Top-class tenant change – iModa project implemented by DOGEWO21

With around 16,300 apartments, DOGEWO21 is now the largest housing company located in Dortmund and has a heterogeneous inventory structure. “iModa” stands for mobile data application using an iPad and, overall, revolves around technical, SAP®-integrated support for all business processes in real estate management that take place outside of the service offices using a mobile terminal device. This includes a wide range of processes, such as inspections, receivables management, everything to do with maintenance and also portfolio management.  

The declared project goals are to extensively integrate a wide variety of master data into SAP® with a uniform, well thought-out process design, to involve not only different employee groups but also external support (e.g. electricians) in the process and to avoid transmission errors by reducing media discontinuities. The project team consists of an interdisciplinary group of employees from different departments, including customer advisors, IT specialists and service employees.  

DOGEWO21 intended to begin by implementing the final inspection and handover processes for apartments, commercial property, garages and parking spaces with easysquare. The easysquare workflow processes of “mobile final inspection of residential property” and “mobile handover of residential property” have been designed for this purpose. These processes guide employees clearly through all stages of the change of tenant process – from termination processing and preliminary acceptance through to subsequent acceptance followed by release of the deposit. The mobile forms pass on the data. As a result, all the data recorded during preliminary acceptance, such as details of defects, is also available during final inspection.  

The processes contain a series of useful and supporting new developments. These include:

• An Outlook appointment for inspection can be sent to another employee from the process, for example if a site manager needs to participate in the inspection.
• The tenant can be informed of the inspection appointment by email directly from the process. The signature is automatically adapted to the respective process agent.
• Certain fixtures and fittings are used as a basis to establish whether an e-check by an electrician is necessary. The appropriate maintenance notification is created automatically and transmitted to the electrician via the connected craftsman portal.
• If defects recorded on site need to be rectified by DOGEWO21, a maintenance notification is automatically created with an appropriate child process, which can be further processed.
• The final inspection type can be controlled variably in order to generate the corresponding mobile form with the necessary master data. This makes it possible, for instance, for final inspection and handover to take place simultaneously in just a single mobile form if a new tenant has already been found.

Christian Nagel, authorised signatory for the housing industry

The process is basically characterised by a high degree of seamless automation and integration. This gives rise to substantial added value. After all, DOGEWO21 not only dispenses with paper forms, but also maintains the SAP® inventory data conveniently on site. In the corresponding process step, the data entered on site is reintegrated and this is also apparent later for everyone involved.  

A large quantity of SAP® master data is available in the mobile form. This can be checked on site and adapted where necessary. After the mobile form is sent to SAP®, the master data is first checked by an assigned processor then automatically updated in SAP®.  

The following areas and contents are processed in the mobile form:  

• Property and business partner data: It is possible to check and, where necessary, enter information such as the vacancy reason, the termination reason and all relevant partner data (including address, communication data or bank details) of the partners assigned in the rental contract.
• The rooms available in the property and their assigned fixtures and fittings: In parallel to the iModa project, the fixtures and fittings have been optimised with the aim of reducing the number of fixtures and fittings in SAP® and assigning them to the rooms. This has made it possible to ensure a structured view in the mobile form, allowing the employee on site to check the master data structure defined in SAP® quickly and efficiently and correct it during final inspection. It is possible to add and delete rooms, as well as to assign the appropriate fixtures and fittings.
• Assessing the condition of individual components: Components such as walls are linked to the fixtures and fittings. If required, a maintenance message can be created automatically in SAP® for a defect. The appropriate trade is determined automatically based on the selected defect image and the appropriate measures, for instance painting a wall that has gone yellow.
• Checking the floor plan: The floor plan is available in the form of a photo and can be edited using the photo editing function in the easysquare mobile app.
• Maintaining description data: The maintenance of description-relevant data, for example maintaining a headline for the online portals including adding new photos, can be carried out using a mobile device. All photos are archived in the archive system.
• Entering meter readings: Meter readings that have been entered are automatically sent by email to the supplier. In the process, a separate PDF file is generated containing the relevant data for the supplier.
  

In addition, selected, archived documents can be accessed in the app as PDF files using the “Attachments” button. In this way, the employee can view the preliminary acceptance report once more if required during a final inspection.  

Further data regarding the tenancy, such as the balance of the tenant account or the current and future conditions, can be seen in the “Info Sheet” section. When the employee selects “Info Sheet”, the data is called online from SAP®, meaning that the data is always up to date. The mobile form thus replaces the paper-based tenant's file. The employee on site is able to provide all information.  

The completed and signed report can be sent to the tenant as a PDF file by e-mail if required. It can, of course, also be sent by post. An error check verifies the syntax of the e-mail address. If this has been entered incorrectly, the employee receives a corresponding message and the form cannot be sent until the error has been corrected. If the final inspection and handover have taken place at the same time, two PDF files are generated containing only the relevant data for the tenant or new tenant. All files are archived in the archive system and are available at all times, for instance in the list of attachments to the rental contract.

The next stage of “iModa” will involve the area of maintenance. Near-term project activities will focus in particular on planning individual modernisation measures for on-site appointments.