Related Training Boosts Long-term Skills

Want to train your leasing agents to perform with fewer errors and more confidence? Research shows that learning something once isn’t enough. If you want your staff to retain long-term software skills, you need learning software that implements immersive learning and repetitive practice. But how do you implement those features without overwhelming staff? How to train staff for long-term skill retention The key lies in seamless integration. Related training is the newest feature in Yardi Aspire designed to help staff gain long-term skill retention. Available within several Yardi solutions including RentCafe CRM Flex, Yardi Procure to Pay and RentCafe Affordable Housing, related training embeds continuous learning directly into staff workflows, giving staff easy access to skill information where and when they need it most. With easy access to relevant training right before an employee performs a specific task, they can reduce potential costly errors and complete tasks with greater efficiency. Information fades over time, but with help from experiential learning, employees can actively refresh their memory, enhance their understanding and create a more meaningful learning experience — without the hassle. How does related training for Aspire work? A tab will appear on the right side of the screen when an employee uses any related training-compatible solution, like the ones previously mentioned. This tab will directly link them to Aspire training courses associated with the task they’re currently performing. Users can then choose from available training options, followed by a key concept review and short quiz. Once finished, they can continue learning in Aspire or return to their task with greater confidence. It’s that simple! Those who use the integrated Yardi Help tool can find the new related training feature in their Help window. From there, they can review course details and launch a recommended course from the Help screen. Training success starts here Educating your employees efficiently can be one of the most challenging aspects of running a real estate management company. Yardi Aspire is committed to helping you make it easy with innovative learning technology that educates and empowers. Ready to improve training efficiency? Here’s everything you need to support your developing...

YASC Makes a Virtual Return

The Yardi Advanced Solutions Conference, which began as two annual events in the U.S. and expanded to encompass six events on four continents, will soon continue its two-decade tradition of helping clients maximize the value of their Yardi software. ”The reason I enjoy YASC is to see new product developments and to understand how other corporations are using the platform,” said Katerina Urquhart of London-based M&G Real Estate, who attended YASC Europe in 2019. “I was able to take classes on the newest products, ask questions on topics I didn’t fully understand and dig into things that interest me,” Marcie Trivette of Fore Property in Las Vegas said last year. “No matter how big or small, every client has a voice with Yardi, and these sessions are great ways to reinforce that,” an executive director with Laramar Communities LLC of Greenwood Village, Colo., noted back in 2010. Last year’s presentations were different, of course. All YASC events were combined into YASC Digital and YASC Global, virtual experiences with a full slate of free on-demand classes, social activities and gala entertainment. YASC Global in October drew more than 20,000 attendees and featured an exclusive performance from internationally acclaimed Icelandic band Of Monsters And Men. With every view triggering a donation from Yardi, the event earned $75,000 for charities. A two-time Grammy Award-winning performer is on tap for the May conference and Yardi again will make a donation for every attendee viewing the show. The next edition of YASC Global happens May 18-20, with 280-plus classes on the latest software innovations for property owners, asset managers, real estate investment managers and others working in commercial, residential, PHA, senior living and other real estate markets. Live chat support will also be available. YASC Global participants can also look forward to social media interaction, daily giveaways, networking opportunities and entertainment. All Yardi clients are automatically enrolled in the conference. “This is the era of continuous connection. But in the world of business, continuous connection hasn’t fully come to fruition. Our goal is to make that happen and provide the tools and technologies that you need,” company president and founder Anant Yardi told 2,500 Yardi clients and staff members who gathered in San Diego for YASC in 2019. Two years later, in vastly different circumstances, that remains the purpose of YASC. Learn more about the benefits Yardi’s global client base gains from this...

Learn Yardi

Yardi offers robust, configurable software to meet the needs of nearly 20 verticals. From students to seniors and parks to ports, property management runs on Yardi! But what do you do when you want to get more out of your user experience? There are many opportunities to attend Yardi trainings. Explore the list below for ways to learn Yardi from experts and users in your industry: Yardi Training on Aspire Yardi Aspire is the go-to learning tool for employees who want to become Yardi product experts. Users gain access to hundreds of in-depth courses taught by product specialists. Through learning checks and tests, you can assess your product knowledge. You can then review materials on demand and get help from the experts. With greater product knowledge, you will be equipped with the tools needed to optimize product usage, promote time and cost savings, and expedite ROI for your organization. YASC Global Digital Conference Yardi Advanced Solutions Conference (YASC) is one of the company’s largest real estate software events. It offers everything from product introductions to deep dives sessions on the latest innovations in real estate software. YASC Global, our digital event, brings the power of the conference to your fingertips. Log-on to learn more about the latest software and services, ask questions in our product lounges and connect with other Yardi users. In 2020, more than 20,000 industry professionals attended YASC Global, representing 2,500 companies in 58 countries. Attendees viewed over 12,000 hours of informative and engaging content. As our first virtual conference, we are thrilled that 98% of survey respondents said the sessions met their expectations! YASC Global digital conference offers CPE credits and is free for all Yardi clients. Current clients can access 2020 content through the end of April 2021 via...

