{"id":14043,"date":"2016-02-03T06:00:02","date_gmt":"2016-02-03T14:00:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.yardi.com\/blog\/?p=14043"},"modified":"2020-12-24T03:46:57","modified_gmt":"2020-12-24T11:46:57","slug":"streamlining-operations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.yardi.com\/blog\/streamlining-operations\/","title":{"rendered":"Streamlining Operations"},"content":{"rendered":"

The heart of the tech industry may beat in Silicon Valley, but for a vivid example of how software can streamline large-scale operations and<\/em> enhance lives, you don\u2019t need to go all the way to San Jose. In California\u2019s central valley, the Chavez<\/p>\n

\"Norma
Norma Soria<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Foundation has created a self-sustaining and economically viable nonprofit organization able to provide housing and community services to farm workers and low-income families throughout the Southwest.<\/p>\n

Norma Soria has been with the Chavez Foundation for over 20 years, working her way from basic property management to Management Systems Director, and watching as the foundation grew in size and complexity. With her background and training in affordable property management, Norma has helped usher Chavez Foundation into the modern age.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had previously worked with a well-established company that had many affordable properties,\u201d she begins, \u201cSo I started saying \u2018you need a manual,’ \u2018you need to do this,\u2019 and I began creating certain forms and procedures and that\u2019s how [the current system] evolved.\u201d<\/p>\n

A Growing Portfolio<\/strong><\/p>\n

When the Foundation\u2019s property portfolio expanded to include 4300 rental units and 300 single-family homes spread across three states, Norma was put in charge of compliance and training. She began traveling to other offices to prep employees on procedures and guidelines, and as she bounced from location to location, it became clear the foundation needed a more effective approach to managing its multistate operations.<\/p>\n

The solution arrived in 2002 when, after reviewing several different software options, the Chavez Foundation chose Yardi\u2019s Voyager 5 software. The initial implementation and training went smoothly, but with little oversight or enforced compliance it wasn\u2019t long before problems began to arise. It all reached a fever pitch when Norma returned from maternity leave.<\/p>\n

\u201cI spent 90 days going through all the sites and got it all cleaned up. I learned a lot from everyone\u2019s mistakes,\u201d says Norma. A systematic analysis of what went wrong revealed that the same errors were popping up again and again. Norma quickly realized access would need to be restricted and supervision increased so the software could be used effectively.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe started making changes and limiting access to certain parts of the software, which made a big difference.\u201d<\/p>\n

Remote Training Solutions<\/strong><\/p>\n

As the Foundation continued to update and improve its operations, Norma oversaw a transition from Voyager 5 through Voyager 6, along with the addition of Yardi\u2019s PAYScan and CHECKScan modules. As the eventual upgrade to Voyager 7S loomed, Norma prepared herself for another round of onsite training and multi-state travel.<\/p>\n

In the past, employees from different office had traveled to a central location for a two-day training class.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we transitioned from Voyager 5 to Voyager 6, I traveled to every state and met with everyone in person. It was costly,\u201d concedes Norma.<\/p>\n

When it cam\"cesarchavezfoundation\"e time to upgrade from Voyager 6, Norma found a solution that would allow the Foundation to train employees and facilitate a software update without the need for costly travel and classes in each state. While attending YASC in the fall of 2013, Norma happened into a Yardi eLearning class and was immediately impressed by what she saw.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I sat in on the first Yardi eLearning class,\u201d reminisces Norma, \u201cmy jaw just dropped. I was oohing and aahing and thinking, \u2018we need to get this!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Norma received the go-ahead from her supervisor, who welcomed a solution that reduced travel costs and simplified employee training and oversight. The decision coincided with the Foundation\u2019s upgrade to Yardi\u2019s Voyager 7S.<\/p>\n

Over the summer of 2014, the Foundation implemented eLearning, followed by Voyager 7S upgrade in September of that year. Employees began immediate online training via eLearning once Voyager 7S installation was complete.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe wanted to save money,\u201d she acknowledges, \u201cso for this upgrade, using eLearning for training on Voyager 7S made sense.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe eLearning made a big difference,\u201d she continues. \u201cWe had less than two weeks of people emailing, saying they couldn\u2019t find something. All the information they needed was spelled out in eLearning.\u201d<\/p>\n

A Simple Transition<\/strong><\/p>\n

Overall, Norma was able to train 80 users, including accounting staff, compliance staff, and onsite staff with the eLearning software.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we upgraded from Voyager 5 to 6, people were fearful and dreading the change,\u201d admits Norma. The transition to Voyager 7S was greeted with a more positive outlook. \u201cThis time around, staff was excited about the upgrade,\u201d she told us.<\/p>\n

Now that Voyager 7S is up and running, Norma still depends on eLearning for new hires, who must complete certain courses before receiving their Voyager login credentials.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat way, I know they are prepared for the Yardi experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

Expanding Possibilities<\/strong><\/p>\n

With the goal of eventually creating 50 eLearning tracks, Norma is currently focusing on converting existing PowerPoint training manuals into online eLearning material and providing support for new hires.<\/p>\n

Norma also schedules remote training that allows new and current employees to log in \u201clive\u201d and work together to solve common problems and discuss ongoing issues, all under Norma\u2019s supervision.<\/p>\n

\u201cI do special events called Coffee Time,\u201d explains Norma. \u201cEmployees can login live via WebX, and we troubleshoot together. Everyone can see what\u2019s happening. I teach how to prevent a problem and then show them how the issue can be corrected.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI also learned that we can link back to each class,\u201d she continues. \u201cSo I am going to do follow-ups connected to the course. In that way, I can provide refreshers on our procedures and how we operate.\u201d<\/p>\n

Norma is focused on expanding eLearning\u2019s potential at the Chavez Foundation. When she runs into other property management colleagues and professionals, she finds herself detailing why they should consider using eLearning.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a great way to communicate new corporate policy changes and ensure everyone receives the same information. I\u2019ve been talking to people, telling them it\u2019s awesome.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The heart of the tech industry may beat in Silicon Valley, but for a vivid example of how software can streamline large-scale operations and enhance lives, you don\u2019t need to go all the way to San Jose. In California\u2019s central valley, the Chavez Foundation has created a self-sustaining and economically viable nonprofit organization able to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":103,"featured_media":14395,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_s2mail":"yes","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,3354],"tags":[116],"class_list":["post-14043","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-people","category-team-yardi","tag-yardi-client-profile"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nYardi Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The heart of the tech industry may beat in Silicon Valley, but for a vivid example of how software can streamline large-scale operations and enhance\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Streamlining Operations\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The heart of the tech industry may beat in Silicon Valley, but for a vivid example of how software can streamline large-scale operations and enhance\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.yardi.com\/blog\/streamlining-operations\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Yardi Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2016-02-03T14:00:02+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2020-12-24T11:46:57+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.yardi.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2015\/12\/cesarchavezfoundation.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"400\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"355\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Cutright Elizabeth\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Cutright Elizabeth\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.yardi.com\/blog\/streamlining-operations\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.yardi.com\/blog\/streamlining-operations\/\",\"name\":\"Streamlining Operations - 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