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Simplifying Security: How HandyTrac Systems Make Life Easier for Property Managers

As property managers strive to create secure environments while juggling various responsibilities, having the right tools can make all the difference. Enter HandyTrac Key Control Systems – a game-changer that not only enhances security but also simplifies the daily tasks of property managers. Let’s explore how these innovative systems contribute to a smoother, more efficient property management experience.

Effortless Key Management

Gone are the days of traditional key management headaches. HandyTrac’s advanced key control systems automate the tracking and monitoring of keys, offering property managers a centralized and user-friendly platform. Easily manage key access, track key usage, and generate comprehensive reports with just a few clicks. This not only saves time but also ensures that key-related tasks are carried out with precision and accountability.

Real-time Monitoring

Stay in the know with real-time monitoring capabilities. HandyTrac Key Control Systems empower property managers to monitor and track access activities instantly from any internet-enabled device.

Comprehensive Reporting for Informed Decision-Making

HandyTrac’s reporting features offer property managers valuable insights into key usage and access patterns. Generate comprehensive reports to aid in decision-making, track trends, and assess the overall security effectiveness of your property. This data-driven approach enables property managers to make informed decisions that contribute to the safety and well-being of the community.

Seamless Integration for Enhanced Efficiency

Integration is key in today’s interconnected world. HandyTrac Key Control Systems seamlessly integrate with property management software like Yardi, creating a unified ecosystem. This integration enhances overall operational efficiency, reduces manual data entry, and ensures that property managers have a holistic view of their property’s security landscape.

Dedicated Support for Peace of Mind

HandyTrac understands that a reliable support system is crucial for property managers. Our dedicated customer support team is ready to assist with any inquiries or challenges. This commitment to customer satisfaction ensures that property managers can navigate the system with confidence, knowing that assistance is just a call or message away.

In the fast-paced world of property management, HandyTrac Key Control Systems stand out as a beacon of efficiency and security. From effortless key management to real-time monitoring, these systems not only simplify the daily tasks of property managers but also contribute to a safer and more secure living environment for residents. Embrace the future of key control with HandyTrac, where convenience meets security.

HandyTrac Key Control Interfaces with Popular Property Management Software

resmanHandyTrac Systems, a leading electronic key control company, is pleased to announce a strategic partnership with property management software companies, ResMan and Yardi to provide seamless work order delivery for multifamily, student and military housing customers nationwide.

“Over the past 20 years, we’ve discovered that multifamily property managers are inheriting a variety of roles to satisfy the ever-growing list of community needs,” notes Larry Kratz, President of HandyTrac. With this in mind, we’ve teamed up with ResMan to simplify key activity management through consolidated processes, and simplified access procedures.”

Upon request, ResMan and Yardi users with a HandyTrac Premium Touch system now have the ability to customize their experience through the use of a unique and secure work order system. Features like service order and staff data importation will allow managers to quickly and easily monitor key activity and work orders through their ResMan dashboard.

“We believe that when provided with the right tools, property managers can do it all. By leveraging this partnership, property managers will benefit from efficiency improvements, and ultimately, get the most out of their management products.”


About ResMan:

ResMan provides innovative technology solutions to the property management industry by making property investments and operations more profitable and easier to manage. For more information, visit myresman.com.

About HandyTrac:

HandyTrac likes to consider itself the low-cost leader in multifamily and military housing key control; managing keys for more than 5 million apartment homes throughout the country. We offer three unique cloud-based systems that provide instant access to archived reporting and provide the ability to manage your communities with a single login through your computer or smartphone. For more information, contact us today.

Cost Justified: Savings Pay for Key Control System in 6 months

Properties these days are understaffed, making time saving systems and tools more important than ever. HandyTrac key control systems can save maintenance staff significant time each day locating, pulling and returning keys, and keys-out reporting.

Time and motion studies prove that you can recover your entire key control investment in just 6 months!

time saving key control systems

How often?

How often does an employee walk to the other end of the community only to find they pulled the wrong key? How much time does that waste? How much does that cost?

How long?

How long does an expensive outside contractor that is “on the clock” stand around and wait while you try to locate misplaced keys?

How much?

How much does it cost you to re-key a unit because the key has been misplaced?

Why HandyTrac?

HandyTrac protects over 5 million units across 800+ companies nationwide and offers an ironclad warranty on every system.