YASC Global Sep09

YASC Global

The Yardi Advanced Solutions Conference began in 1999 with about 200 guests in attendance. YASC eventually encompassed six events on four continents dedicated to giving real estate professionals in-depth training in Yardi property and investment management software. There were always plenty of networking opportunities and fun as well. COVID-19 diminished in-person meetings this year but not the YASC mission. Yardi kept the tradition going in May, hosting a digital version in lieu of gathering in Washington, D.C. More than 16,000 clients around the world completed 107,000 on-demand classes and viewed 50,000 hours of content at YASC Digital. Yardi will build on YASC Digital by combining the year’s five remaining conferences into YASC Global, a presentation of more than 280 on-demand classes Oct. 20-22. Like YASC Digital, YASC Global is free to all clients and features customized, self-paced learning and market-based registration tracks. There’s also live chat support from product specialists, in-depth spotlight sessions, real-time chat with fellow attendees, prizes and giveaways, and social media interaction. Attendance at YASC Global is expected to exceed that of YASC Digital. “We’re gratified that our clients gained so much from YASC Digital. That outcome inspired us to repeat the experience and enhance it with expanded class offerings, panel sessions and exclusive special events,” said Kevin Yardi, the company’s vice president of global solutions. “We look forward to joining industry leaders around the globe in a memorable event.” Learn about the value in store for Yardi clients at YASC...

Aspiring to New Heights...

This is an exciting time for the team behind Yardi’s learning management software platform. Formerly known as Yardi eLearning, the product is now called Yardi Aspire, a name which showcases the software’s potentially exceptional benefits for users. At the same time, the features of Yardi Aspire have increased in demand as clients find creative uses for the software to solve 2020’s unique challenges At the helm of the Yardi Aspire team is Patty Evans, director of Yardi Aspire content and support and Yardi corporate training, as well as Yves Hajjar, director of Yardi Aspire product development. Read on to learn more about Evans’ outlook on the recent product changes. Q: Tell us about the change to Yardi Aspire? Evans: Yardi Aspire has evolved over the past several years. It was time for the product’s name to truly reflect the scope of the solution, including all the forward-thinking features designed specifically for the property management industry’s leading learning and content management system. Q: Describe the recent developments that led to the rebrand? Evans: The Yardi Aspire catalog inspires a higher level of engagement than simple “training” videos. We feel that videos can be helpful in quickly transferring information to a student who is already familiar with a concept or for basic topics. I think many would agree when I say that video-based training is a learning style that may not work for everyone. Additionally, the Yardi Aspire catalog contains much more than Yardi software product training content. Approximately 25% of the 1,200+ course library is not about Yardi software at all. We offer nearly 400 courses on compliance, human resources, professional development, safety, leadership, leasing, personal development topics and more. Q: What other features may be important for new users? Evans: We’ve spent time carefully...

YASC Digital

Yardi is working to keep clients informed and connected during a challenging time for the real estate industry and the nation. Those efforts will continue in May with a one-of-a-kind digital Yardi Advanced Solutions Conference (YASC), offered entirely online for the first time and free to clients. In some respects, this special edition of spring YASC won’t differ from what it’s been for two decades — a three-day educational event (Tuesday to Thursday, May 19-21) for clients to refresh their Yardi software skills and preview real estate technology innovations. “We look forward to welcoming our clients and prospects to classes that reflect the same great learning and skill development opportunities they would have with us in person,” said Tim Hoover, creative director for Yardi and producer of the biannual U.S. YASC events. “We’re excited about YASC Digital, which will feature spotlight sessions with Yardi executives, chances to interact and engage with other attendees online, and more.” Participants in YASC Digital will be able to access more than 125 courses in 18 learning tracks on demand; May 19-21. This approach offers registrants flexibility for self-paced learning and for creating a personal plan that meets their business needs. Market-based registration tracks will make class selection a breeze. As of today, Yardi plans to present the year’s second U.S. YASC as usual in October. Last year’s conference drew over 2,500 clients and Yardi staff members to San Diego. Fall YASC registration information is available here. Clients will receive an email on May 12 with an access link to participate in YASC...

