2.2 How to Approach Agent Implementation
Prior to commencing your implementation you will want to consider how you will approach your implementation. There are a few factors you should consider. These are all just a suggestion and the decision is entirely up to you.
1. Size of Business
If you have a large business with a lot of blocks to load into Blocks Online you may wish to familiarise yourself with the system by firstly working with the portfolio from one of your property managers. Their blocks can be set-up in the system and then over the period of, say, one month, the system can be used to manage that portfolio. Once members of staff are comfortable with how the system works then they can start the migration of other Property Manager’s portfolios.
If you have a large business with a lot of blocks to load into Blocks Online you may wish to familiarise yourself with the system by firstly working with the portfolio from one of your property managers. Their blocks can be set-up in the system and then over the period of, say, one month, the system can be used to manage that portfolio. Once members of staff are comfortable with how the system works then they can start the migration of other Property Manager’s portfolios.
2. Parallel Run
As you migrate from your existing system(s) to Blocks Online you may wish to undertake a period of ‘Parallel Run’. During a ‘Parallel Run’ you would load information into both your old system and the new Blocks Online system. In this way you can become familiar with the new system whilst continuing to operate with the old.
As you migrate from your existing system(s) to Blocks Online you may wish to undertake a period of ‘Parallel Run’. During a ‘Parallel Run’ you would load information into both your old system and the new Blocks Online system. In this way you can become familiar with the new system whilst continuing to operate with the old.
3. When to load a block?
Once you have decided broadly how you will approach the implementation you will need to decide the specific date when you will start to record the financial information for each block – This date is known in the system as the ‘Opening Balance’ date. To progress the implementation of a block you will need to obtain an up-to-date set of financial records for the block, as of this specific date. You may obtain these from your existing system(s), or from a previous managing agent if it is a new block you are starting to manage.
There is no right or wrong time to start to use the Blocks Online system to manage a block; after all, your business will take on new blocks throughout the financial year:
Once you have decided broadly how you will approach the implementation you will need to decide the specific date when you will start to record the financial information for each block – This date is known in the system as the ‘Opening Balance’ date. To progress the implementation of a block you will need to obtain an up-to-date set of financial records for the block, as of this specific date. You may obtain these from your existing system(s), or from a previous managing agent if it is a new block you are starting to manage.
There is no right or wrong time to start to use the Blocks Online system to manage a block; after all, your business will take on new blocks throughout the financial year:
- In some cases, managing agents choose to complete one service charge year for a block on one system and then use Blocks Online to record all information relating to the new service charge year. To perform this, the old system(s) would be used to produce service charge demands and the opening balance figures would be loaded into the Blocks Online system as of the first day of the new service charge year. The down-side of adopting this approach for all blocks is that it could take up to one year to complete the migration.
- Alternatively, some agents decide to load the budget for the new service charge year into Blocks Online and use the new system to issue service charge demands.
Again, if this approach is adopted for all blocks it could take up to one year to complete the migration.
4. Bulk load facilities
If you have a large number of blocks to load and / or migrate from an existing system, then you should consider using the Blocks Online Bulk Load facilities. Blocks Online can take information from a spreadsheet and load a range of key information into the system; this includes unit details, and owners’ details. These functions are contained in the system once you have signed up and logged in.
If you have a large number of blocks to load and / or migrate from an existing system, then you should consider using the Blocks Online Bulk Load facilities. Blocks Online can take information from a spreadsheet and load a range of key information into the system; this includes unit details, and owners’ details. These functions are contained in the system once you have signed up and logged in.
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