Additional features include:

  • Remote access: Keep tabs on your keys from any internet-enabled device.
  • Detailed real time reporting: Always know where your keys are and why.
  • Audit trail: Reports are backed up to Amazon Web Services.
  • Bilingual: English and Spanish options available.
  • Touch screen: Stunning 7″ touch screen integrated to streamline workflow.
  • and much more.

To learn more about our time saving key control systems, contact us today.

Five Frequently Overlooked Security Measures

security measuresSecurity is one aspect of property management that often leaves something to be desired. Many organizations think they have their bases covered, yet there are a variety of factors that are often overlooked, and these factors can have lasting impacts if exploited.

With this in mind, we’ve compiled a list of five frequently overlooked security measures. Here we will examine the risks and offer some advice on how to address said measures.

1. Physical security

The use of traditional lock systems can be a great way to secure your units, buildings, and equipment; but what happens if the key goes missing?

To prevent physical keys from falling into the wrong hands, the use of an electronic key control system like HandyTrac is highly recommended. In addition to safe storage, electronic key control systems offer a variety of features designed to prevent key loss and theft including real time reporting, multi-factor authentication, key anonymization, randomized rotation, and audit trail maintenance.

2. Handling and disposal of paper records

Documents containing sensitive information are often disposed of improperly or left lying around in the office. Although these documents and bits of information may seem insignificant to some, they have the potential to hurt the company if discovered by a skilled criminal.

To ensure that all sensitive documentation is properly handled and disposed of, consider implementing a company-wide policy. Doing so helps to provide a standard for employees and promotes a culture of accountability. A great place to start is a company-wide shredding policy.

3. Network security

Much like your buildings, your network has various access points that must be protected. Effective network security targets a variety of threats and prevents them from accessing sensitive information. To determine the state of your network, consider conducting a network audit. An audit can help to uncover vulnerabilities within your network and improve overall security.

4. Breach Planning

Data breaches can hurt your brand, customer confidence and reputation, so it’s important to establish a breach response plan ahead of time to minimize the damage. To be effective, a data breach response plan should include the following:

– A definition of a breach
– A list of response team members
– The action steps for handling the breach
– A follow-up procedure

Once your plan is in place, educate your employees and test it often to ensure its effectiveness. A little bit of preparation can go a long way!

5. Security education for employees

People have quickly become the largest security vulnerability in any organization. Employees are frequently targeted  by hackers through various phishing attempts, and with over 90% of cybersecurity issues originating from human error within an organization, an investment in security education is worthwhile. Not sure where to begin? Here are some training best practices to get you started.

Holiday security tips to share with your multifamily residents

The most wonderful time of the year for many — including criminals — is upon us. Ensure that your multifamily community and its residents are prepared for the holiday season by sharing these holiday security tips in your next community newsletter.

holiday security tipsSecure the perimeter

Make sure all of your doors and windows are locked prior to leaving your home. Most break-ins are done without force. Simply making sure all of your entry ways are locked can be a big deterrent.

Review community guest policies

With the influx of foot traffic during the holiday season, it’s important to remind residents that they are responsible for the conduct and safety of their guests. It’s also important to share rules for guests and overnight visitors, holiday parking changes, or any other restricted activities. Some important things to clarify:

– What CDC restrictions/guidelines are currently in place?

– Are guests able to stay overnight?

– How long are guests allowed to stay before it becomes a violation of the lease agreement?

– Where are guests allowed to park?

– Do guests need permits to park on-site or nearby?

A few gentle reminders can go a long way towards preventing unnecessary security risks.


If you are leaving town…

Put a hold on mail

Put your mail delivery on hold until you return. Putting a hold on your mail and the newspaper will keep them from piling up and letting people know you are not home.

Install timers

Put certain lights within your home on timers. This will give the appearance that your home is occupied, reducing the likelihood of a break-in.

Wait to share

Refrain from posting about your holiday on social media until you return home. While it is exciting to let all of your friends and followers know where you are going, this also means that onlookers can see that you will be leaving your home unattended.

With these simple holiday security tips in mind, HandyTrac would like to wish everyone a safe and relaxing holiday season!


Resources:

The Moran Group. 2018. 10 Holiday Tips for Property Managers and Tenants. Retrieved from femoran.com

How to implement an electronic key system

Implementing an electronic key system can be rewarding for many reasons, the most apparent being an improvement in community security; but how exactly does one accomplish this task?

