Ready to unlock staff potential, reduce turnover and drive onboarding success? You need an interactive technology solution that offers personalized learning experiences — but not all solutions are built the same. In order to revolutionize the way you train and onboard staff, you need a multifunctional learning management system (LMS) equipped with unique, cutting-edge functionality. Yardi Aspire is just that — an easy-to-use LMS that offers more than your average solution. It takes your training and onboarding processes to the next level with unmatched functionality and usability, all within the Yardi platform your teams are already using. Sound interesting? Read on for a closer look at what makes Yardi Aspire a differentiator in the LMS space. What sets Yardi Aspire apart? Customizable programs and resources: Supplement your existing training program with an exclusive Yardi product that’s completely configurable. Access complementary webinars taught by product experts, dozens of personalized learning plan templates, searchable product information libraries and over 1,300 self-paced courses that are highly engaging and customizable. Enjoy a comprehensive catalog with hundreds of compliance, safety, professional and personal skills training. Aspire’s instructional design team uses innovative techniques and tools to maximize learner engagement, all while providing hands-free skill evaluations to optimize training effectiveness. Heighten engagement with our related training feature, which enables you to embed smart training links within the Yardi solutions your employees use every day. YardiOne provisioning and smart tiles: Ensure employees possess the necessary skills to succeed before gaining access to the production environment. Utilize YardiOne smart tiles to automatically provision Yardi software access based on learning completion data. Integrated mentorship module: Avoid purchasing third-party party software for mentorship. Upgrade your program administration from Excel to your centralized LMS where supervisors, HR staff and trainers can partner with mentors to bolster...

AI is advancing at a rapid pace. Education institutions should have clear academic integrity policies, communicate expectations to students and provide resources for them to understand and avoid academic misconduct. AI should complement these efforts rather than replace them entirely. Here are some various ways AI promotes student integrity. One of the most significant advancements in AI is Chat GPT and utilizing it for various content. However, how can educators ensure students are not just using it and turning in papers? Utilizing a plagiarism detector tool, teachers can scan academic papers, essays and assignments to identify instances of plagiarism by comparing the text to a vast database of educational and online content. These tools can help educators and institutions ensure students submit original work. In addition, if it is the middle of the year and suddenly the student makes a significant improvement and does not indicate such a leap in understanding or skill, the inconsistent performance is a sign that the student may have used external help. Gone are the days of easy cheating for online exams. AI proctoring solutions can monitor students’ behavior during tests for virtual learning and online classes. AI proctoring solutions use webcams and microphone feeds to detect suspicious behavior, such as looking away from the screen, talking to someone off-screen or using prohibited resources that can be flagged for review. AI can also employ facial recognition to verify the identity of the person taking the exam. AI proctoring solutions may lock down the test taker’s browser, limiting their ability to access external websites during an exam. AI proctoring can also work with recruiters to ensure the integrity of the candidate’s assessment and streamline the evaluation process. A study by IBM found that behavioral and cognitive assessments using AI technology...

How protected are you against residential applicant fraud? Could you be more secure with the right tech in place? Yardi Vice President Michael Tuer recently discussed fraud challenges and strategies with LUMA Residential President Ian Mattingly and Wood Partners Property Applications Administrator David Searles. From false pay stubs to fake IDs, fraud can cost businesses a fortune — but the good news is that you don’t have to rely on the naked eye to detect false documents. Read on for key takeaways including the different types of fraud, what industry experts are doing to combat it and strategies you can implement today. Different types of fraud There are many ways applicants can falsify their way into getting approved for your community: Synthetic fraud is when someone fabricates entire identities, including Social Security numbers, photos and stolen information. This type of fraud can be offered as an “approval package” online, giving people complete sets of phony documents for the application process. Rental application fraud is when an applicant provides incorrect or invalid information, like a falsified paystub or an altered Social Security card. Third-party fraud happens when an applicant misrepresents who they are by misusing another person’s identity — like an image of their driver’s license — to pass credit or criminal background checks. The amount of fraud out there can be overwhelming, but there are many tools and strategies to deter fraudsters from the start or reduce it significantly. Decrease fraud by leveraging AI and automation “About 15% of our total monthly revenue could have been lost to fraud had we not put the right technology and strategy in place,” Ian Mattingly said. Mattingly estimated that LUMA’s fraud prevention efforts over the past three years saved them between $1 million to $1.5 million per...

