Today’s community schemes are increasingly reliant on online communication systems that manage all aspects of living in a sectional title complex or residential estate, and little-known ResidentPortal is emerging as one of the most affordable, easy-to-use, yet robust solutions on the market.

Developed by Sandton-based software consulting and development company, Business Xponent Solutions (BXS), ResidentPortal is one of the products emerging from the 20 years of experience in the software industry of its founder, Omar Kinnear.  One of the original developers of the SARS eFiling platform, Kinnear brings to ResidentPortal a wealth of knowledge of system performance and security.

He explains that development of the system came about from his own experience in living in an estate, where communication between residents and management was cumbersome and time-consuming.  “I realised that there was a great need for a system to eliminate the frustrations involved in managing estate communications, and so two years ago, I set about developing ResidentPortal,” says Kinnear.

Today, management of day-to-day communications in his estate is streamlined and efficient, from booking time on the tennis courts or clubhouse, to resolving residents’ requests and complaints.

Offering ResidentPortal to all complexes and estates was a natural progression for BXS, he says.

Transparent business model

 “Our approach is to offer the system in a totally transparent manner, offering the best value at the most affordable price on the market.

“That means no sign-up fees, no contracts or lock-in, a free trial of our feature-rich Standard package and a free option.”

Easy to use

ResidentPortal is an easy-to-deploy (just 10 minutes setup time), web-based system that can be viewed on multiple devices– smart phone, tablet or computer.

It includes a customisable home page with the estate or complex logo and any background theme or colour, contact details and map with local points of interest.

“Anyone with a computer will be able to set up and administer the system,” Kinnear explains.  This might be a trustee, director, estate manager or managing agent.

Central document portal

Scheme governance documents are loaded onto the system, both public (such as new applications) as well as secure, private-access documentation such as financial documentation, trustee/director meeting notices, minutes and resolutions, as well as rules and regulations.

A resident database is loaded onto the system and includes both owners’ and tenants’ information, as well as vehicle, pet and domestic worker registers.

Rich in interactive features

Residents are able to log requests to management, such as maintenance-related or other queries, and receive updates via email and online, as well as view the full history of the request to the point of resolution.

They can also book on-site facilities online and receive notification and enquiries relating to events and other activities, which have automatic expiry dates.

A Resident Notice Board, similar to a chat group, allows for residents to interact with each other on the system and post for-sale items.

A secure area allows for management to follow up on requests, such as creating a to-do list for maintenance issues, attaching quotes and conducting the payment approval process, all online.

Further facilitating communication around decision-making is a customised survey feature that allows for management to gauge residents’ opinions on any need that may arise.

According to Kinnear, ResidentPortal is currently also the only product of its kind in South Africa that includes a white label portal for managing agents, who can integrate their statements with the system for emailing to residents, no matter what platform they are using.

Integration with Caxton newspapers

ResidentPortal further integrates with local Caxton newspapers, giving residents access to local news headlines, in whichever town they are located.

Future growth

Since 2016, around 100 complexes have signed up for the Free Plan of ResidentPortal, and 1000 residents, mostly in and around Sandton, are enjoying the way the full-featured Standard Plan option is simplifying their lives in their estates and complexes.

“Development of the system is ongoing, but its functionality and features already compare favourably with more established systems – but at a fraction of the price,” says Kinnear.

Being a web application, ResidentPortal is more accessible and supported on more devices than any mobile apps, he notes.  “That said, a mobile app is on our roadmap for development.”

Also on the planning board are a gate access control module, panic button and possible accounting system (depending on demand).

ABOUT ResidentPortal

ResidentPortal is developed and managed by Sandton-based software consulting and development company, Business Xponent Solutions (BXS).  The estate communication platform is one of the products emerging from 20 years of experience in the software industry of its founder, Omar Kinnear.  One of the original developers of the SARS eFiling platform, Kinnear brings to ResidentPortal a wealth of knowledge of system performance and security.

Since 2016, around 100 complexes are using the Free Plan of ResidentPortal, and over 1000 residents, mostly in and around Gauteng, are benefiting from the way the full-featured Standard and Pro packages are simplifying their lives in their estates and complexes.

For more information, contact:  Omar Kinnear, 078 798 3378

info@residentportal.co.za

www.residentportal.co.za

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