Predictive AI Optimizes Maintenance Workflows To Create More Efficient Multifamily Communities

With staffing shortages still prevalent in multifamily communities, property managers are using centralization and specialization for more efficient task management on-site — not just for administrative processes like leasing but also to better delegate maintenance jobs. 

SmartRent, an industry-leading smart home automation company, is looking to fill in those workforce gaps by using artificial intelligence to streamline workflow and help multifamily owners and operators improve efficiency and boost job satisfaction among on-site teams while ultimately enhancing the resident experience. 

For maintenance teams, predictive AI can better optimize workflows by alerting the best person suited for the job, which creates more efficiencies in day-to-day operations for busy maintenance team members. It can also prevent costly repairs by enabling a more robust preventive maintenance approach. 

“Home maintenance has traditionally been reactive, meaning residents needed to alert somebody immediately when something is broken,” SmartRent CEO Lucas Haldeman said. “However, with AI we’re able to predictably understand when something is working harder than it should or not the way it should. We can attempt to troubleshoot that and resolve it before it becomes an issue for the resident.” 

Haldeman gave an example of AI alerting the property manager and staff about a broken thermostat before a tenant has even noticed it is malfunctioning. 

“Predictive AI mixed with our SmartRent technology can help us identify how long it takes to cool the apartment unit by 1 degree,” he said. “If we find a trend of 200 thermostats having the same temperature reads, we can see if the condenser is blown or the door was left open. The initial alert can help us catch problems right away to save thousands of dollars.” 

Haldeman said the company’s digital work management platform can also help property managers streamline workflow and make it more mobile and trackable. In the past, it was more of an analog process, but now a maintenance person can create an alert for on-site issues through the SmartRent app. 

Through the app’s new feature called “walk and talk,” a staff member doesn't need to write things on a notepad and then go back to log in a ticket after doing a walkthrough, Haldeman said. Maintenance techs can speak naturally and the AI chatbot technology will transcribe what they report, such as if a unit needs a cabinet fixed or a carpet cleaned. AI can generate those tasks and assign each one to the best person for that specific job.

Haldeman added that this is useful because when staff members are assigned the jobs that most suit their skills, they feel like they are in a career that appreciates their specialties rather than just being a handyperson doing whatever random job is assigned to them. It is also beneficial to the person in charge of handing out maintenance assignments. 

“AI makes it easier to assign tasks, which can be mundane and draining to a human who has to file in those tickets,” he said. “AI will be an invaluable tool to use because the system can start understanding trends and closing out multiple tickets to the best-suited person for the job. As a result, this increases work management efficiency in the complex and worker retention rates.”

Haldeman said AI can save costs by reducing the number of people who need to be at one location. It may also protect the building’s relationship with the customer.

“When an unqualified person for a maintenance job is repeatedly going back to the resident's unit and the problem isn't rectified, this can create a negative experience between the maintenance tech and the tenant,” he said. “Once that relationship is damaged, it's hard to fix. And we've found that this can result in tenants not renewing their leases if this problem persists.”

In addition to booking maintenance requests, the SmartRent resident app allows tenants to lock doors electronically, use smart sensors to detect motion or change thermostat settings. They can immediately get feedback directly through the software, which bridges the communication gap between the staff and the tenants, Haldeman said. 

Haldeman said the company is working to make the app even more efficient so that the tenant can simply take pictures and videos to help the maintenance team remotely diagnose a problem at an apartment unit.

“We receive maintenance requests and the resident says they're having problems with the garbage disposal, but the root of the problem is unclear,” he said. “The app would be able to discern, based on the keywords from the pictures and videos, if the problem is electrical or plumbing and which maintenance tech would be best to handle this ticket.” 

AI also helps in the field when materials need to be upgraded or obsolete equipment needs to be replaced, which can reduce costs down the road. 

“Incorporating AI into maintenance to identify repair trends, track warranties and recalls, and connect with smart appliances allows the building team to be far more proactive,” Haldeman said. “They can save on costs if they can pre-order materials, and they have more time to adjust plans and budgets if materials are out of stock. They are better able to prepare and staff their teams if there is a massive recall or a warranty issue. There really is tremendous power in knowledge and being proactive.” 

This is a trend that Haldeman said is likely to become more prominent in the next few years. However, there is still a need for a human to vet the data, since AI is not perfect and can lead to unpredictable results, he said. 

Haldeman said AI will be pervasive not only in housing but in every aspect of commercial real estate. Meanwhile, SmartRent will continue to innovate to benefit its clients. 

“SmartRent is on a mission to elevate living and working for all, and we do that through our smart technologies and comprehensive solutions,” he said. “We will continue to innovate in this space and find new ways to engage AI to enable smart living and working.”

This article was produced in collaboration between Studio B and SmartRent. Bisnow news staff was not involved in the production of this content.

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