Archive for July, 2010

Feedback from Estate Managers

Feedback from Estate Managers on the recently concluded Estate Manager Workshop:

“This Estate Manager workshop is really good, I had an opportunity (to) meet different Estate Managers. The gathering was very useful, should be conducted frequently, probably for full day.  We were able to discuss & exchange opinions & ideas. Thank You.” – A. Prabhakar. Estate Manager, SJR Verity

“Very good session, learning skills Applications are good. Good software to learn – ApartmentAdda. Very good workshop I have experienced.”- Ravi. Estate Manager, Sobha Aquamarine

“It was a wonderful session, which makes helpful learning and experience. As per my knowledge we need to have little more workshop on the same. I have been already using the same software (ApartmentAdda), it is very useful for those with computer knowledge.”- N T Sreedhara. Estate Manager, Salarpuria Properties

“In future this type of Estate Manager workshop please intimate regular manner. So we will attend the same. It will help me a lot.”- Rajan Babu. Estate Manager, Royale Habitat

“Learned a lot from ApartmentAdda. Very good experience. Thanks.” -P.Ravichandran. Estate Manager, Sobha Opal

“Good presentation for Facility Management” -S.Dinesh Leo Martin. Estate Manager, Sobha Rose

“The experience was great and it was a learning experience.” -R.L. Madan. Estate Manager, SJR Redwoods

“Very good workshop. It is a get together of all Estate Managers & we can share ideas/experiences. In this workshop, you can give training how to handle the complaints/financial statements & presentation to committee & residents.” - Murthy. Estate Manager, Zen Gardens

“Good Efforts” -Aminath Babu. Estate Manager, Petra Park


Workshop moments

Workshop moments




ApartmentADDA is India’s #1 web-based Housing Society Accounting Software with complete integration to Online Payment Gateway, Society Communication and Facility Management . We empower Cooperative Housing Societies (CHS), Resident Welfare Associations (RWA), Apartment Owners Associations etc. with online tools to manage their Apartment or Villa Complex effectively.

Please sign up for a LIVE Online demo to know more about the product here : Register for Demo. Start your ADDA (Complete Communication Package), right now, FREE of cost here: Create my ADDA.

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The Estate Manager Workshop

ApartmentAdda conducted a first-of-its-kind gathering of Estate Managers of Gated Communities yesterday – 29-July-2010, 2PM-5PM.

The workshop was designed to provide a platform to discuss challenges, exchange best practices and learn how to leverage software to make their work easier. Networking was the obvious byproduct.

It turned out to be a highly successful workshop, with all participants showing great enthusiasm in excelling in their role, and an eagerness to know more about ApartmentAdda. Many participants wanted such workshops to be conducted frequently and making some as full-day workshop with technical topics.

The organizers were inspired by the healthy turnout with 90% of the registered participants attending this workshop, despite the torrential rains that lashed down on Bangalore! There were some walk-ins as well.

The session started with Mr. Sridar Chari – Admin Head of Palm Meadows and a District Chair Person of Lions International, delivering a highly motivating keynote. His focus was on the role of Estate Manager itself, and how the whole community looks up to this role for support and adherence to the rules & by-laws. He stressed the fact that Management Committee has peace of mind when there is an efficient Estate Manager in-charge of the Association Office, who can hold his ground despite various challenges.

Mr.Chari delivering the KeyNote

Sridhar Chari-Palm Meadows, delivering the KeyNote

This was followed by a presentation from the ApartmentAdda team, on the discipline of Estate Management and the Focus Areas of an Estate Manager - Complaint Management, Vendor Management, Asset Management, Financials Management and interfacing external parties such as Govt. Officials and Banks.After this presentation, the ApartmentAdda anchor grouped the participants into 4 teams. Each team could take a focus area and present a 5 minute case-study.

The hall buzzed with enthusiastic discussions, with networking and a high-tea.

In the Picture below: Rajan Babu-Royale Habitat & Vinoda-Prestige Greenwoods

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In the Picture below: (clockwise from left) Gopinath-Madhuban, Aminath Babu-Petra Park, Martin- Sobha Rose, Ganesh-Manjunath Enclave

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In the Picture below: (clockwise from left) Madan-SJR Redwoods, Ravichandran-Sobha Opal & Kalyan-Sobha Rose

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The presentations started with the first one being on Asset Management – specifically understanding the STP – Sewage Treatment Plant. It was agreed by all that the STP while being the most-utilized common Asset in a Gated Community, also becomes the most maintenance intensive when not understood properly or not installed correctly. Mr. Sreedhara from Salarpuria properties explained with a diagram how an STP works and clarified subsequent questions from the audience. He also offered his help in case any of the participants needed in future.

In the Picture below: Sreedhara-Salarpuria Properties, presenting STP Technical Diagram

IMG_5746

Other three presentations were on Complaint Management, Experiences of a new Estate Manager and liabilities of an Estate Manager.