The advancements in today’s technology are incredible. Biologists are now discovering AI-powered genetic engineering to de-extinct animals of the last Ice Age, from wooly mammoths to the Tasmanian tiger and even the return of the dodo bird. Let’s discuss how they are doing this and what simulations and optimizations will be used to make this all possible. Scientists and biologists are starting with the comeback of a wooly mammoth to help the endangered African elephants. These elephants have declined by nearly 90% in the past three decades. Poaching took more than 100,000 African elephants between 2010 and 2012. Using genome reconstruction optimization, AI algorithms optimize reconstructing extinct animal genomes from fragmented DNA. AI could assist in filling gaps, identifying suitable genetic material from related species and predicting genetic issues. An Asian elephant with wooly mammoth DNA would be more of a hybrid animal that looked and acted like a mammoth but shares DNA with the living species. Ecosystem integration simulations create AI-driven simulations that predict how reintroduced extinct species might influence food chains, habitats and biodiversity within their ecosystems. This could help guide decision-making on whether to proceed with de-extinction efforts. As far as genetic diversity is concerned, ethical and social implications are a part of the assessment. AI tools can gather and analyze public opinions, ethical concerns and potential social impacts of bringing back extinct animals, which will help scientists, biologists, and policymakers make informed decisions about de-extinction projects. For example, de-extinction research in Neanderthals could start a new chapter in the search for antibiotics and other valuable biomolecules, allowing scientists to harness AI and systematically explore long-extinct organisms to help us better understand life’s molecular diversity and sequence space. Genetic diversity enhancement uses AI algorithms to guide the selection of individuals for...

Apple revealed its latest update last week and got us excited! Let’s explore the latest update and its standout features with a complete overview of some new enhancements. Apple is improving lives in significant and artful ways. The Apple Watch motivates you to get moving, informs you of healthy heart rates and can even alert you when you have gotten into an accident or emergency has been detected. The next-gen Apple Watch, Series 9, is silicon with new features. The silicon now unlocks innovative features like advanced workout metrics, sleep stages and car crash detections. S9 SiP boosts performance and capabilities, making it the most potent watch chip. The s9 CPU has 5.6 billion transistors, 60 percent more than series 8, and its GPU is 30 percent faster. It also has a 40core Neural Engine that can process machine learning tasks up to twice as fast. This all makes the watch have 18-hour battery power. Siri will be improved on the device and won’t have Wi-Fi or cellular data interruptions. One standout feature is the Double Tap feature. Double-tap your index finger to your thumb when you cannot tap the watch. Play and pause music while carrying groceries, answer a call while paddleboarding, or reply to a message while walking the dog with a simple double tap! Apple is making environmental differences by being carbon neutral. By 2030, Apple plans to be carbon neutral across its entire business and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Office electricity is all solar powered, and all Apple manufacturing will be clean electricity by the end of the year. Packaging will be fiber-based and low-carbon mission transportation like ocean ships. The iPhone 15 now has HDR 1600 nits and peak brightness. It comes in 6.1- and 6.7-inch sizes. It has...

What do you think of when you hear the words Yardi Aspire? If you know Aspire helps property managers train their team, then you may think online courses are what it has to offer. And, you wouldn’t be wrong. But, of course, over the years, Aspire has grown. We’ve added new features and technologies that are benefiting property managers from every component of the industry, including: commercial, affordable, PHA, multifamily, industrial and every other type of property managed by our clients. Yardi launched Aspire in 2013, and over the years it’s grown into a complete learning management solution (LMS). Aspire helps trainers and human resources professionals develop talent, track growth, communicate with employees, host live meetings, maintain compliance with government regulations, and much more. And through all of that development, it’s true that on-demand, online classes are among the most popular features of Yardi Aspire. Every training program relies on content, and Aspire comes with hundreds of predesigned courses covering topics for professional roles found in property management. Aspire clients also have access to tools to design their own custom content. With all of that available standard in Aspire, it’s no wonder many of us still think of the Aspire LMS as primarily a tool for getting on-demand coursework onto the screens of employees. So, let’s take a moment to recognize the benefits of online classes. What better way to do so than by highlighting how we at Yardi use them to train our own team? Enhancing Learning with a Curated Learning Approach Aspire helps Yardi drive seamless, personalized online experiences and workflows for employee tasks and activities. It helps our company craft and consolidate work activities into centralized, simplified and highly accessible assignments. We benefit from Aspire by seeing higher employee success and...

One of the most popular classes at this week’s Yardi Advanced Solutions Conference – and past events – focuses on mastering the art of creating and delivering transformative training programs. Taught by Yardi Aspire team members Patty Evans, industry principal, and Michael Joiner, senior manager for client service and content, the class demonstrates how to use software to create experiential learning exercises that stick with employees long after the training is completed. The attraction of ‘experiential learning’ This concept can be summarized as “learning by doing.” It encompasses such interactive experiences as games, point-based rewards, focus group discussions and group projects. “By engaging students in hands-on experiences, application, and reflection, they are better able to connect theories and knowledge to real-world situations, including those that impact property management success,” Evans says. Effective experiential learning assignments include simulated software skills practice sessions, video demonstration assignments, chat-based role play, scenario-based group problem-solving, and stretch exercises that challenge employees to identify and solve a real-world issue facing the organization. A study by PwC showed that employees who participate in scenario-based simulations retain 75% more information than those in traditional training methods. Additional research by LinkedIn found that 68% of employees prefer to learn through collaborative and social methods, highlighting the value of peer interaction. “By aligning with the way adults learn, experiential learning maximizes knowledge retention and skill development,” Joiner says. Linking motivation and engagement Before thinking about engagement, consider some of the principal causes of learner disengagement from a curriculum: How does that relate to engagement? Motivation, which manifests as the sense of satisfaction or reward gained from accomplishment, is the driving force that prompts a learner to take action, while engagement is the observable behavior produced by the motivation. In employee training, one of the...

