SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--HappyCo announced today the debut of Centralized Maintenance, marking an industry-first step towards transforming maintenance operations from a challenge into a strategic advantage for multifamily property owners and managers. Powered by its custom-trained artificial intelligence (AI) companion, aptly named JoyAI, the platform automates and optimizes everything from real-time scheduling and technician matching to 24/7 resident communications, intelligent inventory management, and remote technician expertise.
Hiring maintenance staff is cited by multifamily leaders as the most challenging labor issue. Scattered point solutions only exacerbate this. Drawing on direct industry feedback and a proven track record of nearly 4 million units served, HappyCo introduces Centralized Maintenance to meet demonstrable demand.
“We’ve had hundreds of conversations with property owners, managers, and technicians to pinpoint their biggest challenges around centralization — maintenance topped the charts,” said Jindou Lee, Founder and CEO at HappyCo. “Labor shortages, inventory management stop gaps, and highly manual scheduling have delayed repairs while incurring unnecessary costs and lost time for too long. At HappyCo, we’re proud to give maintenance operations and teams the attention and innovation they deserve.”
Intelligent Automation for Streamlined Maintenance Operations
AI and automation has been optimizing manual, time-consuming tasks across the industry, from self-guided touring to front-office leasing and payments. HappyCo expands its leading software solutions and services for multifamily operations to centralize maintenance with the behind-the-scenes power of JoyAI.
“Traditional maintenance technologies are patchworked and do not deliver on the change management needed for efficient implementation,” said Dan Regan, Director of Integrated Operations at Mark-Taylor, Inc. “As we continue to push towards the future of centralized operations and excellence, HappyCo’s integrated platform solution will only further power our ability to standardize crucial workflows and processes.”
Centralized Maintenance simplifies and streamlines work orders with intelligent automation to maximize operational efficiency. Key features and capabilities include:
- Maintenance Team Control Center: Streamlines work orders by auto-assigning tasks to onsite and remote technicians based on their skills and location.
- Intelligent Work Orders: Automatically enriches work orders with necessary details, categorizes them, and reduces follow-ups to enhance service quality.
With Centralized Maintenance, operators can optimize maintenance team efficiency, leading to cost savings and strategic spend management. Real-time inventory management and smart work order assignment not only streamline workflows but also prevent unnecessary expenditures, ensuring maintenance is as efficient as effective.
AI-Optimized Resident and Technician Experience to Boost Retention
Blanton Turner has relied on HappyCo’s flagship product suite, including Happy Property and Happy Force, as a “one-stop-shop” for centralization. With this, the team has seen a 20% time savings for maintenance technicians and a one-third reduction in time to resolve work orders overall.
“Relationships are responsibilities,” said Heidi Turner, Principal and Cofounder at Blanton Turner. “If residents have a broken lightbulb and we respond in minutes with a self-serve option, that’s amazing. If they need a faucet replaced and we can schedule a technician in real time, that's automation. The ability to streamline all of this and more? That’s HappyCo.”
Now, with Centralized Maintenance, a simple interface with real-time information elevates both the resident and technician experience. Key features and capabilities include:
- 24/7 Resident Services: Enhances resident experience with real-time updates, messaging, and self-service to boost satisfaction and engagement.
- Technician Profiles: Matches work orders with qualified technicians using a catalog of skills and certifications that promotes efficiency and personal growth.
“Today’s residents don’t just want things fixed; they expect on-demand, high-touch service and updates throughout the work order lifecycle,” said Owen Fleming, Director of Capital Projects at HNN Communities. “With Centralized Maintenance and AI-powered scheduling, we’re excited to help our property teams balance tasks and valuable time that match their core expertise and needs of the residents we serve.”
Streamlined Inventory Management for Smarter, Strategic Spending
Purchase orders can lead to added layers of approvals and unnecessary costs for repairs. With Centralized Maintenance tracking in-unit and warehouse inventory, technicians can order parts and appliances at their fingertips. Property owners and managers gain the added benefit of these features and capabilities:
- Inventory Management: Smart tracking and insights from work order data to optimize strategic spend management and maintenance efficiency.
- Cost Savings & Control: Cutting down on unnecessary, on-demand purchases prevents wasted spend on small orders and rush shipping.
"We know that a great resident experience is predicated on the efficiency and consistency of maintenance and hard work behind the scenes – inventory management plays a big part in this," said Ben Nowacky, Chief Product Officer at HappyCo. "Centralized Maintenance ensures accountability and visibility at levels, all while enabling property teams and technicians to deliver superior customer service. When issues are resolved swiftly, satisfaction and retention only surge – and that’s what impacts the bottom line.”
HappyCo’s decade-plus traction in scaling its platform and multifamily operations is underscored by the trust of Mark-Taylor, Blanton Turner, HNN Communities, Avenue5, Avenue Living, Boardwalk, RangeWater, and more. An integrated product suite, including Happy Asset, Happy Property, and Happy Force, enhances visibility throughout the asset lifecycle from acquisition to disposition.
Now, property owners and managers, onsite teams, and technicians can tap into the power of centralized maintenance and AI with HappyCo already looking ahead. Tight integrations with best-of-breed technology partners, coming soon, will deliver single-pane-of-glass simplicity at portfolio-wide scale.
To gain early access to HappyCo’s Centralized Maintenance, powered by Joy AI, head to happy.co/solutions/maintenance-centralization.
About HappyCo
Founded in 2011, HappyCo is a leading PropTech company with a commitment to optimizing multifamily operations through customer-centric software and service solutions. HappyCo's suite of products, serving nearly 4 million units globally, offers comprehensive tools for real-time property operations, including in-unit data analysis, a resident portal, and, most recently, an AI-powered Centralized Maintenance platform. This latest innovation streamlines maintenance operations to enhance resident satisfaction and provides cost-effective solutions for owners, property management companies, and onsite teams. HappyCo is headquartered in San Diego, CA, with a remote workforce spread across the U.S., Canada, and Australia. For more information, visit happy.co.