Housing Leader Taps Mobile Computing To Boost Automation And Customer Service

Challenge

Affordable housing developer Dominium is in the process of doubling in size, with plans for 40,000 units by 2025. Yet a manual, time-intensive work order-management and apartment inspection process hampered field staff. The company set out to ratchet up operational efficiency and worker productivity in a bid to deliver enhanced service to its residents at a faster clip.

Solution

Dominium turned to Emkat Solutions and Zebra’s TC55 touch computers to upgrade from a paper analog system to a mobile computing platform. The new system operates in real time, streamlining communications between field service technicians and office staff; service calls to residents; work order processing; and apartment inspections.

Result

The TC55 devices cut work order administrative time in half, generating $525,000 in annual efficiency gains — a savings that’s poised to grow as the technology rollout continues across Dominium’s properties. The devices also slashed apartment inspection times from 1,560 seconds to 210 seconds per unit, while capturing valuable data to measure staff performance.

MODERNIZING OPERATIONS WHILE DOUBLING IN SIZE

Dominium is one of the nation’s largest apartment development and management companies, boasting 25,000 units in 23 states. Founded in 1972, the company saw its portfolio swell amid the nation’s economic downturn. In a time when other companies were cutting back, Dominium acquired new properties and the demand for affordable housing grew exponentially.

Since then, the developer has opened 5,000 new units over the past two years and is accelerating expansion with plans to double in size to 40,000 units by 2025.