Holographic technology – once the stuff of science fiction, enabled with Nobel Prize-winning innovation, increasingly used in fields ranging from education and military planning to medicine and entertainment – is receiving attention as a potentially transformative workplace technology. Holograms are produced by an imaging process in which lasers capture and replicate objects into detailed three-dimensional projections of diffracted light that preserve the depth of the original physical source it displays. It is, one observer says, “the intersection of light and matter, designed to be observed from all perspectives.” The current state of the art comprises two laser beams collaborating to create solid light holographs in 10 billion pixels per square meter in ultra high definition. Hungarian-British physicist Dennis Gabor pioneered holographic technology, winning a Nobel Prize in Physics in 1971. Providing a ‘magic window’ Holographic technology “works like a magic window, where users can talk, gesture and make eye contact with another person, life-size and in three dimensions,” says Andrew Nartker, director of product management at Google, whose Project Starline aims to create 3D projections that give workers to appearance of speaking to each other across a window. Star Wars aficionados may have been introduced to holograms with Princess Leia’s distress call in the movie franchise’s first installment in 1977. An ABBA “reunion” in 2022 featured the band’s members projected as holograms. (Certain other concert projections of music legends reflected 2D images off a semi-transparent surface in an effect known as Pepper’s Ghost. Lacking depth and volume, they weren’t true holograms, contrary to popular belief.) Expanding business applications And now, this technology is providing new resources for the business world. For example, holograms can give retail shoppers 360-degree views of items. Models created with holograms help military decision-making by offering detailed visual assessments of...

Let technology do its work and have happy residents, less pet damage, plenty of renewals and profitability. Earlier this month, Apartmentalize highlighted the latest technology property owners and companies are embracing for their pet residents. Let’s explore these opportunities for innovation. Paws and Effect. Many property management companies are using the latest technology for their furry residents and seeing immense success. Starting with pet DNA testing, management can use these tests and know which poop is coming from which dog. With this knowledge, management can decide whether to issue warnings to pet owners or give them an extra monthly fee. This eliminates all un scooped pet waste around the property, ultimately leading to happier residents. Pet screening has also been implemented in some properties, giving prospective residents a quick survey that will track vaccination records and behavioral affidavits. Those who score a lower score must pay a high pet rent. Those with a high score can have zero to minimal pet rent. This allows property managers and owners to set high standards, eliminating the need for breed restrictions and allowing for more pet inclusivity. Those who offer no pet rent with high screening scores will be happy and likely renew their lease contracts. Plus, word-of-mouth marketing from grateful tenants will be significant. Another way to waive fees or pet rent is if those looking to be pet owners adopt a rescue dog or cat. Host a pet adoption day at the property. Those who adopt that day can get a discount or waived fees and rent. This not only helps the community for those pets in need but also shows that management cares and wants to see residents happy while living at the property, which will lead to retention and profitability. Oppawtunities to innovate....

Note: This article is adapted from an interview with Joe Consolo, Yardi’s industry principal for energy, that was published in PERE magazine. “ESG [environmental, social and governance] performance is becoming a key concern and differentiator for many real estate players,” PwC and the Urban Land Institute declared in their joint Emerging Trends in Real Estate survey report in 2022. Establishing ESG priorities to meet changing compliance and investor expectations complicates the already complex business of property management – but in today’s environment, property owners need to avoid the consequences of ESG obsolescence that can alienate investors and tenants and invite regulatory penalties. That’s why enhancing ESG performance with improved operations, technology and tenant behavior is critical to sustaining asset value. Obsolescence risks investor hesitancy Back when ESG factors weighed less heavily on property management, buildings become obsolescent because their design or amenities become outdated, causing the properties to lose market value. External factors such as the location or local job loss often also came into play. But in this era, failure to comply with energy efficiency standards and other ESG standards rank among the key drivers of property obsolescence – and real estate investment decisions. With laws governing environmental and construction standards “only becoming more stringent, there is a significant risk for the future if you barely meet those standards today,” Consolo says. Tech bolsters compliance Fortunately, property managers can undertake a number of initiatives to prevent ESG obsolescence and maintain attractiveness to investors and tenants. They include such relatively simple sustainable processes as encouraging tenants to recycle and switch off their lights at day’s end. Preventative equipment maintenance, such as changing filters, upgraded air handlers and other equipment and dealing promptly with equipment failure, also helps maintain peak ESG performance. Other actions that...

