But all of it becomes null if the roads are damaged or unusable. It is important to keep the roads in top condition so as to not hamper the daily life within your gates.

What is the need for maintenance?

Roads that are in regular use often end up riddled with potholes and wear-and-tear. This can be avoided if they are subjected to regular maintenance. Not only is it more cost efficient, but well-maintained roads also increase the property value of the entire complex.

In order to ensure that the roads are properly maintained, take up the issue with the apartment association during resident body meetings. While residents can take small steps in order to contribute, the apartment association can get the maintenance team to do the difficult tasks.

What are the types of problems?

1) Cracks: Cracks may form on the surface either due to repeated use or due to environmental degradation. Fatigue cracks occur due to the added effects of wheel loads. Environmental cracking develops in asphalt as it ages and is subjected to everyday temperature changes. These cracks are very small when compared to fatigue cracks  Water and dirt should be prevented from entering cracks as they might grow worse this way.

2) Surface Wear: Wear on the surface mainly occurs due to tire wear and material degradation (ravelling). Its maintenance includes removing the surface and/or covering up the surface which is worn. Surface treatment depends on the severity of the surface wear.

3) Rutting: This signifies permanent degradation in the layers of the road. This can happen if the structure design is improper or if the roads are overloaded. It can also happen if the surface layer is of poor quality.

4) Potholes: Pits or holes produced by wear or weathering on the road surfaces can be fixed through surface treatments.

What are the maintenance measures?

The roads in an apartment complex undergo a lot of destructive changes. The apartment association will have to take on different approaches based on the problem involved. Firstly,  residents should be constantly updated about the need to maintain roads by the apartment association. Littering on roads should be strictly prohibited and waste bins should be provided for this purpose. Stagnant bodies of water should be immediately cleared, especially after rain and the roads should be swept regularly by the maintenance crew.

Crack sealing is a process that’s followed in order to maintain roads and surface treatment can be done in order to prolong the life of the particular road. This treatment measures should be taken up by professionals, who can be hired by the apartment association.

A lot of factors affect the type of maintenance undertaken within the housing complex. These include the type of distress, vehicle loading, the general climate in the region, the cost of treatment; the roads expected life, the existing road type, and availability of good materials.

Residents can help maintain the quality of roads within the apartment complex by giving regular feedback on their defects to the management as well as bearing with the inconvenience caused during the repair of the roads.

Thankfully technology can add a touch of convenience while undertaking this task. ApnaComplex provides an integrated society management solution that can help you easily communicate with your fellow residents. Residents can use the Helpdesk feature to notify the committee of any defects that may need attention. On the other hand, committee members can use the ApnaComplex forums to raise notices that can be sent out to all the residents to keep them well-informed of the progress.


ApnaComplex Gatekeeper now available in Hindi, Tamil, and Marathi!

Right at this very moment, as you read this post, there are thousands of security guards across India using ApnaComplex Gatekeeper to keep the gates of their respective apartment complexes secure. This new update is for all the security staff members!

We are extremely proud to release ApnaComplex Gatekeeper in Hindi, Tamil, and Marathi (in addition to English). Security staff can now switch to their preferred language at any point.

With the app being available in multiple languages, we aim to make the life of security guards a little easier. We hope that it makes the use of ApnaComplex Gatekeeper effortless and user-friendly with a language they are more familiar with.

Made in India, Made for India!


Featured Society: Purva Highland

Just off Nice Road, in Mallasandra, lies one of Bangalore’s well-known high rise apartments – Purva Highland. Perched on a hillock, this apartment complex boasts breathtaking views and a list of luxuries for both, body and mind. This society has 13 towers, each 20 stories high and a one-of-a-kind 3-tiered pool.

The apartment complex stretches over a huge plot of land and hosts more than a 1500 flats. This society provides a number of amenities and luxuries – a tennis court, a basketball court, a three-tier swimming pool, a medical store, a cafeteria, a supermarket, are just a few of the many, that are housed inside the gates of this society. Couples, children, bachelors, elderly, this community has a bit of everything. With so many people living in one place, using all these facilities, naturally, the managing committee has its work cut out.

Managing an apartment complex is just like managing a mini-city

So how does the committee manage everything? According to Mr. Ravi Shripathi, Secretary, the managing committee was founded in 2015. “There are three principal office bearers president, secretary, treasurer. Apart from this, there are nine blocks in the complex. Each block has its own Vice President. Besides this, we have many sub-committees like the Green Committee, Library Committee, Sports Committee, Evacuation Committee, and more, who work closely with our office bearers.”

All these committees comprise of volunteers who have decided to work in their free time towards making their communities run smoothly. But it is easier said than done. A big apartment complex is like a mini-city. And like any mini-city, there are problems that keep cropping up, decisions that have to be made, plans that have to be executed. This requires time from each committee member which, sometimes,  is more than they can spare.