Free Webinars Mar30

Free Webinars

Like Yardi, you are closely monitoring COVID-19 recommendations from national and international organizations including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization. You are taking measures to protect your employees and assist your clients during these difficult times. To support your efforts, Yardi has curated and created a library of digital resources to help you practice business continuity, safety and productivity during this period of disruption. Online Training Courses Our near-term reality embraces remote work, social distancing and the need to constantly adapt to change. Though daily office operations have altered, less face-to-face interaction does not mean that staff education and onboarding must come to a halt. Yardi is offering free online training courses for clients that promote productivity, efficiency and security. These courses empower Yardi clients to optimize usage of Yardi software so that you can provide essential services to your residents, tenants, and investors. Free Webinars You can also take advantage of free webinars that explore Yardi solutions that facilitate social distancing while managing properties and other assets. Topics include but are not limited to: How COVID-19 Changes Affordability Compliance Staying connected with residents via RentCafe Facilitating social distancing while managing vendor relations Automating payments and tenant communications using CommercialCafe Leveraging RentCafe Senior Living and EHR tools Recorded webinars are available to clients via Client Central. Yardi Matrix COVID-19 Updates Yardi Matrix also has two webinars set for this week that will focus on the impacts of COVID-19 on the U.S. real estate market. Join experts fully versed in the latest national data for a discussion of the economic and real estate impacts of COVID-19 on the multifamily and commercial industries. Sign up for the multifamily impact webinar. Sign up for the commercial impact...

Support Resources Mar25

Support Resources

Yardi is closely monitoring recommendations from national and international organizations including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization and taking the following measures to protect and support its clients, employees and communities during the COVID-19 outbreak: Client Support Property managers’ obligations to tenants, residents, employees and communities continue even in this period of extreme disruption. The Yardi team is actively working on tools and training to help clients ensure business continuity, safety and productivity in this new near-term reality of far more remote work and social distancing. The company will offer free online training courses to help its clients continue to work as productively, efficiently and securely as possible. Yardi is following its own business continuity protocols to ensure uninterrupted client services and encourages clients to contact their client services representatives for help during this difficult time. Employee Support Most of the Yardi team has transitioned to a remote work environment. Healthcare and nursing resources are available to all employees, as are counseling and therapy resources. The company has heightened office hygiene and cleaning protocols for those who remain onsite to deliver essential services. In addition, Yardi postponed or canceled all near-term in-person events and ceased travel in favor of online alternatives. The spring Yardi Advanced Solutions Conference (YASC) has transitioned to a free online presentation for Yardi clients. Industry events that the company normally participates in have been postponed or canceled by their sponsoring organizations. Community Support In addition to the time, energy and financial support that Yardi traditionally donates to philanthropic organizations, we have committed $2 million to food banks and other nonprofits on the front lines of their communities’ fight against COVID-19. “Our team is navigating the COVID-19 crisis with the same philosophy that has guided us for more than three decades: take care of our clients, our employees and our communities. We are confident that all of us will unite to subdue COVID-19, and we’ll emerge from this challenge stronger than ever,” said Anant Yardi, the company’s president and founder. Read a letter from Mr. Yardi on our support resources page. ** Everyone should conduct their own planning based on their specific location and circumstances. While we are dedicated to providing general information to our clients, it is not intended to be healthcare or legal advice. Please consult appropriate government agencies and authorities, as well as healthcare and legal...

Make Staff Training Stick...

One of the best ways to maximize a training budget is to avoid repeat instruction. When staff learns materials the first time, property managers avoid redundant training costs and quickly enjoy the benefits of properly trained staff. Did you know that assessments play a big part in making sure knowledge is properly absorbed? Assessments are most easily described as the quizzes and tests that pop up during a training session. They aren’t there just to make learners sweat a little bit before wrapping up a course. The real purpose of those tests (more specifically referred to as assessments) is to make sure learners have absorbed the material being taught. When properly written, an assessment can document that a student has gained some knowledge and strategically determine which concepts need to be reinforced before the course can be completed. Here are some tips to consider for your course assessments. Identify the true purpose of the assessment. Before writing test questions, ask yourself what exactly you want to measure with the assessment. Keep all questions focused on that goal. If you include anything else in an assessment, no matter how benign, you may wind up with extraneous, perhaps conflictive data that is not useful in measuring how well the course taught the material. Make sure questions ask about the core learning objectives. Including fun, obscure information during training can be a good way to make training interesting. Just be sure to leave those fun facts out of your post-class assessment. You want to know that learners are acquiring critical knowledge, not the extra stuff that a course may cover. It’s okay to have difficult questions, just don’t make them tricky. Assessments should make students think, but shouldn’t be at all devious or crafty. Trick questions are...

