The team at SDL Property Partners talk to us about how important their technology has been in keeping them and their residents as safe as possible throughout the pandemic.

Communication and continuing to safeguard the health and safety of customers, staff and workplaces has been a learning curve for most businesses the last couple of months, as circumstances continue to change. It has been no different for SDL Property Partners, and our technology has played a vital role.

Through the help of SDL 360 and the back-office support we provide, our partners have been supporting residents one at a time. Our aim hasn’t changed – we’re passionate about transforming property management and believe that a greater focus on customer service, supported by excellent technical expertise, will drive up standards, giving leaseholders a better experience.

SDL 360

Launched earlier this year, SDL 360 is an online portal which supported our partners and their residents before covid-19, but has really come into its own during the crisis. 

The portal connects residents to their property manager, the contractors doing repairs and maintenance, and other residents in their development, without the need for physical post or face to face meetings.

One of the first measures we took during Covid-19 was to communicate clearly and efficiently through the use of SDL 360, how our partners would be temporarily working under the new circumstances. 

This was quickly followed by launching a reporting system where, in the event of a resident gathering symptoms or is diagnosed with covid-19, residents could log this on SDL 360 so that their property manager can arrange a deep clean.  

Communication is Key

As with all businesses, the key element to focus on during covid-19 is and was the clear information provided to customers. 

We’ve been very focussed on supporting our partners to:

• Communicate to residents about how their property manager would be working to keep their property safe and maintained during covid-19
• Share reminders on what they can do to keep their home safe from fire
• Request photos or videos of any repairs required to help reduce site visits
• Contact contractors and suppliers to understand their adjusted risk assessments in light of the virus, and to confirm whether they are able to fulfil the clients’ requests

At a time when people have been limited to staying home and away from family and friends, SDL 360’s community features have also proved invaluable. With a virtual notice board, an ideas hub and a forum, residents can easily talk amongst themselves virtually, giving them that extra support when they need it the most. 

With the nation being on edge, unsure of when the virus will end, SDL 360 is intended to help residents to focus on what they can control. With a simple system to log and raise requests and follow them through to completion, every step of the way, residents can be sure that their property managers are working to keep their property safe and maintained as quickly as possible.

Most importantly, there are up-to-date insurance certificates and fire safety procedures for residents to access online and at ease.

Covid-19 has tested a few companies’ capabilities, but we focused on making sure our partners were ready for attending sites again with extensive PPE to help keep everyone safe. Initially, we had to put a pause on property managers and surveyors visiting sites whilst the virus was in the growth stage, to keep our partners and residents and safe. We’re delighted to say that our partners can now enter sites; with the client’s permission and once a risk assessment has been completed.

You can contact the SDL Partners team via their website, by calling 0345 521 0157 or emailing [email protected].