Using ApnaComplex as a force multiplier

This is where newer technologies come to the rescue of managing committees. Being a fully integrated apartment management platform, ApnaComplex uses technology to reduce the workload of both residents and managing committee members.

Take billing, collections and accounting as an example. According to the Estate Manager, Mr. Shaman Joshi, “Previously, we had to rely on accountants who came in. I had no control over it at all. I was completely dependent on the accountant. Now, using the ApnaComplex App, I can generate our invoices myself. There is no more dependency.

When asked how this has made things easier he replied,Everything is faster and more convenient now. Earlier we had a big ledger we had to go through to list out all our defaulters for the month. Now it is no longer manual. The app automatically generates a defaulter list that we just need to send.

Or security, another big challenge for the size of a community like Purva Highland.As just a resident, I thought of ApnaComplex as just an accounting software,says Mr. Shripathi,Now as a Secretary, I saw all the other options available. We have been using ApnaComplex Gatekeeper for almost a month now. The response has been positive. We are planning on introducing biometrics soon.

ApnaComplex Gatekeeper @ Purva Highland, Bangalore

When asked what the ultimate goal of this was, he replied, “We have tons of manual registers that have been maintained over the years. Eventually, I want to get rid of it all and move to a strictly electronic records.”

From a library to a health spa, Purva Highland has a little bit for everyone. This society and its committee strive to make its residents happy, comfortable and safe. ApnaComplex commends the committee on their work and hopes our service continues to aid them.

Gym in Purva HighlandGym

Indoor Games @ Purva HighlandIndoor Games

Tennis Courts @ Purva HighlandTennis Court

Children @ Play @ Purva Highland Children at Play

Library @ Purva HighlandLibrary

Squash Court  @ Purva HighlandSquash Court

 


ApnaComplex: The 3 Ways To Manage Your Staff

Have you checked out our Staff Management Features yet?

Do you remember the 90s classic, “Chachi 420?” This movie about a nanny in disguise tickled everybody’s funny bone. But in real life, wouldn’t this situation be a tad alarming?

Almost every Indian household employs a household staff. Their presence is a part of our daily routine. The day they fail to show up, is the day, the entire household often screeches to a standstill. Now wouldn’t it be easier if we could track the attendance of our staff on a day-to-day basis?

ApnaComplex offers a unique and detailed feature to enable you to do just that! With our Staff Management Feature, you can track and maintain a log of the staff employed in your apartment complex.

The Staff in a Gated Community

Most societies have three categories of staff members employed within its gates.

  1. Domestic Staff: These are the staff members employed by the families, like, maids, cooks, drivers, and so on.
  1. Maintenance Staff: These are the staff members employed by the community like security staff, landscapers, plumbers, etc.
  1. Temporary Staff: This is the staff that is hired for a temporary period like carpenters or painters.

With so many people employed in one location, the movement in and out of the main gate poses a significant security concern. How do you know who has come in, and who has already left? This is where we can assist you.

Three Ways to Verify Attendance

In the current market, there are many apps that allow you to track staff attendance. While any of them can provide the basics, The ApnaComplex Staff Management Feature offers you a little bit more! With our fully integrated systems, residents receive an instant notification on their ApnaComplex app the minute a member of their household staff enters or exits the society gate. We offer you three ways to do this-

  1. By a picture

When the member of the staff is entering your society, the security guard can use this feature to click a picture. This enables the resident to know that their employee has entered the society complex and will report for duty soon. If the staff is hired in multiple households, the notification will be sent to each of one. This allows you to maintain an attendance log. This is especially beneficial if your employee is on a payroll.

  1. By RFID

This is a step-up from merely clicking a picture. Every member of the staff is issued an RFID card. A reader is installed at the main gate. When the member of the staff enters the gate, they are directed to scan their IDs. What is more, limited-period access can be given to staff hired for a temporary job. The resident can specify the duration for which the employee is permitted within the campus. When the validity expires, that staff member is debarred from entering the gate.

  1. By Biometrics

This is a foolproof security system. If you opt for biometrics, we provide you with a fingerprint reader or facial recognition software that is fully integrated with your ApnaComplex app. This enables the app to send you an instant notification when the staff member scans their finger at the gate.

Attendance vs Authentication

While pictures and RFID allow you to track attendance, they have their own drawbacks. Picture verification can help you create a log and track attendance. Incase of a security breach this log can help in an investigation. However, this is not a foolproof security system. The same applies to RFIDs. If the IDs exchange hands, security can take a serious hit. To make your apartment complex truly secure ApnaComplex recommends Biometrics. This system makes it impossible for a person to impersonate someone else. This means no more Chachi 420 moments in your society! Employers know exactly who is in, and who is out.

