Digital housing services from the perspective of a resident and a chairman of the board
Tapio Korhonen finds himself in a unique situation, as he utilizes One4all’s digital housing services as a resident and a member of the residents’ committee, but also as the chairman of the board in another housing company. Tapio has become familiar with the resident app, booking calendar, digital notice board, and management system, which have further expanded his understanding of the digital possibilities in resident communication. We interviewed Tapio regarding his usage of these services from these two different perspectives.
Digital housing services got integrated into a comprehensive renovation project
Tapio began serving as the chairman of the board a few years ago and immediately became involved in a substantial renovation project in a housing company located in Martinlaakso, Vantaa. Tapio himself does not own an apartment in that condominium but was brought in externally to manage the duties of the chairman of the board. During that time, the entire housing complex, built in the 1970s, was modernized and brought up to date with contemporary or even newer technologies in terms of technical solutions. As part of the comprehensive project, One4all’s housing services were also introduced, aiming to enhance functionality and modern elegance in resident communication.
Digital communication reaches all residents and shareholders
In the three-storey, 42-apartment housing company, digital notice boards, the resident app, and booking calendars are now in use. The housing company has transitioned entirely to digital communication, no longer distributing paper notices to homes; instead, messages are conveyed through digital displays and the resident app.
Tapio mentions that the residents of the housing company have responded positively to the new form of communication and the new tools. Even the older residents of the building have adapted well to the changes. Regarding the benefits of the resident app, Tapio highlights an important aspect: “Even those shareholders who do not currently reside in the housing company receive the messages—and if someone doesn’t yet have a smartphone, they can use the app via the internet.”
Digital housing services adapt to the needs of the housing company
Tapio’s most common communication task as the chairman of the board is information dissemination. The housing company uses a stylish, colorful template for notices, making it easy to update with new text and images, and notices can then be quickly distributed as PDF documents from the management system.
Tapio sees many excellent and practical features in digital housing services that adapt to various situations. For example, in addition to the notice displayed in the lobby, additional information can be securely shared through the resident app. “Such as when we needed to inform residents to leave the security locks open so that maintenance could check the heating settings in the apartments. This is something that could not have been communicated via the lobby display under any circumstance,” clarifies Tapio.
Tapio mentions that push notifications for notices via the resident app have also proven effective in board work, especially when information needs to reach residents quickly. For example, if snow removal in the parking lots gets scheduled for the next day, quick communication to residents about moving their cars has been successful—only digital communication methods can be fast enough in these situations.
Efficiency and speed with digital solutions
Tapio works with highly technical systems in his day job and spends his workdays at a computer: “It’s great that during the workday, I can easily handle notice creation and distribution remotely. The whole process takes only a few minutes, and the notice is already visible on lobby displays and the app—residents are satisfied when messages reach them when they’re relevant.”
“No other method could achieve the same efficiency. It’s a brilliant way to communicate; nothing else is as effective. Like when the cooling system in the cold storage broke down, we needed to inform residents immediately. A note on the cold storage door wouldn’t have helped; residents might not have seen it for days as they walked by,” continues Tapio.
Digital services facilitate practical tasks
It’s common nowadays for property management and maintenance companies not to be located in immediate proximity to residential buildings, making remotely managed digital notice boards a great help in the work. “Over the years, this brings a lot of savings and practical relief,” says Tapio.
Over the past couple of years as the chairman of the board, Tapio mentions creating notices about everything from lost mittens to challenges with warm water supply. Communication is enjoyable when it’s easy, and not every communication requires printing and distributing notices to the buildings. Plus, communication costs don’t increase with the number of notices; in fact, the more one uses, the more value they get for their money.
Transitioning gradually to digital – considering residents
One4all services offer many additional features that Tapio hopes will be implemented at some point. The board has transitioned to digital solutions gradually, allowing residents time to adjust to the changes.
Tapio is pleased that the sauna booking calendar and code locks have already been implemented. Now, residents can respond to the request to offer their sauna slot to others if it goes unused, without having to pay for the unused slot. Sauna heating in the housing complex is controlled through the booking calendar, and the sauna heats up according to the reservations.
The building also has traditional separate sauna shifts for men and women, and there’s also a morning swimming session on certain days. Particularly, older residents have incorporated morning swimming into their routines, and everyone has learned to use the code locks smoothly. During the morning swim sessions, the sauna isn’t heated—the management system is flexible, and Tapio praises the adaptability of the system and the solutions found for varying situations.
Efficient management of common areas with the booking calendar
Tapio himself resides in a modern M2-Koti housing complex, which offers a wide range of common areas and amenities for residents to book through One4all reservation calendars.
In addition to traditional sauna and laundry facilities, the housing complex has a café space, recreational areas, and a large event hall with dishes and other necessities. “The workspaces with electric desks and a background wall suitable for video meetings are also very functional. Another unique feature is the guest room, which is very convenient for residents of smaller apartments. Guests can be accommodated easily at an affordable price—all they need to bring is their own linens,” says Tapio. All bookings for these spaces are made through digital booking calendars.
Active resident and the many possibilities of digital resident communication
Tapio is a member of his own housing company’s residents’ committee, where promoting community spirit is a top priority. The residents’ committee organizes many resident events and various activities in the 330-apartment housing complex. Inviting residents to communal events is easy when invitations are displayed on digital notice boards and the resident app.
Tapio recently organized a Shrove Tuesday coffee event in the building’s café space, which attracted around 90 enthusiastic residents. “We’ve baked together with neighbors and organized all sorts of events, starting from children’s Christmas parties. The more we know each other, the safer living here becomes—let’s take care of each other,” says Tapio.
Tapio believes that the resident app could be utilized even more extensively in his own housing complex; for example, a flea market function could be introduced. “Goods would circulate well with an easy tool, and there would be reliability in transactions when dealing with neighbors,” says Tapio.
The importance of resident communication and the possibilities of digital services
In recent years, Tapio has seen and experienced resident communication and digital housing services from two roles and perspectives. The importance of resident communication and the opportunities offered by digitalization have become increasingly clear to Tapio—speed and convenience have strengthened his advocacy for digitalization.
The modern appearance and cleanliness created by digital notice boards in the entrance foyer of the stairwell left a great impression on Tapio already years ago: “I went to visit a friend and was just amazed by the great display on the wall—it showed resident information, but also, for example, news from Yle, the time, and the weather.”
Overall, Tapio has been extremely satisfied with One4all’s services both as a resident and as the chairman of the board: “It’s fantastic how you can communicate so broadly about everything. Before, the housing company mainly posted notices about community work and Christmas saunas, but now, the range of information dissemination can be expanded to include topics like recycling and energy conservation, or sharing news about the progress of a neighboring company’s renovation project.
This article is an ai-generated translation of the original article in Finnish.