YASC Asia 2019

The Yardi Advanced Solutions Conference (YASC) returns to Singapore on Nov. 5 and will be bigger and better than ever. Yardi brings together real estate management professionals from across Asia for this one-day event. Come and discover the latest proptech innovations, interactive discussions, meet local and international experts, and network with industry peers. This a great chance to dive deep into Yardi Voyager and the ancillary software real estate professionals use every day. YASC is also a great opportunity to strengthen collaborative skills and network with industry peers. With interactive discussions, local and international experts, more networking time, and previews of new products and enhancements, this is an event not to miss. YASC Singapore is a fantastic opportunity for Yardi clients with portfolio presence in Asia to discuss technology platforms with the leadership, development and support teams. Reserve your spot today! Here’s what to expect at YASC Asia 2019: • Meet the Experts Attendees will hear from industry experts on market trends and technology innovations. Make valuable connections with Yardi’s product experts and discover new insights, tips and tricks for getting the most out of Voyager and other modules. With enhancements and innovations in the Yardi pipeline, hear about new products soon to be released in Asia. You’ll also get a firsthand preview of the new Yardi Elevate Suite for asset management. • Visit Knowledge Central New to YASC Asia, gain hands-on experience with Yardi’s Knowledge Central, which will offer on-site assistance with Yardi products, SQL scripting and reporting. The Knowledge Central team will be available to answer your product-specific questions, provide previews of new products, discuss current software and anything else you’re keen to learn more about. For Knowledge Central hours, refer to the in-app schedule. • Yardi Events App A new addition...

Staff Training

Could the most important component of technology be the instructions? It’s arguable that a complex piece of software cannot live up to its potential without well-trained users, no matter how well it is designed. Fortunately, Yardi has taken user training beyond a manual with Yardi eLearning, a dedicated learning management system just for Yardi users. Property management companies such as Viridian Management have found Yardi eLearning indispensable considering the benefits it offers vs. traditional training methods. Getting Started with Yardi eLearning Yardi eLearning arrived just in time for Viridian. Late in 2018, their leadership team was developing a training curriculum for staff to use Yardi Voyager, the property management, accounting and affordable housing compliance software used by Viridian. They soon found it was very difficult to craft training content for their users, even with all of the support documentation available for Yardi software. “We were in a bottleneck because there is so much to cover. As we inventoried the skills we wanted our staff to master, we found it would take hours and hours of training to get users where we wanted them to be. When we saw the courses included with Yardi eLearning, we discovered that about 70% of everything we wanted to teach was already available and ready to use,” says Patrick Patterson, president of Viridian. Training on Affordable Housing Viridian manages 120 properties with more than 4,000 affordable units spread throughout Oregon, Washington and Idaho. They specialize in developing and managing tax credit properties, and have experience with USDA Rural Development, HOME, HUD Multifamily Housing, as well as state and local sources of funds. Training for each of those housing programs is facilitated by specific learning tracks in Yardi eLearning. Viridian can simply assign staff to those learning tracks based on...

YASC DC 2019 May17

YASC DC 2019

The Yardi Advanced Solutions Conference returns to the East Coast next week, offering in-depth training, networking and fun for Yardi clients. The annual user conference, also known as YASC, will be hosted at the Washington Hilton from May 21 – 23. We’re excited to see our clients and staff in Washington, D.C.! As one past YASC attendee shared, “I always enjoy YASC because you get to hear how others use the software. Can’t wait to learn more!” Get a glimpse of YASC Washington, D.C.: Yardi Events App Get connected at YASC with the Yardi Events app! Attendees can access all conference information, venue maps, class materials, social networking, in-app messaging and more on the Yardi Events app. Customize your daily schedule with classes, demos, panels and roundtables, and set up one-on-one meetings with Yardi staff. The Yardi Events app is available for download in the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. A browser-based version, synced to the mobile app, will also be available, so attendees can access the app features from their desktop. User log-in details have been emailed to all registered YASC attendees. Questions? Email our team at [email protected]. Knowledge Central Knowledge Central is the place to be if you want to learn more about new products and upgrades, or if you have questions about your current software. We’ve gathered the experts in one place, so you’ll know where to go to get all your questions answered. Bonus: attend a 15-minute product preview in Knowledge Central and be entered in a daily iPad giveaway! Expand Your Network How many industry connections can you make in three days? There will be over 1,500 attendees representing nearly every segment of the real estate sector at YASC. The conference will offer several opportunities to connect with peers in your industry, including scheduled breaks and networking...

Learn Yardi for Free Mar19

Learn Yardi for Free

Yardi users may have noticed a nice surprise when logging into Yardi Client Central recently. As of March 1st, all Yardi training webinars for current clients are FREE to attend. There are dozens of webinar sessions scheduled on Client Central, and new webinars are added frequently. Yardi users can sign up to learn everything from account trees to SQL scripting, and much more. “Webinars are a convenient way for Yardi users to master our software because they don’t require travel or time out of the office. Eliminating registration fees is a great way to strengthen our relationship with our clients by adding a lot of value to our training program at no cost,” said Patty Evans, director of eLearning and corporate training for Yardi. Yardi users can expect a polished, seamless training experience with Yardi webinars. Sessions use online technology to present information to viewers. Presenters teach course material to a select group of attendees in a virtual classroom setting. Webinars listed on Client Central can be filtered by specific property management topics. Examples include online leasing, payment processing, maintenance workflows for mobile devices, procurement of goods, accounting and finance analytics. The Yardi training team will continue to offer in-person courses taught in many Yardi offices around the world. Those courses teach more complex topics that often require multiple days of classroom sessions. “The most tangible benefits of webinars, as opposed to classroom courses, are ease of access and low cost. They are a great way for a Yardi user to learn specific features of Yardi software. Free, unlimited access to this content is a real win for our clients,” said Evans. If you are a current Yardi client, log on to Client Central, see the list of webinars, and get signed up to...