Step 1: Review your community/facility needs

electronic key systemPrior to selecting and implementing an electronic key system, it’s important to review your community or facility’s needs. Start by asking yourself the following questions:

“How many residents does my community have?”

“Which electronic key control features are most important for my community?”

“Do I require bilingual options?”

“Does my community use Yardi software?”

If you have trouble answering any of these questions, that’s okay! We’re here to help. Contact us at your convenience to speak with a sales representative in your area. They will be happy to answer any questions you may have and layout all the options suitable for your property.

With these questions answered, it’s time to begin the system selection process.

Step 2: Select a system

Between the Standard and Premium Touch, there’s a system for any sized application or budget. A few of HandyTrac’s notable electronic key system features include:

– Stunning touch screen displays

– Instant reporting

Multi-factor authentication

For a full list of electronic key system features, view our products online or contact us to speak with a representative.

Step 3: Installation

Using the tutorials and resources provided by HandyTrac, installation is a breeze. Simply visit the Resources page to get started. And, as always, if you run into any trouble, give us a call!

Step 4: Training your staff

Once you’ve installed your system, it’s time to gather the troops and begin training. Here are a few tips to get you started:

Emphasize the importance of key control. Present and future staff should understand that key control is a top priority for your community. Emphasize that a key system ensures their protection as well as yours.

Keep the process consistent. Once you have the system in place, make as few changes to the process as possible, with possible exception of completely revamping it for security reasons. Every time you change the procedure, you’ll have to retrain your employees.

Make the process as simple and straightforward as possible. This may seem a little paradoxical considering that a secure system requires multiple steps, but if those steps make sense to your employees, they will memorize the process quickly, and it will become second nature through repetition.

And vualá! Your electronic key system has been implemented, providing valuable security and peace of mind for community managers and residents alike.

For more information about HandyTrac, contact us today.

The Importance of Mechanical Key Control

mechanical key controlThe most important facet of any mechanical key control system is its ability to prevent residence keys from falling into the wrong hands. The main issue presented by traditional key systems and hook boards is keys going missing without a trace. Missing keys are not only a source of stress, they put the community’s management company at risk.

In Texas, for example, a jury awarded $18-million to a multifamily resident after being assaulted and abducted by a man who had gained access to her apartment unit using a backup key. The assailant broke into the management office and found the correctly numbered backup keys hanging unsecured on a hook.

Founded by apartment industry veterans who saw the value in a system that organizes and keeps track of unit keys, HandyTrac offers two affordable mechanical key control systems to suit any community or facility. Using HandyTrac’s audit trail generated reports, managers are fully aware of community ongoings and can ensure a safe environment for residents and employees alike. Additionally, in the event a crime is committed, due diligence can be quickly proven using key management reports generated by HandyTrac.

In about the same amount of wall or desk space currently being used for keys, HandyTrac’s combined biotechnological display unit provides the highest possible level of security, flexibility, and reporting capability. To learn more about our unique mechanical key control systems, contact us today!

Audit Trail: A Community’s Best Defense Against Key Loss and Liability

audit trailMultifamily communities come in all shapes and sizes; however, they all require an equally effective key control policy to ensure resident safety and reduce liability exposure. Here are three reasons why an audit trail can be a multifamily community’s best defense against key loss and liability.

#1 Who has the keys?

The main security issue presented by traditional key systems and hook boards is keys going missing without a trace. Missing keys are not only a source of stress, they put the community’s management company at risk. How, you ask? Consider that a potential resident has arrived and is waiting to view an apartment home. If the key hunt takes too long, you could lose the prospect for good. “I’ll come back later”, often never happens and losing potential residents hurts your occupancy rate. And what if an employee needs to inspect a unit or make a repair? Every minute spent searching for the key kills productivity and wastes money.

Employee resentment can also quickly build-up when keys go missing. Everyone dislikes the exhaustive search and unhappy, frustrated employees are more likely to seek employment elsewhere. As a result, the property management company then faces understaffing issues in addition to future hiring and training costs.

#2: Accountability

When there is no accountability, it is easy for individuals involved to shirk responsibility:

– Imagine that an employee is working with a potential resident when someone interrupts and asks where a set of keys are. The easiest thing to say is, “I don’t know” and go back to the task at hand. And in the event the employee shifts their attention to the key search, he or she might lose the prospect.

