In the competitive landscape of property management, Ithemba Property faced formidable challenges with its extensive portfolio of 6,500 low-cost residential units spread across 60 buildings in Johannesburg and Pretoria. Among their pressing concerns were balancing high occupancy rates with efficient cost management, ensuring client satisfaction, and fostering a technology-driven strategy while preserving their ‘do it yourself’ culture. However, the implementation of ‘On Key,’ a transformative software solution, reshaped their operations. In just 18 months, Ithemba Property achieved a remarkable 42% boost in efficiency, streamlined its processes, and fully embraced digital transformation. In this case study, we delve into how ‘On Key’ brought about these remarkable changes and revolutionised the property management landscape for Ithemba Property.”
“The EAM system (On Key) solution is the cornerstone of the business – the ability to track all requests, plan and prioritise has been instrumental in improving the control over our maintenance.”
– Alan Tait, Senior Operations Manager at Ithemba Property –
Key challenges
- Operating in a highly competitive market with numerous players striving for market share.
- Balancing maintaining high occupancy rates while effectively managing operational costs.
- Overseeing and maintaining 6,500 low-cost residential units across 60 buildings posed a substantial operational challenge.
- Inadequate maintenance and services impacted client satisfaction.
- Initiating a technology-driven strategy to address the complexities of the property portfolio.
- Ensuring that technological and process changes align with the company’s “do it yourself” culture.
- Creating a unified digital environment fosters interaction among internal resources, clients, and service providers while prioritising visibility and transparency to cultivate and sustain a customer-centric experience.
Our intervention
- Implemented On Key EAMS for the client’s entire portfolio.
- Aligned Ithemba with ISO FM standards, contributing to asset life extension and cost-saving initiatives.
- Equipped Ithemba Property with a standard business intelligence platform, enabling data-driven decision-making.
- Developed scorecards for Work Management and Contractor Management, facilitating accurate rate benchmarking.
- Increased transparency empowered building/portfolio managers by comparing occupancy rates and performance.
- A central digital environment enables collaboration among internal resources, clients and contractors.
- Digitised in-and-out inspections, going from a paper-based system to a mobile, on-the-go process.
Value add
- Efficiency amplification: Achieved a remarkable 42% efficiency increase within 18 months, streamlining work processes and reducing turnaround times.
- Digital transformation: Enabled the client to transition to a true paperless solution, fostering sustainability and data-driven decision-making.
- Strategic collaboration: Facilitated collaboration among stakeholders, from internal resources to clients and contractors, all within a unified digital platform.
- Resource upskilling: Empowered Ithemba Property’s resources through technology exposure, enhancing capabilities and professional growth.
- Optimised operations: Developed scorecards for work management and contractor management, refining benchmarking for better cost management.
- Realtime information: Access to information enables performance comparisons and positively impacts occupancy rates.
- Global scalability: Equipped Ithemba Property with a scalable solution, laying the groundwork for potential replication in diverse contexts.
- ISO Facilities Management (FM) standards adherence: Aligned Ithemba Property with ISO FM standards, contributing to prolonged asset life and cost-saving strategies.
- Data-driven decision-making: Equipped Ithemba Property with a standard business intelligence platform for more informed strategic choices.
- Innovative inspections: Digitised in-and-out inspections, going from a manual approach to a streamlined, electronic process.
- Enhanced unit prioritisation: Enabled swift identification of vacant or tenanted units, refining work prioritisation and resource allocation.
Client background
- Ithemba Property boasts a portfolio of 60 buildings comprising 6,500 low-cost residential units in Johannesburg and Pretoria.
- Guided by its core values, Ithemba is committed to establishing secure, pristine and well-maintained spaces for its residents.
- The successful upkeep of 6,500 units within this dynamic environment and efficient handling turnaround times is no small feat.
- In an area and market rife with competition, Ithemba remains at the top of its game by keeping occupancy rates up and costs in check.