YASC Asia 2018 Oct03

YASC Asia 2018

Each year, the Yardi Advanced Solutions Conference (YASC) returns to Singapore, bringing together real estate management professionals from North and South East Asia for the opportunity to network, learn, and have fun. Join us on October 16 at our new venue – the Grand Hyatt Hotel, located in the heart of Singapore’s bustling shopping and entertainment district. YASC Asia 2018 will be bigger and better than last year! The one-day conference will offer expanded learning and networking opportunities for our clients with property portfolios across Asia. With more than 200 guests expected, this year’s conference boasts over 30 in-depth courses, 50 Yardi experts, six new products, and a post-conference networking hour to mix and mingle with your industry peers. Will we see you there? As one past YASC attendee shared: “Entertaining and informative. Very useful, relevant and practical classes, providing me with the support I need for my role – and knowledge about future innovations and developments.” What to expect at YASC Asia 2018: Yardi Events App A new addition to YASC Asia, the Yardi Events app is a mobile-friendly way to access all conference information, including classes, Lab hours, venue maps, in-app messaging and more. The Yardi Events app is available for download at the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. A browser-based version, synced to the mobile app, will also be available, so attendees can access all these features from their desktop. User log-in details have been emailed to all registered YASC attendees. Have questions? Email our team at [email protected].   Hands-On Help in the Lab Open throughout YASC, the Lab is your one-stop-shop for assistance from Yardi staff. Whether it’s a new product you’d like to demo, a scenario with your current software that you’d like to resolve, or anything else on your mind, come to the Lab...

eLearning Update Sep26

eLearning Update

No one likes to pay for things they don’t use. Hundreds of cable channels never to be watched. Millions of songs you’ll never listen to yet included with a subscription. Thousands of streaming movies and TV shows you’ll never get a chance to see. Thankfully, Yardi eLearning clients have some relief. New features recently added to the learning management software platform come with options for Yardi clients to choose which feature sets best fit their organization’s needs. To be specific, Yardi eLearning clients can now choose from four package tiers: Yardi eLearning (base solution), Yardi eLearning Pro, Yardi eLearning Plus and Yardi eLearning Premium. Yardi eLearning The core of Yardi eLearning includes more than 800 online courses that cover every piece of Yardi software and service. Users have unlimited, online access to courses. Courses can be curated into learning tracks personalized for users. Users access courses anytime, even on the job as a convenient knowledge resource. Yardi eLearning interfaces with many types of software products such as human resources information systems and webinar management tools. Yardi eLearning Pro Yardi eLearning Pro adds digital signatures and surveys to the base Yardi eLearning solution. Digital signatures, called eSign, allow users to execute documents without printing, signing, scanning or emailing. Simple and discreet digital signatures instantly and securely track agreements between organizations and employees. The new surveys feature in Yardi eLearning makes it easy to ask staff anything, any time. Without the need to license or log in to a web-based survey software, administrators can quickly set up a poll to determine gaps in training, course effectiveness or even just what’s for lunch. Response data is immediately available in Yardi eLearning – no need to import data from a web-based service. Yardi eLearning Plus Yardi eLearning Plus...

YASC ANZ 2018 Aug21

YASC ANZ 2018

The Yardi Advanced Solutions Conference (YASC) returns to Sydney on August 29-30, bringing together real estate professionals from across Australia and New Zealand. Diving deep into Yardi Voyager and the ancillary software you use every day, this is a great opportunity to strengthen your skills and network with your peers. With interactive discussions, local and international experts, more networking time, and new innovations revealed, this is one event you can’t miss! As one attendee shared about their YASC experience in 2017, “I come to YASC to learn more about the systems that helps me in my role. This includes best practices, new functionality that improves my work days, and discovering system efficiencies.” Why will you attend in 2018? Here are a few new features to 2018 YASC Australia and New Zealand: Yardi Events App We’ve added a conference app to streamline your YASC experience. You can access all conference information, venue maps, class materials, social networking and in-app messaging and more on the Yardi Events app. It’s designed to enable attendees to custom-tailor their daily schedule with classes, demos, panels and roundtables, and to set up one-on-one meetings with Yardi staff. The Yardi Events app is available for download at the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. A browser-based version, synced to the mobile app, will also be available, so attendees can access all these features from their desktop. User log-in details have been emailed to all registered YASC attendees. Questions? Email our team at [email protected]. Hear from the Experts Throughout the conference, attendees will hear from industry experts on the market trends and technology innovations that impact our work. We’re excited to partner with MSCI, who will provide a real estate sector update and what’s ahead for Australia and New Zealand in 2019. You won’t want to miss this presentation during lunch on the first day. With...