– That same key we spoke of earlier, might have been accidentally taken home. If the employee knows there’s no audit trail in place, they may be inclined to stay quiet and return it the next day when no one’s around. Otherwise, a trip back to work to return a key will take away free time.

– A vacant apartment home is left unlocked after a showing and is vandalized overnight. No one owns up. This costs money to repair.

– Keys are lost and truly missing. The property has to pay for a replacement, wasting money.

Using an electronic key management system like HandyTrac, property managers can instantly reveal who last checked out a specific key using a secure audit trail. The system can also run a report of the key’s checkout history. Instead of hassling everyone, only this single employee is contacted. Employees will immediately understand that they are responsible for all keys they check out. A key control system creates a culture of accountability. A key hook board doesn’t.

#3: Instant reporting

By running reports generated using a secure audit trail, managers can quickly see:

– At the end of a shift and close to closing time, which keys are still checked out? Go round up any that should be checked in!

– How many times has a specific apartment home been viewed? Who has checked out the keys, when and for what purpose?

– What is a specific employee doing? What keys have they recently taken out and why?

With HandyTrac’s audit trail generated reports, managers are fully aware of community ongoings and can ensure a safe environment for residents and employees alike.

HandyTrac offers two excellent electronic key management systems including the new Touch system; featuring a large touch screen display and biometric technology for added security. Ask us for a quote and build a culture of accountability at your community today!

Budget-friendly Key Management

budget-friendly key management systemsFor organizations both large and small, the ongoing expense of lost keys can be glaring. In addition to incurring unnecessary replacement costs, missing keys leave properties exposed to various security threats that can result in costly premises liability settlements. As the low-cost leader in key management, HandyTrac offers a number of budget-friendly key management systems and features that keep costs to a minimum while drastically improving property security.

Automated Management

Our electronic key management systems help to eliminate the problem of lost or misplaced keys through automated management. Keys are stored in tamper-proof cabinets that can only be accessed by authorized users with pre-programmed PIN codes, access cards or biometrics. All access activity is automatically logged including time, date and identity of the individual accessing the cabinet. Additional information such as when a key is scheduled to be returned or the location of a stored key (i.e. which key cabinet in the system) is also available.

Physical Keys

The use of physical keys is exceptionally cost effective; therefore, the ability to store and track said keys provides an immediate and affordable improvement to a property’s security policy, while reigning in management costs – an important factor when preparing or reviewing budget costs.

Does your property use RFID key cards? No need to worry, HandyTrac can accommodate keys of all types.

Integration

Our key management systems can also be integrated into an overall security system for additional savings and protection. With HandyTrac, administrators can access, program and monitor the system from any internet-enabled device. This convenience allows managers to access reports, change users, establish permission levels, and more from virtually any location. Additionally, upon request, Yardi users with a HandyTrac Premium Touch system have the ability to customize their experience through the use of a unique and secure work order system. Features like service order and staff data importation allow managers to quickly review staff data and execute assigned work orders directly via the Premium Touch datalog.

With a budget-friendly key management system like HandyTrac in place, operational expenses can be better controlled and budget planning can be made easier. Contact us today to learn more.

HandyTrac User Tip: Using HandyTrac’s Key Binder to Improve Property Security and Efficiency

When you pull a key from your key management system, it’s important to carry a similar security policy with you into the field. Here are three ways our key binder helps HandyTrac users improve property security and efficiency:

improve property securityKey Security, Outside the Box

When employees store keys in their pocket or vehicle, the likelihood of those keys landing in the wrong hands increases exponentially. Our simple yet sturdy key binder prevents key loss through the use of specially designed metal key clips. For added security and peace of mind, HandyTrac users can instead opt for our multi-key distribution pouch, offering a zip enclosure and space for up to 25 keys.

Added Convenience

Using our key management binder or multi-key distribution pouch, property staff can pull and securely carry numerous keys at the same time. So, instead of returning to the HandyTrac system for each individual key, property staff can conveniently accomplish a full list of work orders in the same trip. Additionally, our key binder and multi-key distribution pouch are light and versatile, making them perfect for staff always on the go.

Affordable

When compared to the cost of loss and/or replacing keys on a regular basis, a key binder quickly pays for itself. We offer two budget-friendly options so you can purchase only what you need. For more information about our key binder and multi-key distribution pouch, visit our online shop or contact us today.