Jamestown Housing Authority Moves From Paper to Centralized, Multi-Site Maintenance Data

Background

The Jamestown Housing Authority is a public housing authority dedicated to providing safe, comfortable, and affordable rental housing to the community of Jamestown, New York. With funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the authority oversees three facilities, encompassing a total of 248 housing units.

Intrigued by the prospect of a new challenge and driven by his passion for public service, Joseph Gerace, a seasoned law enforcement professional, joined the Jamestown Housing Authority as its executive director in 2022. Gerace not only manages the day-to-day operations but also oversees the dedicated staff and maintenance personnel, skillfully manages the budget, and ensures adherence to HUD regulations.

No Accountability and Poor Productivity With Paper

When Gerace began his role at Jamestown Housing Authority, he immediately knew he needed to implement a maintenance system for his team. Their paper-based maintenance process lacked accountability and the ability to efficiently track and access work orders.

“There’s no accountability, so if I receive this small piece of paper with a work order on it and it simply disappears, there’s no way bring it back it.”

Joseph Gerace – Executive Director Jamestown Housing Authority

Additionally, Gerace noticed the team’s inefficient work order assignment process. “I have three facilities, and I don’t need maintenance technicians coming to the office two, three, or four times a day to look for new work orders,” Gerace said. Determined to improve accountability and productivity, Gerace initiated his search for a maintenance software.

Quick and Easy

Gerace spent a significant amount of time researching available options and their offerings. He went through numerous demos, but most of them were too expensive and did not provide a free trial for him to test. During his research, Gerace came across Coast and decided to give it a try through their free trial. “With some slight modifications, this is going to be ideal for our purposes,” Joseph said.

Anyone Can Learn How to Use Coast

Joseph rolled out Coast in phases to tailor the pace to meet the staff’s different capabilities and familiarity with technology. The more tech-savvy employees, who were already accustomed to smartphones, quickly embraced the change and seamlessly integrated the system into their daily routines.

On the other hand, for the less tech-savvy employees, Joseph initially continued to print out work orders. However, they soon realized that it was much more convenient to view and complete work orders directly on their smartphones.

“It’s been a home run for us!”

Improved Accountability and Productivity

With Coast, the maintenance team no longer needs to come to the office looking for new work orders. “They’re looking at their phones and getting an notification that they’ve been assigned to another work order,” Joseph said. We prioritize these work orders based on urgency to ensure that our technicians know which ones to address immediately.

Coast’s time tracking system allows employees to clock in and out of work orders, providing insights into their daily activities. “Nobody wants me to question why it took extra minutes to complete a task that should have taken ten,” Joseph said.

“Coast has been a very powerful management tool because I can keep track of when the work order was received and I’ll call them out “Hey, we got this on this day and date. Why has it been X number of days? When’s it going to be done?”

Furthermore, if Joseph receives a tenant complaint, he can easily search for past work orders and share detailed information, including pictures and videos of the work performed and when it was done.

“It’s a fantastic feature, and it’s user-friendly.”

Coast Made Data Insights Easy to Track

One of the most significant advantages for Joseph is Coast’s reporting capabilities. The system tracks every maintenance task completed by his team, providing Joseph with the data he needs to identify areas for improvement.

“The ability for me to do a statistical analysis is off the charts. No pun intended. But I can look at how many work orders are assigned to what individual under what category. By date and by month. You know, I’ve got all the tools there that I need to manage the oversight of my staff.”

The reporting feature enables Joseph to generate comprehensive maintenance reports on a monthly basis and share them with the board of commissioners. These reports provide precise figures on the number of work orders, their status (open, pending, closed), and overall workflow efficiency. With this information readily available, Joseph can confidently assess their progress and determine if additional maintenance staff is required.

The Ripple Effect: Gerace’s Recommendation

Joe wasted no time in recommending Coast to his peers in the housing authority industry. He even conducted a software demo for another housing authority, emphasizing its value to them.

“I actually gave a demo of Coast to another housing authority. I encourage them to sign up and try it for free.”

In addition to the software itself, Joe was particularly impressed by Coast’s customer support.

“While I’m singing praises, your support has been unmatched compared to other companies I’ve dealt with. You guys are like right back to me with solutions.”

Since partnering with Coast, Joe has witnessed a remarkable transformation in the operations of his organization. The implementation of Coast has enabled the housing authority to establish a seamless process that prioritizes efficiency, accountability, and enhanced tenant satisfaction. The positive impact has been significant enough for Joe to confidently state, “I would never want to go back or move away from this. We’re committed for the long run.”