Bonus:

The ApnaComplex app allows you to create a database of staff members employed throughout your society. This database can be fed by both residents, as well as the security guard. This feature also provides a rating system for your staff. So if there are any other residents searching for new employees, they can skim through the existing database of staff employed within the same society. They can then hire a person based on their rating.

The life of an Indian household typically revolves around the household staff. The schedule of the entire family is built around their comings and goings. So allow us to make it a little easier!

Check out our Staff Management features here: https://www.apnacomplex.com/gatekeeper 

 


Announcing “School Bus @ Gate” on ApnaComplex to enhance Security in Apartment Complexes

We are excited to announce “School Bus @ Gate” – an innovative capability on ApnaComplex to enhance Convenience, Safety and Security at your Apartment Complex / Gated Community.

The life of the parents of a school-going child typically revolves around school bus timings. Parents always want to be aware of when their child’s school bus arrived for pick up in the mornings and dropped the child at Apartment Gate.

With “School Bus @ Gate” functionality, we assist parents of school-going children residing in the Apartment Complex with instant notifications when the school bus comes to the gate! This offers unparalleled convenience to the parents as they would know if the bus has arrived before the child has reached the gate and when the child was dropped at the gate.

On the ApnaComplex App, under the My Unit tab, you can associate yourselves with the School Bus by which your child is commuting. If your child’s school bus or the route is not listed – just go ahead and add a new school bus on the App. You can also add multiple buses for each school if needed. Parents of other kids going via the same school bus can associate themselves with the school bus. Whenever the bus comes to the gate to pick up or drop, all the residents associated with that bus would get a push notification on their mobiles. Super convenient!

Residents can not only check the history of bus timings for any bus – but also quickly get to know other residents – who have children going on the same bus route.

All School bus routes that were created will automatically show up on Gatekeeper app that the security at your gate uses. Security Guard at the Apartment Main Gate records the movement of the school bus on the Gatekeeper which then gets synced with the ApnaComplex cloud platform, which in turn sends notifications.

This capability is getting rolled out in a phased manner on both Android and iOS platforms and should be available to everyone in 2-3 days,

Yet again, ApnaComplex raises the bar with innovative features that really matter!


Announcing Gatepass : Track Material being carried out by Vendors, Service Staff and Visitors

We are excited to announce “Gatepass” a new capability to make your Apartment more secure.

Gatepass allows you to ensure records are maintained for material moving out of your flat or from your society.

Gatepass is fully integrated with Asset Management and Gatekeeper modules of ApnaComplex making it the most comprehensive solution to track Material Movement from individual flats as well as from Society’s common areas.

From ApnaComplex App:

  1. Maintenance office can create Gatepass for Assets going out of the campus. For example, Gatepass can be issued by Estate Manager against a motor pump being given out to a vendor for Repair, Gym Equipment given out for Service. Gatepass has to be tagged against the Visitor
  2. Residents can create Gatepass for material being issued to Visitors. For example, Gatepass can be issued against a delivery personnel of Amazon to pickup an item to be returned.
  3. Residents can create Gatepass for material being issued to Domestic Staff. For example, Gatepass can be issued against the housemaid to carry out news papers.

At the time of issuance, one can take pictures of the material against which Gatepass is being issued.

The Gatepasses issued by Residents or by Maintenance Staff will automatically be visible to Security Staff on the Gatekeeper. At the exit gate, Security can look up the Gatepass issued against the Visitor / Service Staff, check the material being taken out and mark the Gatepass as used.

Benefits of using Gatepass can be felt immediately. More often than not there are no proper records for Society’s assets (such as Motor Pumps, Gym Equipment etc.) that go out of the campus for repair/service. Similarly residents need not issue paper slips and keep calling security to allow material given to their domestic staff.

Ensure you have latest versions of the Android and iOS Apps and go to My Unit tab on the app to issue Gatepass. Ensure security has the latest version of Gatekeeper to be able to view and use the Gatepasses.


ApnaComplex Gatekeeper now supports IVR calls

ApnaComplex Gatekeeper shall now automatically call residents on IVR to seek approvals for visitors.

IVR call is in an additional step on top of audio push notifications that ApnaComplex sends to residents when a visitor shows up at the Security gate. If the resident for any reason does not respond to the audio push notification, system will automatically initiate IVR calls to the registered mobile number of the residents.

This eliminates the need for security to do manual verification of visitors by calling over intercom.

This also reduces the overall efforts of security staff who other wise will have to call each resident over intercom to ascertain the visitor.

Also the time spent by delivery personnel at the gate reduces as IVR is initiated in parallel for all flats s/he is going to visit and, which otherwise is a sequential process.

