Melbourne experienced the harshest and longest COVID-19 lockdown orders out of all world cities. Of the 5 million city residents who had to cope with nearly nine months of stay at home orders, apartment and strata residents were some of the hardest hit. Building managers, owners and communities had to pivot quickly, switching to remote management and innovative practices to keep communities safe and ease the frustrations of life in lockdown.
Now that Melbourne is opening up again, our communities have begun to share with us the different ways in which our technology made the extended period at home that bit more bearable.
The show must go on
Despite stay at home directives and orders to shelter in place, owner and community committees were still obligated to maintain their regular meetings and required AGMs. With social distancing mandates and concerns about transmitting the virus, this was easier said than done.
Thanks to a quick change to regulations that enabled committee meetings to be held virtually, BuildingLink were able to support committee members and building managers by providing a secure and accessible committee member portal for the storage of documentation and oversight of building maintenance work. Discussions were able to be tracked and required work could be monitored remotely.
Committee members who had difficulty with the software were supported through online training from the customer service team and on occasion, remote access to computers helped them solve technical issues. The smooth running of BuildingLink’s Melbourne communities went on without too many hiccups.
Keeping infections down
Part of the lockdown rules was the introduction of social distancing. This limited how many people could be within the same area at any one time and recommended that shared spaces were disinfected between use.
Managing booking of communal amenities via BuildingLink’s software enabled communities to comply with maximum usage limits and ensure that enough time was allowed between bookings for areas to be effectively sanitised. Building managers and residents were able to enjoy communal facilities without any worry of putting neighbours at risk of infection.
A word on communication
Communication between residents, owners and the building manager kept flowing with ease thanks to the enhanced communication functions of BuildingLink’s system. Bulletin boards and group emails came into their own as building managers and committee members helped residents find relevant information on vaccinations, assisted with maintenance requests or just checked in to see how people were faring through the uncertainty of Melbourne’s lockdown.
As vaccinations became available across the state, BuildingLink helped building managers add custom fields for residents records. This has enabled managers to track vaccination status throughout their buildings. Residents have been empowered to update their records with personal health information to keep the community safe from infections. Additional changes have included using the liability waiver feature on BuildingLink’s system to confirm vaccination status.
Of all of BuildingLink’s functionality, it has been the communication elements that have delivered the biggest difference. The ability for building managers to easily work remotely, support residents virtually and remain on top of their management commitment from afar has made a world of difference to the residents they support.