Craig: Hey Michał, thanks for taking the time to chat with me about the upcoming release of our new and improved version of Resident! I know our customers are eager to learn about the exciting changes in store.
Craig: I know we constantly listen to feedback and that heavily guides our development ideas, but can you highlight the 3-5 most impactful new features for our customers?
Michał:
- New Dashboards System: This is a game-changer! Navigation will be much smoother and more intuitive. We’ve also significantly improved responsiveness, making the system a breeze to use.
- Compliance Monitoring System: This will be a lifesaver for our customers. It proactively alerts them to any missed or overdue tasks, ensuring full compliance with all relevant regulations.
- Enhanced Templates System: Modifying templates will be a much simpler process. Clients will be able to easily make changes and preview them before implementation.
- File Repository: This centralised hub will make it incredibly easy to upload, download, and share files with leaseholders. Plus, our advanced tagging system provides granular control over access to sensitive documents.
- Supplier Access: This feature will streamline workflows by allowing suppliers to directly upload invoices, quotes, and other relevant documents to their respective work orders.
Craig: How will these new features solve specific pain points for our customers?
Michał:
- Dashboards: Save valuable time on navigation, searching, and overall system usage.
- Compliance Monitoring: Proactively prevent costly errors and ensure compliance with all relevant regulations.
- Templates: Empower clients to easily customise templates, improving efficiency and reducing reliance on support.
- File Repository: Centralise all important documents in one easily accessible location, enhancing transparency and control.
- Supplier Access: Streamline communication and reduce administrative burden by allowing suppliers to directly input information.
Craig: What are the biggest improvements that have been made to existing features found on the existing version of Resident, that will be found in the new system?
Michał: Speed and navigation are undoubtedly the biggest improvements. These enhancements will have a positive impact on all aspects of the system. Other notable improvements include:
- Automated Arrears Process: Streamline collections and minimise late payments.
- Enhanced Budget Management: Improved logic for setting up standing orders and increased automation.
- Improved Correspondence Tracking: Store all correspondence with recipients for easy access and reference.
Craig: What are the biggest improvements in terms of user experience?
Michał: The new navigation system is a major win for user experience. It allows users to accomplish more from a single screen, reducing the need for constant page switching. We’ve also introduced features like quick global search and the ability to set favourite pages for even faster access. In terms of aesthetic changes, one of these will be the availability of ‘dark mode’ – helping those with visual impairments, but also general eye strain.
Craig: Are there any new integrations or partnerships that customers will benefit from?
Michał: In the initial release, we’ll be integrating with bank feeds and service for email synchronization. We’re also exploring payment integrations in future releases.
Craig: How will these updates increase efficiency or productivity for our customers?
Michał:
- Reduced system usage time: Leading to increased productivity across the board.
- Automation of key processes: Streamline operations and free up valuable time for other tasks.
- Delegation of responsibilities: Empower external users like suppliers to contribute to the workflow.
Craig: When will the new version be available?
Michał: Due to the complexity of the transition, we don’t have a precise timeline yet. If the transition goes smoothly, we anticipate a first release in Autumn 2025. We will provide a more definitive timeframe in April.
Craig: Will there be any downtime during the rollout?
Michał: We will be running both systems in parallel to minimise disruption. Downtime will only occur during the migration from the old to the new system, and we will schedule this for weekends after confirming with each client individually.
Craig: Will there be any training or support materials available for customers?
Michał: Absolutely! We’re designing the new system to be highly intuitive, with on-screen guidelines and video tutorials available for first-time users.
Craig: Are there any specific use cases or examples you can share to illustrate the value of the new features?
Michał:
- Bank Feeds & Auto-Reconciliation: If you receive 20 transactions per day, approximately 18 of them can be automatically matched due to repetitive references. This translates to reconciling only 10 transactions instead of 100 over a 5-day period.
- Compliance Monitoring: By setting up all compliance tasks as recurrent, you’ll receive timely prompts and avoid any potential issues.
- Automated Arrears Process: Automatically initiate the arrears process after a specified number of overdue days, ensuring timely collections.
- Correspondence Tracking: Easily access and review all correspondence with a specific leaseholder, simplifying communication and resolving disputes quickly.
Craig: What are you most excited about with this new release?
Michał: I’m most excited about the speed improvements and the new templates system. The speed enhancements will have a truly transformative impact, while the new templates system addresses a significant pain point for many of our customers.
Craig: What are some of the challenges you overcame during the development process?
Michał: One of the biggest challenges was re-architecting the entire system while preserving existing functionalities and developing new ones.
Craig: What are some of the unexpected benefits or discoveries that emerged during development?
Michał: As we explored each feature, we discovered new and innovative approaches. For example, we developed a dashboard-focused navigation system and significantly enhanced the automation capabilities within the arrears process.
Craig: I’m confident that these updates will be a huge success for our customers. Thank you for sharing these insights, Michał!
Michał: You’re welcome, Craig. I’m excited to see how these improvements enhance our customers’ daily operations and contribute to their overall success.
