Advantages of the Site Management Team Approach

Advantages of the Site Management Team Approach
By Mano Nguyen

1. ASSOCIATION MANAGEMENT EXPERIENCE
Instead of relying on one person, the association benefits from the collective experience of all of the managers within the site management team (administratively, good people skills, communication, industry and construction knowledge). With the team approach, the client gets 2-3 managers covering one building with the benefits of cross training in case another manager needs to go on vacation or if another manager is sick, there would always be someone covering shifts for the client. Working alongside experienced portfolio or community association managers, the rules and regulations of your community will be much more defined for the homeowners and residents. An experienced site management team knows the best ways to implement and enforce new guidelines, which regulations are most effective, how to clearly define and decipher the house rules, and how to communicate updates and changes to community members in the most efficient ways (emails, newsletters, door hangers, etc.).

2. ENFORCING THE GOVERNING DOCUMENTS FAIRLY
One of the most important elements of a successful site management team is consistency. The rules must be clearly defined and must also be enforced. Outdated rules should be revised by a committee then presented to the board for approval. Issues that arise will be taken care of in the most professional and timely manner to ensure all members of the community are held to equal and fair standards. Selective enforcement should always be avoided.

3. COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION INSTITUTE (CAI) KNOWLEDGE
Site Managers often take CAI courses for continuing education and ongoing training to stay abreast to the industry’s standards, best practices, and technology that is currently being used. Experienced site managers are experts in running the day to day functions of communities, but they are also experts in legislation concerning condo associations. Site Managers work with property managers of management companies to advise board members on best practice guidelines to ensure all provisions conform to city, state, and federal laws. They are also in a position to keep the board of directors knowledgeable and up to date on new legislation that may affect their community. Being able to manage multiple buildings at a time, the site managers are given more opportunities to troubleshoot and find solutions to similar sized buildings with related issues.

4. TEAMWORK EXPERTISE
The site management team approach in conjunction with the condo managing agent or property manager, brings a full range of experience to your community. With these varied skill sets, professionals are in sync to assist in financial management, administrative services, and on site maintenance. In addition the combination of their working knowledge, site managers and community association managers are certified professionals trained through rigorous education, testing, and held to high standards of conduct. Property managers often juggle 6-10 properties. Working well with a site management team helps reduce liabilities, increases efficiency and maximizes production.

5. INSURANCE CLAIMS
Effectively processing insurance claims from start to finish can literally save days, weeks, months, and years of heartache. Understanding the declarations and what the common elements are, will enable the site management team to process insurance claims and determine who pays the deductible in a timely manner. Helping the process and progress with the insurance agents and water mitigation companies would allow the affected homeowner to go back to their regular lives instead of being inconvenienced and burdened by water or fire damages.

6. CONCLUSION
A good site management company is only as good as the communities they serve, so they take great pride and responsibility in creating an optimal community environment. They are obligated to educate the board to make prudent fiduciary decisions for residents and use best practices to serve the community. They work hand in hand with the managing agent and/or property manager to run the operations of their communities more efficiently. The following job description is virtually the same for resident and site managers.

Respond to emergencies (Fires, Leaks, etc.) 24/7.
Supervise and mentor association employees
Meet with vendors on site to coordinate work schedules.
Solicit proposals from vendors and be the liaison between managing agent, owners, and board of directors.
Post notices in common areas and give direction association vendors.
Provide assistance and respond to owners questions and concerns.
Generate monthly reports for board of directors.
Initiate insurance claims for management companies and owners.
Enforce Governing Documents and House Rules.
Attend Board Meetings
Submit timesheets of staff to managing agent

Although there are many benefits to having a resident manager living on site, there has been a growing trend for community associations to rent out the association owned unit(s) to generate income and hire a site management team to run its operations and work alongside property managers. The site management company would also absorb the labor burden, benefits, and medical insurance of the manager. Hiring a site management team instead of a one man team often yields to higher productivity and optimizes efficiency.