All presentations were throughly interactive with the participants chipping in their inputs in a very constructive manner.

This was followed by a walkthrough of ApartmentAdda, participants were most interested in Online Complaint Management, Preventive Maintenance Tracking and Financials Tracking.

The focus of this workshop was Online Complaint Management – ApartmentAdda’s COMPLAINT TRACKER. The ApartmentAdda Product Manager walked the audience through the COMPLAINT TRACKER and the reasons why it is important that all Complaints be logged in one place, no matter from which sources they originate. The audience also stressed that it is important to get acknowledgement from the Complainant whenever a Complaint is closed. This is the functionality met by the Feedback loop triggered by ApartmentAdda’s COMPLAINT TRACKER. and track them to closure. Escalating complaints which the Estate Manager has no authority to work upon was also discussed.

A short overview of the ASSET TRACKER was provided. There were interest from the Audience about the online Billing and Collection management – the INCOME TRACKER, which has been agreed to be part of the next Workshop.

Online Complaint Management session

Online Complaint Management session

Overall, all of us took back a very wholesome 3 hour experience of learning from each other. Everyone agreed that we need to have such workshops with longer duration and more of ApartmentAdda can be covered.

The ApartmentAdda team wishes to sincerely thank the Management Committees who signed up their Estate Managers, and the Keynote Speaker and all the Managers who made the workshop such a success!

Last but not the least, the ApartmentAdda team feels proud for conducting this workshop most professionally and getting such overwhelming response and request for further workshops!

Read all Feedbacks. View all Photos.

Wishing success to all!



ApartmentADDA is India’s #1 web-based Housing Society Accounting Software with complete integration to Online Payment Gateway, Society Communication and Facility Management . We empower Cooperative Housing Societies (CHS), Resident Welfare Associations (RWA), Apartment Owners Associations etc. with online tools to manage their Apartment or Villa Complex effectively.

Please sign up for a LIVE Online demo to know more about the product here : Register for Demo. Start your ADDA (Complete Communication Package), right now, FREE of cost here: Create my ADDA.

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Enhancements to Income & Expense Tracker

Fine Tuned

Fine Tuned

A bunch of enhancements have been released in the Accounting modules. Please share this update with your Office Staff in case they are responsible for Income/Expense Tracker data entry.

CHANGES IN INCOME TRACKER

1. Collection Screen

Path: Admin Dashboard > Income Tracker > Track Fees > Collection button

2 NEW fields have been introduced : Instrument type ( Cheque, NEFT, Cash, DD ) and Instrument Bank. These are mandatory fields and will help in complete data capture and reconciliation.

2. Online Receipt Changes

The Online Receipt will now show the period of  Auto Invoice (Maintenance Fee), against which the Collection has been applied. You dont have to enter the Period manually any more.

The Receipt generally looks more beautiful!

3. Batch Invoice posting screen & Excel Import of Invoices

Path: Admin Dashboard > Income Tracker > Track Fees > Post Invoice in Batch

Till now, while doing batch posting of Invoices or Excel Import of Invoices, you could provide only one posting Date, applicable to all Invoices in that Batch.

Now each Invoice entry can have its specific date. In case of Excel Import, the template now carries the Square Feet, Flat Category and open Dues for all the flats – this will help you in calculating Penalties based on your forumula ( eg. x% of open dues). This excel can then be uploaded to post the penalties.

4. Batch payment posting and Excel Import of payments

Path: Admin Dashboard > Income Tracker > Track Fees > Post Payment in Batch

Instrument Type, Instrument Bank and Instrument Date are the new fields available for each payment. Also, in the Excel template the open Dues, Flat Category and Square Feet is exposed.

Note : Please make sure the final excel you are uploading is in CSV format.

CHANGES IN EXPENSE TRACKER

1. Payment screen changes

Path: Admin Dashboard > Expense Tracker > Post Expense > Make Payment button

1 NEW field have been introduced : Instrument type ( Cheque, NEFT, Cash, DD ). This is a mandatory field and will help in complete data capture and reconciliation.

CHANGES IN INCOME TRACKER & EXPENSE TRACKER

1. Removing Auto-Reconcile from posting screens

The Auto-Reconcile feature has not lived up to its expectation of usefulness. It has been voted down by our Product Mgmt Team and User Focus group, and is being removed. For regular reconciliation, please go to the Bank & Cash application for easy and quick, albeit manual reconciling of transactions.

That’s it for this Release, watch out for more cool enhancements to your favorite Applications.

Wishing you a great second Quarter!

ApartmentAdda Team



ApartmentADDA is India’s #1 web-based Housing Society Accounting Software with complete integration to Online Payment Gateway, Society Communication and Facility Management . We empower Cooperative Housing Societies (CHS), Resident Welfare Associations (RWA), Apartment Owners Associations etc. with online tools to manage their Apartment or Villa Complex effectively.

