6 Benchmarks that make Community Management Services standout

Want to shine in this competitive market? Here are 6 key benchmarks you need to meet!

Relationships - between the professional and community and among professionals within the community are the cornerstone of Community Management. Relationships translate to interactions between users, professionals, and the residential or commercial space in use.  So how can we measure the efficiency of these very interactions?  One of the biggest challenges in the Community Management industry has been identifying parameters and benchmarks to measure the quality of service rendered.

The Community Management industry in the Middle East has always been highly competitive. With big names and equally impressive portfolios vying for the title of the best CM service provider, how does a user choose just one that excels the rest? Here are 6 questions that users often ask when reviewing a service:

How adaptable is the service?

Adaptability has always been at the forefront of priorities for Community Management services. When a service understands that each individual user is different and that their service requires to be tailored to their needs, the need for built-in flexibility arises. The COVID-19 pandemic has merely highlighted that most industries need to include built-in flexibility in their modes of service and their business models.  The Community Management industry is no different. From having to manage larger numbers of residents at home due to lockdowns to maintaining sanitation and COVID-19 regulations, the industry has had to adapt on its feet to combat the situation.

Is the service updated with the newest technologies and innovations?

The world is hurtling towards innovation at record speeds, developing products and technologies that can make each aspect of a Community Management service more efficient. In some cases, these innovations are designed to provide the users with a better experience, in others it is to create more affordable or sustainable solutions. Digitized processes, hybrid methods of work, and automated systems are a few ways that services combine the virtual and physical aspects of user experience. Cloud-based innovations and the introduction of artificial intelligence and augmented reality are a few technological innovations gaining momentum in the industry.

How smoothly does the service run?

With a large team of professionals handling every aspect of a project, the transfer of information becomes a key factor that affects the success of a service. From the smallest possible task of filing an inventory report to the important decisions that are made by an executive, each aspect of service contributes to successful Community Management. Efficiency is a direct result of two key factors at play: decision making and conveying this decision. An established hierarchy of authority when it comes to decision-making combined with proper information dissemination are two ways of ensuring a service runs like a well-oiled machine.

Does the service adhere to all the relevant laws and regulations?

Community Management professionals must have a thorough understanding of the laws and regulations in place. Being constantly aware of the current and relevant laws is key in maintaining a Community Management system with minimal issues. Owners Associations and their committees also hold the responsibility to keep updated with the latest laws relating to Community Management. Involving Community Management professionals at the design level of projects also allows them to give insight based on their understanding of possible issues that can arise.

Is the service equipped to deal with an emergency situation?

While the occurrence of an emergency or disaster can be sudden, Community Management professionals can always set in place preemptive measures to combat a possible emergency. Maintaining a detailed plan of disaster response and relief with updated inventories and pre-empted training provides a community with the upper hand while dealing with a crisis. A good service can combat an emergency when it arises, a great service can avoid the emergency through mitigation measures.

While these parameters might be a starting point while discussing the effectiveness and efficiency of interactions within a community and its associated management system, they are merely a few factors in an overarching system that evolves and adapts to individual contexts.

What is the way forward for Community Managers and Community Management services?

In March 2021, The International Real Estate Community Management Summit (IRECMS) organized a global edition discussing a host of relevant topics including the effect of the pandemic on the industry and work culture, technological innovations within the sector, the legal aspects of community management on a global scale, resilience and sustainability. The discussions held across panels of industry leaders from around the world gave attending delegates great insights and opportunities for networking with colleagues from within the industry as well as the C-suite level international speaker lineup. The takeaway insight from this event has highlighted the importance of adaptability at every level of an organization and how it factors into the effectiveness of the service rendered. The next edition is slated for 6-9 Dec 2022 at The Address Marina in Dubai.

More information about the event is available at: https://irecms.com/dubai/