Please reach out to us to enable IVR for your society.


new year resolution

5 Ways To Decide On A New Year Resolution That Doesn’t Need Work

It’s that time of the year when almost everyone around you is coming up with ways of making the incoming year more productive. Some people have been planning their new year resolutions since the latter half of the year. Piling on one promise after another with a failed attempt at each is not the way to go, is it? Well, ApnaComplex is happy to lend a helping hand. Here are 5 easy new year resolutions in case you haven’t got on to the ‘change is good’ wagon yet. Trust us, these are more helpful than you’d know.

 

  • Save water –

With all the global warming signs getting bigger and bigger, doing your bit for the planet will only make you feel good about the next year. Tracking water usage levels and avoiding water wastage is one option. ApnaComplex provides you with Water Monitor, a water tracking app that allows you to track the volume of water being used by your society. A plus point is that it tracks the billing as per water usage too. Find out more about Water Monitor here.

new year resolution

 

  • Avoid preventable theft –

This one leans towards those who have faced theft issues in the past. Why offer a chance when there doesn’t have to be one? One aspect of this problem is vehicle theft. ApnaComplex’s solution to that is Vehicle Sentry, a vehicle tracking system that lets you stay aware of your vehicle’s whereabouts. Know more about Vehicle Sentry here.

new year resolution

 

  • Family safety –

For all those who believe that safety in any form can never be enough, ApnaComplex has Gatekeeper, a visitor tracking app. Gatekeeper lets you know about your visitor beforehand and lets you verify their entry. Be aware of who knocks on your door. Stay alert with Gatekeeper here.

new year resolution

 

  • Spend less –

Everyone can cash in on this new year resolution. Spending less is never an idea that is unwelcome. One way of going about with this is by holding less change in your pockets and using cashless services. Collection Gateway by ApnaComplex is another such service that lets you pay maintenance dues via NEFT or RTGS. Here’s why Collection Gateway should be your new year resolution this year.

new year resolution

 

  • Make lives easier –

Why not have an easy management system in place for those who work hard at settling the books in your society? Get some good karma under your belt by getting ApnaComplex for your society. Keep track of reminders, bill and maintenance payments and vendors of your society in a more automated manner. This is one of the most easiest ways of fulfilling a new year resolution, don’t you think?

new year resolution

 

So, this time, let’s all make a promise to ourselves to move forward with the new year resolutions we choose. Good luck chasing the new life!


go cashless

6 Reasons Why A Cashless Society Is Here To Stay

With the new cashless wave gaining momentum in India, societies all over are adopting various ways of doing their bit to forward this initiative. Here’s why everyone should go cashless starting from today –

 

(Firstly, to avoid this…)

go cashless

 

  • Track dues and payments automatically

Now, Indians will make payments for most purchases/liabilities online. Automatic withdrawal and payment from connected accounts are also an option. So, there are no dues pending at the end of every month and that gets ticked off your to-do list instantly, without even having to make a confirmation.

go cashless

 

  • Cloud-based auto sync in real-time

All transactions are updated in books online and accounts are kept up-to-date after every transaction. Even people not so good at math will like this number game. Going cashless isn’t so bad after all.

go cashless

 

  • No long queues to wait around in

Queues that move quickly are a crowd favourite. A place where personal presence is optional is looked forward to by everyone, not just by introverts. Anyone who can’t be at a particular place at a specific time would appreciate such a development.

go cashless

 

  • Countrywide acceptance of this stance

This line of thinking will be eventually accepted and put into practice all over the nation. So, purchasing most things gets easier when done directly using an e-account.

go cashless

 

  • Chances of robbery & theft are low

When there isn’t enough to rob, why would someone painstakingly make the effort to break in and steal? Travelling outstation also gets easier since staying connected with your funds becomes more flexible. This is a great move for tourists looking forward to exploring our country.

go cashless

 

  • You can’t get lazier than swiping a card / pre-storing payment details just ONCE!

There will be no such thing as overusing your card, especially during difficult times. Swipe it for a purchase and you’re good to go. No more hunting for change in your pocket / wallet / bag / other nooks and crannies they managed to slip into. Added bonus: It just adds to your laziness. Now, who would want to go against that?

go cashless

 

But, a move like this cannot be taken for granted. Regular monitoring of one’s own funds is the primary reason for this move to be able to thrive. You can check your account details online without the hassle of visiting the bank by visiting the website provided by it instead. The web and mobile applications made available by banks equip you with another option to go cashless.

 

Let’s make a conscious and informed effort towards having a cashless society.

 

Going cashless in your society is easy with Collection Gateway by ApnaComplex. Try it here. Go cashless today!

ApnaComplex featured on Bloomberg TV – Rising Stars!

Team ApnaComplex is happy and proud for being featured on the Rising Stars program in Bloomberg TV on 28th December 2015.

As a part of the feature, Raja Sekhar, our co-founder talks with Abha Bakaya and Priyank Lakhia of Bloomberg TV about our journey so far, how ApnaComplex helps Housing Societies and Apartment Associations to manage more efficiently.

Will certainly motivate us to reach newer heights!