Please sign up for a LIVE Online demo to know more about the product here : Register for Demo. Start your ADDA (Complete Communication Package), right now, FREE of cost here: Create my ADDA.

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FinMin refuses to remove Service Tax

As per the Economic Times today, the Finance Ministry has refused to withdraw the Service Tax imposed on construction 223811_newspaperprojects in the Real Estate Sector.

ET reports further:

The Budget for 2010-11 proposed a service tax of 2.5 per cent on all under-construction projects in the real estate sector. The Urban Development Ministry, however, wanted to get the tax revoked on the plea that the sector was still to recover from the economic slowdown which it witnessed two years ago.

Urban Development Minister S Jaipal Reddy had on April 15 met Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and sought the removal of the service tax.

In the meeting, Reddy had said that the sector was going through a difficult phase and the service tax could hurt its interests as also that of the middle class families.

Sources in the Urban Development Ministry said that the proposal has not been accepted as the ground situation in the sector had changed since the request was first made.

“It has been observed that in the last four months or so there has been an upswing in the realty sector and it has overcome recession successfully,” an official said.

The service tax of 2.5 per cent on the actual sale value will be imposed on all under-construction projects from this month.

As the developers are not expected to absorb the new tax, they would pass it on to the consumers leading to an increase in costs of apartments all over the country, which would hurt the consumers directly, the sources said.



ApartmentADDA is India’s #1 web-based Housing Society Accounting Software with complete integration to Online Payment Gateway, Society Communication and Facility Management . We empower Cooperative Housing Societies (CHS), Resident Welfare Associations (RWA), Apartment Owners Associations etc. with online tools to manage their Apartment or Villa Complex effectively.

Please sign up for a LIVE Online demo to know more about the product here : Register for Demo. Start your ADDA (Complete Communication Package), right now, FREE of cost here: Create my ADDA.

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Associations helping in Khata Registration

It is an open secret in Bangalore that for Khata registration or transfer, Bribe is one of the line items of the unseen Invoice.

Alongside the vast majority of Home Buyers who write the Bribe off as cost to get that Dream Home ownership process concluded, there are also trendsetters who have made a highly commendable example of standing up and saying “I WANT IT, BUT THE RIGHT WAY”.

SunCity Apartment Owners Association (SAOA) has been one of these trendsetters, following the No-Bribe Khata Registration process for its Members, as well as sharing their Lessons Learnt and Best Practices with other Associations in Bangalore. Their journey has been difficult, has required time and commitment from the Association Leads, but then the triumph over wide-spread corruption is no mean achievement!

Here is an excerpt from their website where they provide all information regarding their journey.

“16-Aug-09 is another historical day for suncitizens residing at Suncity Apts, near Sarjapur junction, Bangalore when 50 Khatha completed without paying any bribe and were distributed by MLA, Mr Satish Reedy, Bommanahalli constituency. Addressing a gathering of 200 Suncity residents, Mr Satish Reddy congratulated the association office bearers on undergoing the process of legally obtaining khata without bribing anyone. He offered the residents to come forward and contact him for any issues concerning various Government departments in his constituency.
Although the journey was long to reach to this milestone and it took nearly 6 months but Kudos to our office bearers Kashinath Prabhu (Secretary), Vidyasagar Magdum (Treasurer), Chander hass Banotra (Vice-President) and our senior citizens especially Mr Ashok Kumar Dube for doing wonderful job on publicity, organizing camp for common documents, helping BBMP in arranging documents, visiting BBMP office minimum once every week and persistent follow ups.”

How it all started: http://www.vicharpravah.com/index.php/power-of-common-man/3-erdaicate-evil/63-how-residents-association-can-help-khatha-registration-for-its-members.html

Here is an interview of the Association Leaders, recently conducted by Citizenmatters:

http://bangalore.citizenmatters.in/articles/view/2140-suncity-residents-khata-no-bribe1081636_good_luck

ApartmentAdda has immense respect and appreciation for Association Leaders, who don’t care a hoot about the job being ‘Thankless’ or ‘Voluntary’, and continue the ‘toil of care’ with as much professionalism and commitment as their day job.

We wish them cooperation from the community and more such triumphs!

Has your Association also done a commendable service for the Community, that you want to share? Do write to ApartmentAdda, and we would love to showcase it.



ApartmentADDA is India’s #1 web-based Housing Society Accounting Software with complete integration to Online Payment Gateway, Society Communication and Facility Management . We empower Cooperative Housing Societies (CHS), Resident Welfare Associations (RWA), Apartment Owners Associations etc. with online tools to manage their Apartment or Villa Complex effectively.

Please sign up for a LIVE Online demo to know more about the product here : Register for Demo. Start your ADDA (Complete Communication Package), right now, FREE of cost here: Create my ADDA.

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