Property Managers Beware:
The Utilities Fight is On!

In the highly competitive world of property management, the need to find innovative solutions to long-standing problems has never been more crucial. With the cost of utilities set on a steep incline, one of the most pressing challenges facing this industry is the need for accurate data collection and reliable billing.

Thys, the owner of a well-established Johannesburg property management firm, found himself facing this problem a short while ago when he realized that his administrative department was under severe strain. He embarked on an intensive time and motion study in an effort to find the root cause of the problem. His results will not come as a surprise to a seasoned property manager. The problem, he discovered, lay in utility management and all the administrative tasks that it created. This had become a major drain on his company's resources.

Property portfolio managers like Thys, with a nationwide concern, can easily find themselves dealing with well over 270 different municipalities at any given time. As the accounting systems of these municipalities are not synchronized, statements pour in haphazardly creating a heavy load of administrative duties. The punishing challenge of ensuring revenue collection, resolving discrepancies and collecting data is repetitive and time-consuming not to mention open to human error.

Thys' time and motion analysis enabled him to understand what tasks were occupying the most time in his business. As the prices of utilities had escalated so had the cost of managing them and now it was up to him to find a better way to manage this area of his business.

Over the past decade the price of utilities has soared, with electricity increasing by an astronomical 356%. As this increase far outweighs the cost of inflation, property owners and tenants have been left struggling to understand and control their usage. Property managers find themselves at the center of this problem, not only when it comes to ensuring revenue collection but also when it comes to helping their clients manage and understand their consumption.

Billing accuracy is now more crucial than ever before and systems that are open to tampering and the risk of human error are simply no longer viable. One of the key observations that Thys made during his study was that utility queries and discrepancies had risen sharply and that in order to stay ahead he needed to adopt a more innovative and streamlined approach. To avoid mistakenly subsidizing his tenants he needed a fresh strategy, a system designed to meet his needs and the needs of his clients.

While Thys was looking into possible utility management solutions he was approached by the Energy Portfolio Manager of one his largest corporate clients. They were dissatisfied over the accuracy of their electricity billing, citing that billing based on square meterage was outdated, especially considering that their store only used low-wattage lighting while other stores in the same building, although smaller, used more power to drive equipment like ovens and servers. So as terms for their renewed contract they requested explicitly and individually metered set up to cater for separate utility billing.

When Thys shifted his focus to solving this problem he was pleasantly surprised to find that not only did a solution exist but that it also had the power to change his business and give him an edge in the market.

That solution was the integrated smart metering utility system developed by Invirotel.

Our one-stop solution encompasses smart meters, communication networks and data management systems that allow for seamless communication of information between providers, property managers and end users.

Thys had just discovered that the most powerful weapon in the utility war was this unique system, developed with the purpose of empowerment which allowed him to meet and exceed his clients' expectations when it came to resource consumption and management.

The Invirotel Smart Metering Management system, which connects with existing infrastructure, can monitor water, gas and electric consumption as well as CO2 emissions making it an invaluable tool when it comes to eco-wise resource management.

Monitoring usage, which can be done from individual up to portfolio level, can quickly help to pinpoint problem areas such as leakages or non-essential usage and aid clients in finding cost-efficient and environmentally friendly solutions.

Access to top quality data gathering and monitoring systems not only improves the offering property managers can provide but helps to improve relations between them and their clients. Large corporate clients, for example, would require such data to help them build business cases and justify expenditure on energy saving measures. These types of clients want to partner with providers who are also eco-conscious and forward thinking.

Invirotel recognizes that we all have a role to play when it comes to conserving water and that the accurate monitoring of this precious resource is key. Without the means to do this, end users have no way of pinpointing problem areas. With Invirotel's real-time data and integrated dashboard system, managing consumption has never been simpler.

Responsible property managers know that by providing tools that encourage clients to use water responsibly they not only help them save money but also aid in the preservation of one of the earth's most precious resources.