Complaints about poor communication rate high among owners of condominium units. Those who are not on the Board often report feeling out of control when it comes to knowing what is happening in their buildings. Requests for better communication are a regular minuted item at the AGM. Newsletters get suggested, website portals proposed, but these take time to produce and maintain.
For property managers, communicating with residents represents a substantial part of the job. For large, active buildings, bulletins may be a weekly or even daily occurrence. Despite advancements in technology, many property managers still turn to paper notices to provide updates to residents. Whether they deliver it themselves or take valuable staff hours away from the concierge, superintendent, or security desks, plastering up notices in the lobby or elevators, or delivering them under doors, is time intensive and costly.
An interactive digital information hub in the main lobby of a building allows anyone entering or leaving the building to be updated on matters directly affecting their community. With custom-designed interfaces, youRhere’s digital hubs provide a multimedia solution designed to engage and offer a sustainable solution to communication in condominiums.
With freedom from paper usage realized, condominiums can share positive updates as well as unwelcome news. No matter where you are, whatever the message, your residents can be promptly and properly informed.
“It’s obviously inefficient and time consuming for management to go around putting up and taking down posters,” says Scot Martin, President and CEO of youRhere. “Schedules can change at the last minute and notices need updating. Then someone must go around and physically replace the originals with updates. Digital signage is an efficient way of reaching your condominium resident base—of changing or updating notices with a few keystrokes on a laptop or smartphone—all while reducing your carbon footprint.”
Enhance your building’s aesthetic
Interactive digital hubs for condominiums can be floor, wall, or desk-mounted, fixed or portable. Providing multiple language options, they break down barriers for those with English as their second language. For residents who are sight or hearing impaired, youRhere information hubs can be equipped with text to voice easily accessed through headphones. For those who are mobility impaired, the menus on standalone units are electronically height-adjustable and easily accessed by residents in wheelchairs.
Not to mention the aesthetics.
“If you have a condominium with a grand entrance and a million-dollar lobby, installing a state-of-the-art digital screen makes a statement consistent with the desired building image. It’s much nicer than a dog-eared piece of paper hanging off the wall,” asserts Martin.
Accessed through a portal on youRhere’s website, clients use a simple Content Management System (CMS) to update information on the interactive hubs. Data is cached locally and stored in a computer behind the screen so that if the building loses internet access, information remains displayed.
No graphic design or website experience is required for making updates, and youRhere will design a multitude of templates to best suit the needs of the building. Unlimited changes can be made through the CMS and can be completed via a multitude of devices including a smart phone. youRhere provide substantial training to enable authorized personnel to update messaging in real time, or if preferred, youRhere can take care of the changes as well. No matter which option is chosen, a great support team is available to guide users through each step.
To make best use of the hubs, usage data can be easily downloaded and analyzed to best understand who is using the screens and how they are being used. This can be helpful when deciding how to best tailor messaging, as well as which types of information are attracting the most users.
Surprisingly Affordable
Digital hubs are surprisingly affordable—they can be purchased upfront through a one-time fee with monthly maintenance payments, or they can be leased. Some clients have also accepted advertising from local businesses, perhaps a nearby restaurant or coffee shop, allowing the corporation to recover associated monthly costs.
What kind of information can digital hubs relay?
Maintenance, Repair and Construction Notices
In condominiums, the most common type of communication is to alert residents of ongoing work in or around the building. Need to alert everyone that there’s a planned water outage? Are you planning a fire inspection? Even if the work gets rescheduled, residents will know the most current information.
Annual General Meetings and Special Events
Let your residents know the date of the next AGM or other meeting. Let them know where and when, long before they get their Notice of Meeting package. Digital hubs are also a great way to let your community know about upcoming social events!
Amenity Information, Health & Safety Updates, & Well Wishes
Many properties use digital hubs to provide information such as opening hours for the gym and pool. Digital hubs were used extensively during Covid to communicate health and safety messaging. The screens can also be used for well-wishes during holidays or celebrations.
Local Transit Alerts & Schedules of Sporting Events
Help get your residents to where they need to be! youRhere’s digital hubs provide real-time transit information so residents can jump on the next scheduled bus, subway, or train, without having to wait outside in the cold or rain. Some clients in the downtown of major cities choose to display schedules of major sporting or concert events. “This allows people to plan any travel around the game or event and avoid expected traffic,” explains Martin.
Visitor Information
Digital signage can provide helpful insights for first time visitors to the building. For prospective unit purchasers, a display of photos advertising the amenities, local businesses, and community events, can give them a sneak peek into their prospective community.
Condominiums may be part of a multi-use facility such as a hotel, office complex, or have retail space on the ground floor. Digital information hubs can provide navigational gateways for visitors and provide QR codes so that directional information travels with them.
Key Contact & Life Saving Information
In the event of an emergency, knowing who to call is crucial. Phone numbers for the condominium management office, superintendent, and key personnel can all be stored in the digital hub, along with information on defibrillator locations.
Interactive digital information hubs offer much more than traditional signage. Modern, visually impactful messaging keeps residents engaged and informed.
Scot Martin is the CEO of youRhere, a leading provider of digital signage solutions for commercial, retail, healthcare and educational properties across Canada. For more information, visit www.youRhere.ca.
