Apartment TechnologyAC/C TECH Online Training Center
The AC/C TECH Online Training Center is a web based program designed to take the guess work out of maintaining an apartment community and repairing equipment; however small, large, or unique. Specifically, the program contains four key modules:
[1] Online Technical Support
[2] Virtual Coffee House
[3] Q & A Bulletin Board and
[4] Web-Based Classroom
[1] Online Technical Support is an automated database that will guide an individual through a variety of diagnosing and repair procedures. It includes step-by-step repair tips for appliances, electrical wiring, heating and air conditioning equipment, interior/exterior building maintenance, outdoor accessories and grounds, plumbing, and swimming pool maintenance. It also contains energy saving tips and planned maintenance activities.
[2] Virtual Coffee House features all sorts of articles that cover building and equipment maintenance. It also includes maintenance tips of the month, laws affecting the apartment industry, advancements in technology, outstanding achievers, employment opportunities, and more. As a key feature, this module includes slide shows that emphasize kitchens, bathrooms, living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms, clubhouses, exterior designs, landscaping ideas, swimming pool facilities, and more. They are truly exciting and can help your staff develop ideas for improving an apartment community. Property managers will certainly enjoy the shows. This module also includes classifieds, movie reviews, games, music, sports, weather, jokes, and more.
[3] Q&A Bulletin Board contains questions and answers about building and equipment maintenance. Your staff can read questions posted by peers or they can post a new question and get answers from multiple experts.
[4] Web Based Classroom contains interactive courses and workshops. All courses include attention grabbing graphics, photos, and sound effects that will simplify complex topics. They also include knock-em-dead special effects and transitions. They are voice narrated, so all you have to do is relax, learn, and develop specific skills. Sound easy? It really is. After viewing a presentation, anyone will be able to recognize the components and understand how the equipment functions in sequence of operation. Guaranteed! But more importantly, emphasis is placed on diagnosing failures and making repairs. Your staff will learn “WHAT” failed, “WHY” it failed, and “HOW” the failure can be prevented. Understanding these principles (WHAT, WHY and HOW) will allow an individual to diagnose and repair more complex problems. The Web Based Classroom also contains pre-tests, test-outs, and final examinations. Simply put, your staff can learn how things work, develop specific skills, take assessments, earn a certificate, or earn an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Apartment Technology.
The Web Based Classroom also contains employer administrative tools; e.g.: a designated administrator can manage user accounts, assign courses and/or workshops, create assignment rules, run reports, etc. Basically, that individual can manage every aspect of employee development.
COST
Unlimited access to the Online Training Center is available by subscription. The monthly cost is just 70 cent/unit. Your entire staff (including cleaners, grounds-men, punch-out workers, service technicians, supervisors, floaters, trainers, leasing agents, property managers, security personnel, maintenance directors, etc) can have unlimited access to the program and can earn a degree. For example, a 300 unit apartment community would have a base rate of $0.70/unit. When calculated, the monthly charge would be $210/month. But the deal gets better; the rate is reduced 5 cents after each year of uninterrupted service, until a discount of 25 cents/unit is achieved.
1st Year - 300 units x $0.70/unit = $210/month
2nd Year - 300 units x $0.65/unit = $195/month
3rd Year - 300 units x $0.60/unit = $180/month
4th Year - 300 units x $0.55/unit = $165/month
5th Year - 300 units x $0.50/unit = $150/month
Management firms with smaller operating budgets can opt-out the Web Based Classroom module and obtain unlimited access to the [1] Online Technical Support, [2] Virtual Coffee House, and [3] Q & A Bulletin Board modules for just 25 cent/unit. That is right, just 25 cent/unit/month. For example, 300 units x $0.25/unit = $75/month.
Individual subscriptions (for homeowners, handymen, inspectors, contractors, etc.) are available at $250/year.
ROI - RETURN ON INVESTMENT
As previously mentioned, the AC/C TECH Online Training Center is designed to take the guess work out of maintaining an apartment community and repairing equipment; however small, large, or unique. The program is also designed to support residential and apartment maintenance technicians, develop professionalism, and reduce maintenance expenditures. Unlike other maintenance programs, this program offers a true ROI for your training dollars. The table below identifies examples where your organization can benefit.
|
Cost/Unit |
Projected |
ROI Dollars |
|
| Reduced Operating Costs | |||
|
• Repair & Maintenance |
$386.00 |
25% |
$96.50 |
|
• Capital Expenditures |
$896.00 |
3% |
$26.88 |
|
• Contractor Services |
$254.00 |
15% |
$38.10 |
|
• Utilities |
$389.00 |
12% |
$46.68 |
|
• Resident Retention |
$162.00 |
10% |
$16.20 |
|
• Payroll (Overtime) |
$387.00 |
17% |
$65.79 |
|
• Worker’s Compensation Insurance |
$20.00 |
5% |
$1.00 |
| Lowered Employee Turnover | |||
|
• Hard Costs |
$2 |
33% |
$0.66 |
|
• Soft Costs |
$58 |
33% |
$19.14 |
|
• Improved Maintenance Staff Morale |
N/A |
N/A |
Priceless |
| Increased Worker Productivity | |||
|
• Turnaround Time |
N/A |
N/A |
Priceless |
|
• Accuracy |
N/A |
N/A |
Priceless |
|
• Projects |
N/A |
N/A |
Priceless |
| Program Customization |
N/A |
N/A |
Priceless |
| Totals |
$2,554.00 |
|
$311.06 |
Based on these figures, an organization will realize a $311.06 ROI per apartment unit. Compared to the subscription fee ($0.70/unit/month or $8.40/unit/year) the savings is huge and in some cases priceless. You can save more than $300.00/unit/year.
