BuildingLink International is run by a small, dedicated team of advocates for building management in Australia and the Asia-pacific region. Not content to see this region simply follow the rest of the world, they’re leading the way with building management software that makes the lives of residents, managers, and developers easier. They’re giving transparency to building management processes, the handling of maintenance issues and strengthening community ties to create places that people are proud to be a part of.
Active community management creates resilient neighbourhoods that care for each other and the buildings that home them. BuildingLink is a system that supports the next generation of shared living. One of the dedicated management team, Chief Operations Officer, Nikki Marshall chats with us to share her thoughts on the future of BuildingLink International and the wider real estate industry.
Thanks for taking some time out of your busy day to answer some of our questions! Can you tell us a little bit about your role as Chief Operations Officer with BuildingLink?
There’s never a dull moment as COO of BuildingLink. My role requires me to wear many different hats! From helping manage the Customer Service Team and sharing my knowledge of BuildingLink, to assisting the Accounts side, even delivering an occasional sales demo, I like to think this all allows me to help run the well-oiled machine of BuildingLink International operationally.
Your work with BuildingLink International sounds really involved and quite demanding – how do you make time for yourself with such a consuming role?
I really enjoy what I do, so it doesn’t feel entirely like work. On top of that, I have an awesome team, who are very good at what they do! Each person within our team is extremely dedicated. It doesn’t feel demanding when I know each person is doing the best job they can. And it helps that I constantly see positive feedback from clients about team members and the system – it means we are doing something right.
How did you get involved in software for managing buildings and property?
In a previous life, I was a Strata Manager. I also dabbled in a maintenance organisation, Strata Insurance and got to see building management from a lot of different perspectives. This helped to give me a rounded view of what it takes to manage a building well – it’s not just about the processes and facilities, it’s also very much about the people.
This background helped me see that there was a huge need for something that could bring together the management aspects of looking after buildings with the communication aspects so that a more comprehensive way of managing communities within residential and mixed-use buildings could be achieved.
What made BuildingLink stand out to you and convinced you that it was the solution the Australasian market needed?
Definitely the communication and community aspects it incorporated. Buildings are more than just assets and maintenance, and these days, people expect to be kept informed about what’s going on in their building and community. They don’t want to have to ask, or be constantly chasing their building manager. Having a central system where they can access all they need – like BuildingLink – suits most people better.
What do you think sets BuildingLink apart from other Building and Community Management packages available in Australia today?
I don’t think there is anything like BuildingLink in our space. BuildingLink is more than a standard facilities management software package, it offers everything that communities need for their day-to-day management and communication, plus it’s simple to access and use. Because of that, it empowers residents and their building managers to keep things running smoothly.
What are the biggest challenges facing Strata and Building managers today? How does BuildingLink help them meet and overcome these challenges?
Building and Strata managers are time-poor, residents and owners want a piece of them, plus they have a million and one tasks to juggle each day. If they’re looking after a building or many buildings on their own, it’s a lot of people they have to deal with every single day.
BuildingLink streamlines their day, helps them to easily push out information and allows a more proactive process of managing a building, rather than a reactive management style.
How would you like to see the BuildingLink system develop and what are your plans for the growth of the business in Australia?
I would like to see it being used across all types and styles of communities. I expect we’ll continue increasing functionality to meet portfolio-wide management. And, of course, continue to listen to the market and ensure BuildingLink evolves to meet what it needs.
Where do you see BuildingLink in Australia ten years from now?
We’re just about to celebrate 10 years of being in Australia, and in that time we have achieved so much – becoming market leaders and developing the product to not only support communities and their managers but also empower residents to take a hand in managing their stake in their buildings too.
Over the next decade, we’ll continue to lead the way, our software will keep growing and evolving to accommodate the market and different communities’ needs.