YASC DC 2018 May23

YASC DC 2018

Next week, the Yardi Advanced Solutions Conference returns to the East Coast for a week of in-depth training, networking and fun! The annual user conference, also known as YASC, will be hosted at the Washington Hilton from May 30 – June 1. “We’re looking forward to welcoming clients to DC! We listened to client feedback and have expanded the number of unique class offerings and networking opportunities,” said Tim Hoover, creative director for Yardi. Features of YASC Washington, D.C. include: Conference App We’ve gone green with a new conference app! Attendees can access all conference information, venue maps, class materials, social networking and in-app messaging, and more on the Yardi Events app. It’s designed to enable attendees to custom-tailor their daily schedule with classes, demos, panels, and roundtables, and to set up one-on-one meetings with Yardi staff. The Yardi Events app is available for download in the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. A browser-based version, synced to the mobile app, will also be available, so attendees can access all these features from their desktop. User log-in details have been emailed to all registered YASC attendees. Questions? Email our team at [email protected]. Gain Insight & Get Your Questions Answered Knowledge Central is the place to be if you want to learn more about new products and upgrades, or if you have questions about your current software. We’ve gathered the experts in one place, so you’ll know where to go to get all your questions answered. Bonus: attend a 15-minute product preview in Knowledge Central and be entered in a daily giveaway for a Bose travel speaker! Expand Your Network YASC is all about learning, but we also want our clients to have a good time! The conference will offer several opportunities to connect with peers in your industry, including networking receptions and focused table...

Sustainable Training

Do you find that your internal staff training program lacks engagement or consistency? Yardi eLearning’s featured topic for this month focuses on creating effective and sustainable training programs for busy real estate companies. Take the pressure off of your training team with these best practices. The Balance Sheet caught up with Michael Joiner of Yardi eLearning’s client services team to get the inside scoop on what this valuable training platform has to offer. What does it mean to have an Effective and Sustainable Training Program?  Joiner: An effective training program is one that meets the training needs of a company. A sustainable training program requires a balance between the administrative tasks—like scheduling training, assigning courses, communicating between instructors and students, validating student work, running reports—and maintaining existing training with the development of new training that meets additional needs of the company and its employees.  What’s one common hurdle that keeps clients’ training programs from being effective?  Joiner: Not identifying the needs of the learners. For instance, you can assign a ton a courses, but do those courses help bridge a skills gap or correct a behavior? Ineffective training programs assign courses for the sake of assigning content that someone thinks is necessary, but it may not be relevant or applicable to an individual. What’s one common hurdle that keeps clients’ training programs from being sustainable? Joiner: Focusing too much on developing new training and letting existing training become out dated. Out-of-date training leads to a lack of engagement and trust on the part of the learner. A sustainable training program creates new training initiatives while regularly updating existing content. How can users access this information after the webinar? Joiner: We’re teaching this class at YASC Washington, D.C. May 30- June 1, 2018. We’ll also be...

Connections at YASC Mar06

Connections at YASC

The next Yardi Advanced Solutions Conference is coming to Washington, D.C., kicking off on May 30, 2018. YASC brings together more than 1,500 professionals from nearly every property and financial management industry for instruction, comradery, and insight into the future of technology. At last year’s YASC, we sat down with Rachel Brown, Section 8 manager for the Fort Smith, Arkansas Housing Authority (FSHA). Rachel has witnessed exciting growth during her nearly 15 years with FSHA, growth that includes personal experiences, organizational development, as well as the growth of clients she serves. Here’s a recap of our conversation last spring. Welcome to YASC! Tell us a little about yourself and your organization. Our mission is to develop, rehabilitate and manage decent, safe and sanitary affordable housing. We promote equal opportunity, fair housing initiatives and the deconcentration of race and poverty. I’ve been with FSHA for nearly 15 years, and we’ve really grown over that time. When I first started as a housing specialist, we had around 450 Public Housing units and less than 1,200 vouchers. Today, we have more than 1,600 vouchers under our management, transitioned 288 public housing units through the RAD program, and replaced 170 public housing units with the help of Low-Income Housing Tax Credits.  Our current development efforts include Low-Income Housing Tax Credit units, rehabbing dilapidated housing for sale to low- and moderate-income families, and exploring ways to provide everyone with the affordable housing that meets their needs. What do you find most rewarding about your career thus far? Seeing people’s lives transition and change for the better, those are the real ‘wow’ moments. Clients come into our program in many personal situations. Some are single parents, others are going to school or raising a family. It’s inspiring when they enter our...