Total ROI (for a 300 unit community) would be 300 units x $311.06 = $93,318.00 per year.
Note: Operating cost varies due to property class (A, B, or C), age, size, location, market, management philosophy, etc.; and therefore, we recommend that you calculate the savings applicable for your apartment community.
ROI - Glossary of Terms
Reduced Operating Costs
Training is often an elusive benefit to measure. Organizations can waste thousands of dollars training employees with little or no evidence of financial gain. AC/C TECH training will greatly reduce your operating costs.
-
Repair & Maintenance - employees who aren’t taught how to systematically perform repairs will replace parts until a unit works. This unnecessary expense affects a property’s net operating income. By contrast, an AC/C TECH trained employee tests parts in sequence and will only replace those parts that are defective.
-
Capital Expenditures - refrigerators, stoves, air conditioners, furnaces, washers and dryers are costly to replace. An untrained employee will mistakenly report to their manager that an appliance needs to be replaced simply because they don’t know why it is malfunctioning, or simply because the problem was misdiagnosed. An AC/C TECH trained employee can save a company thousands of dollars every year by servicing appliances rather than replacing them.
-
Utilities - services provided by a public utility such as electricity, gas, and water are costly, but fortunately, can be reduced. No matter what kind of heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning system you use, energy and money can be saved by properly maintaining and upgrading your equipment. But remember, an energy-efficient furnace alone will not impact your energy bills as much as using the whole-house approach. An AC/C TECH trained employee will know about planned maintenance, insulation, air sealing, thermostat settings, etc., which can cut energy bills and pollution output significantly.
-
Contractor Services - there are limited occasions when a licensed contractor is needed to perform services at a property. However, locations with an untrained staff will require these services many times more often than those with AC/C TECH trained employees.
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Resident Retention - is essential in maximizing rental income. Industry professionals recognize that maintenance callbacks often lead to resident turnover. An AC/C TECH trained employee will know how to perform maintenance repairs correctly and will minimize callbacks.
-
Payroll (Overtime) - the U.S. Department of Labor requires that all employees working in excess of 40 hours in one pay week must be paid at a rate of 1½ times their normal wages. Untrained employees will take longer to perform work assignments because they rely upon trial and error. Oftentimes, this leads to overtime. An AC/C TECH trained employee will apply their knowledge efficiently and maximize their time at work.
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Worker’s Compensation Insurance - a well trained employee will know how to safely perform maintenance repairs. In fact, all AC/C TECH courses place emphasis on making repairs in a safe, efficient and productive manner. This knowledge of safety has a direct impact on the number of worker’s compensation incidents submitted to insurance carriers each year. Claim frequency is the leading factor in calculating worker’s compensation rates.
Lowered Employee Turnover
Experts differ on the true cost of employee turnover. Some suggest that every employee that leaves costs an organization between 6 months to a year and a half of that employee’s annual wage. However, all will agree that employee turnover is costly.
- Hard Costs - employment advertising, pre-hire drug screens, criminal history searches, and credit checks are expenses that accompany every departing employee. Industry studies show that lack of training is one of the leading causes of employee turnover.
- Soft Costs - training, lost manager productivity (interviewing), lost maintenance productivity, and resident turnover are but a few of the indirect costs of employee turnover.
- Improved Maintenance Staff Morale - most senior property managers will acknowledge the important role maintenance plays in resident satisfaction. Organizations that invest in training their employees communicate their value and recognize them as worthy of an investment.
Increased Worker Productivity
Employee performance appraisals often list subjective factors such as attendance, interpersonal relationships, and attitude. However, the best measure of employee performance is the amount and quality of work they produce in a given period of time. Here are a few key factors that should directly influence maintenance productivity.
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Turnaround Time - there is an obvious correlation between worker knowledge/skills and productivity. Simply put, an AC/C TECH trained employee possesses skills that enable him/her to work more efficiently than untrained peers. This means that vacant units and maintenance work orders are completed more quickly. Thus, units are ready for rental faster and profits are increased.
-
Accuracy - obviously, the better an employee understands their job, the more accurately he/she will perform it. An AC/C TECH trained employee will perform preventative maintenance when a unit is vacant so that work orders are minimized when units are occupied.
-
Projects - as a happy consequence of their increased productivity, AC/C TECH trained employees will have more time -- every month -- to perform special projects.
Program Customization
One of the most exciting features about this program is functionality and customization. Your staff can pursue the training any time of the day, from any location, repeat the coursework, take assessments, earn a certification or degree, etc. Employers' can manage user accounts, assign courses or workshops, create assignment rules, run reports, and more.
As a final thought, the staff at AC/C TECH values all technicians. We understand that high maintenance expenditures are a burden and we also understand that proper training is the solution. For those reasons, we will develop and post information that supports your operations, however unique. If you prefer something different, just give us a call and we will accommodate your request.
To obtain additional information give us a call: 317-545-7071