CommonBond Mar05

CommonBond

In our previous article link, IT specialist Linda Greenwaldt explained how CommonBond Communities implemented Yardi RentCafe for subsidized housing to improve efficiencies. Yardi eLearning helped the organization optimize their use of RentCafe. It is also the nonprofit’s go-to tool for employee education. The eLearning Solution eLearning provides on-demand training through a convenient online platform. Administrators can choose between pre-written classes, customized classes, and any combination in between. The fully configurable courses offer quantifiable insight into employee learning and content retention. “eLearning is perfect for rolling out RentCafe,” said Greenwaldt. “For introductions, this is perfect, perfect, perfect. During training, it has been great to prepare what onsite staff need to know, when they need to know it, without making them feel overwhelmed.” “Most people only pick up 10 percent of information their first time through it,” shrugged Greenwaldt. “We structured [the courses] in a way where they can always go back and review it. The 10 percent that I tell people that they can’t forget is going to eLearning and retaking the class!” Greenwaldt using eLearning to issue high-priority courses like Fair Housing first, followed by role-based learning for RentCafe and Yardi Voyager for PHA and Affordable housing. Customized Learning eLearning offers an extensive library of courses written by Yardi industry experts. Administrators are welcomed to use the courses as-is, but they are also encouraged and empowered to customize content. “A lot of times, I’ll reach out and see what Yardi has and modify it or do something slightly different. It’s helpful because I can copy the class and add the CommonBond content,” said Greenwaldt. Learning assessments promote information retention while helping leadership identify topics that need clarification or review. Greenwald said, “I love the ability to throw in a test or quiz. I can...

Client Input Feb09

Client Input

The user experience can make or break a piece of software, and user feedback is of key importance to the software development process. Companies strive to learn how customers respond to products wherever possible, be it through social media, focus groups, surveys or client conferences. Without input from users, software developers can miss out on opportunities to innovate new features that take into consideration the unique needs of their users’ daily workflows. Chris Ulep, Yardi vice president of multifamily product development, describes how a strong client involvement benefits his team’s development process. “Clients have a strong voice in the design of Yardi solutions. We value their input because it makes our development process faster and more responsive to their immediate needs. We embrace the opportunity to engage clients during development process, and leverage their vast experience and understand their requirements,” Ulep said. That philosophy is also evident in how Yardi develops content for its online staff training platform, Yardi eLearning. One of the main ways the Yardi eLearning team solicits input from clients is through monthly roundtable sessions, available to any client free of charge. “Our monthly client roundtables are interactive, informative and collaborative. Leading trainers and content designers from around the country gather for quick, one-hour sessions that cover a variety of topics. Our roundtables bolster creativity and foster new ideas by sharing new ideas on the screen for everyone to see. Prioritizing those ideas as we develop features and curricula is just one of the ways we ensure Yardi eLearning content stays relevant and in alignment with our clients’ needs,” said Patty Evans, director of corporate training and eLearning for Yardi. While inspiring conversation is valuable for participants, the camaraderie of the events is even more important. “The opportunity to meet regularly with a community of...

Yardi eLearning Nov10

Yardi eLearning

Five years ago this month, Yardi eLearning was officially launched to the world. Like every successful software product, there is an interesting back story to Yardi’s online staff training management solution. Did you know that Yardi eLearning was originally conceived as part of a MBA thesis by a Yardi employee? Yves Hajjar came to Yardi in 2011, and at the time was working on his MBA. Read Yves’ story here. Patty Evans, manager of training for Yardi, heard of Yves’ masters project shortly after his arrival at Yardi. The two quickly teamed up and began to design what eventually became Yardi eLearning. “I read the press release announcing a new real estate training service we were offering at Yardi. That announcement inspired me to consider how we could create an online learning platform for our clients and staff. Simultaneously, Yves was pitching his masters project to Yardi management as a potential client-facing product for learning management. We quickly connected with each other, and the rest is history,” said Evans. For months, Patty and Yves worked on creating a functional learning management system. Yves focused on redesigning the product’s framework and interface. Patty worked evenings and weekends on the first set of courses. Those courses were eventually launched in October 2012 as Simpson Housing used Yardi eLearning to train employees during their launch of Yardi Voyager. “Simpson was a great experience for us. Their employees and properties are spread across four regions. Yardi eLearning helped Simpson Housing deliver standardized training through a single online interface without the trouble and travel costs of hosting onsite classroom sessions in multiple areas,” said Evans. Over the past five years, Yardi eLearning has grown significantly in number of daily active users, markets supported and number of courses offered. Yardi...

YASC Asia 2017 Oct03

YASC Asia 2017

The Yardi Advanced Solutions Conference (YASC) returns to Sentosa Island in Singapore on October 10, 2017. The new venue location, Sofitel Singapore Sentosa Resort & Spa, offers tranquil grounds and beautiful views of the South China Sea. Our YASC 2017 event is bigger and better than ever! The one-day conference will offer expanded learning and networking for clients with property portfolios across Asia. This year’s conference boasts 25 in-depth courses, panels, and discussion groups tailored for commercial and investment professionals. In addition to expanded training, YASC attendees will have an opportunity to make valuable connections with industry peers, Yardi staff, and consultants throughout the day. Attendees can network into the evening at Yardi’s Wonderland reception. Hosted at the Straits Veranda at the Sofitel Resort & Spa, guests can look forward to enchanting live music, nationally-acclaimed entertainment, tasty canapés, and more! “We’ve designed YASC to maximize learning opportunities and networking. We’re excited to welcome our clients and industry experts to our new location on Sentosa Island,” said Nina Feldman, marketing manager at Yardi. Here are a few new features to 2017 YASC Asia: Discussion groups A new addition to YASC Asia, discussion groups aim to explore the software solutions you use every day. These groups will be facilitated by a Yardi product expert to provide a space to discuss issues and share experiences with industry peers. Hands-on experience in the Computer Lab Reinforce newly acquired skills with hands-on experience in our on-site Computer Lab, which will offer assistance with Yardi products, SQL scripting, and reporting. Our Lab team will be available to answer your product-specific questions, provide advice, and discuss products you’re keen to learn more about. For Lab hours, refer to the conference overview. Connecting on social media Join the fun on social media and you could win big!...

YASC ANZ 2017 Aug20

YASC ANZ 2017

The popular Yardi Advanced Solutions Conference (YASC) returns to Sydney, Australia on August 30-31. We’re excited to welcome guests to YASC’s new location, The Four Seasons Hotel Sydney, with views of the Sydney Harbour and proximity to the historic Rocks district. The two-day conference will offer expanded learning and networking opportunities for our clients with portfolio presence in Australia and New Zealand. With an anticipated attendance of over 200 Yardi clients, this will be the largest YASC in Australia and New Zealand to date. This year’s conference boasts over 40 unique courses and discussion groups tailored for commercial and investment portfolios. In addition to expanded education offerings, YASC attendees will have an opportunity to network with industry peers throughout the conference. Opportunities abound, including at breakfasts and lunches, tea breaks and the highly anticipated YASC cocktail reception. Join us for an evening in Yardi’s Wonderland on August 30 at The Four Seasons’ Grain Bar. Guests can look forward to enchanting entertainment, tasty canapés and sweets, along with some fun, magic and mystery. Be prepared to be dazzled! “This year’s event is bigger and better than ever! We’ve designed YASC to maximize learning opportunities and fun. We’re excited to welcome our clients and industry experts to an expanded YASC event focused on creating meaningful dialogue and networking connections,” said Nina Feldman, marketing manager at Yardi. Here are a few new features coming to 2017 YASC Australia and New Zealand: Discussion groups A new addition to YASC ANZ, discussion groups aim to explore the software solutions you use every day. These groups will be facilitated by a Yardi product expert to provide a space to discuss issues and share experiences with industry peers. Hands-on experience in the Computer Lab Gain hands-on experience in our on-site Computer...

Smart Growth Jul26

Smart Growth

New hire onboarding is a necessary process for all growing multifamily organizations. It is also a major pain point. Dominium, a Minneapolis-based leading apartment development and management company, set goals to double in size by 2025. To reach its goals, the company needs an innovative and efficient training solution. Maya Kasangaki, Senior Service Desk Technician and Yardi Trainer, explains how Yardi eLearning has prepared her organization for growth. Onboarding Dilemmas Dominium faced challenges that are familiar to other property management firms: high turnover and costly, inefficient training processes. The organization hosted monthly weeklong trainings for new community managers at the corporate office.  In addition to regular conference calls, these nearly six-hour training sessions consumed the majority of Kasangaki’s time. Once complete, she lacked a consistent way to track students’ understanding and content retention. “If we have training with 12 people on the call, it’s hard to make sure that everyone is absorbing the information. They aren’t as comfortable bringing up questions or starting a discussion in the midst of a training,” she observes. High turnover exacerbated the already frustrating situation. “Because of the staff turnover in property management, we would train someone but they didn’t have basic knowledge of the industry. The information we provided  was maybe going over their head. Then we would hire someone to replace them and we would have to begin this process all over again,” says Kasangaki. Dominium sought a training solution that would simplify and expedite new hire onboarding. Online Solutions for Onboarding and Growth In 2016, Dominium implemented Yardi eLearning. The company customized the curricula to include soft skills courses, videos, webinars, and more. Kasangaki appreciates the ability to deliver content in different formats, allowing learners to receive the information in a way that appeals to their...