Being a property owner can be a laborious job. Summer is fast approaching, so lawn care is a top priority. Unless you have the budget for a lawn care and landscaping service, Artificial Intelligence in recent years has made some remarkable robots. Here are some robots to use this summer to make yard work easier. First, to start with the lawn itself. If owning a large property and needing assistance maintaining the grass but hired help is not working out, have no fear. Imagine mowing the lawn was as easy as clicking a few buttons on your phone. This is a reality with robot lawnmowers that work the same as robot vacuum cleaners for the interior. Robot lawnmowers are unique because they learn the environment using a smart map or GPS. It mows like people, navigating the yard and cutting efficiently in straight back-and-forth lines. If the battery runs low, the robot will return to the docking station, charge automatically, then return to finish the lawn. Have total control over where the robot goes so that it will stay on course and out of the neighbor’s properties or in garden beds. Of course, there are some downsides to lawn mower robots, especially for those living in hilly, sloped land, so keep that in mind. There are a plethora of robot lawnmowers to choose from now but read reviews and choose one that would be best suited for your property lawn care needs. No green thumb is required to have an impeccable exterior with flowers and native plants for the bees and butterflies. Move over garden gnomes because the Hexa all-terrain robot is here. Again, it is easy to control all from a smartphone. It can walk, climb, take photos and videos, ramp up security,...

Property owners routinely borrow money to purchase additional real estate assets. But, as with any loan, executing the loan information elements, including covenants, amortization schedules, collateral and critical dates, is a complicated business.  The level of difficulty largely depends on the technology involved. Some borrowers go low-tech, tracking their information manually with separate spreadsheets and accountants for each property and loan. That approach, however, is time-consuming, error-prone and risky due to the amount of data transfer and multiple system access involved. When manual processes dominate, it’s hard to execute loan tracking obligations, much less gain a clear view of loan status across a portfolio. Debt Manager: Less Risk, More Transparency So what’s an easier, more efficient way to track debt and gain full visibility? Many property owners are aggregating all their debt information in a single technology platform, eliminating the need for multiple spreadsheets, additional accounting staff and disparate data. With no data transfers and a single source of the truth, they can quickly identify key information such as covenant compliance requirements, upcoming debt obligations and principal interest payments for the next month, quarter or any other timeframe. Yardi Debt Manager eliminates the risks involved in manual loan tracking processes and delivers transparency to all users, including executives and key stakeholders. It’s a comprehensive system for borrowers and lenders that centralizes loan data, eliminates spreadsheets and automates loan calculations. Another key advantage of Debt Manager is its ability to tie debt information to the general ledger, effortlessly generating it into financial statements, and seamlessly incorporating debt payments into AP and AR payment processing. All users have visibility into loans, from a high-level summary view to payment history and the lowest level–details about a given loan. Uniland Development Company is a full-service commercial real estate...

The subscription economy is here to stay. What does this mean for businesses and consumers? A successful strategy is for companies and consumers to subscribe to services rather than buy products. Let’s explore how subscription services are quickly evolving. Subscription business model concepts. The pandemic accelerated the growth of the subscriber model at a rapid rate. Those businesses that are not implementing this could miss out or lose to their competitors. Once companies or consumers shift to subscriptions, they rarely convert back. It’s a transformational change that is happening throughout the economy. Companies implementing this model correctly can predict revenue and profitability with much more accuracy and targeted focus. Businesses are upgrading to subscription models to ensure they do not lose out on the benefits of an ongoing consumer experience. In a high visibility example like Microsoft 365, consumers can reap the benefits of the software with a piecemeal monthly or annual fee instead of shelling out thousands of dollars every few years. Cancellations are the biggest threat to the subscription model. However, embracing cancellations can lead to greater consumer retention and increase business transparency. Moreover, by surveying those who cancel, business leaders can find a depth of data to help shift their approach to renewals and consumer loyalty. To retain consumers, businesses must create an experience that speaks for itself. Consumers can get a product anywhere but stay loyal for the expertise and community feel a brand provides. While it is essential to plan for new subscribers, it is just as important to focus on retaining current ones. Businesses should focus on how to build long-term, sustainable relationships with consumers focused on what they want with complete transparency. Utilize tactics that create meaningful connections with subscribers. Surveys, social media engagement, and listening to...

Financing the acquisition of real estate assets can maximize your returns. However, borrowing money not only puts liability on your balance sheets; it can also come with extra headaches and tedious tasks for you and your team, including tracking amortization and payment schedules, meeting covenants, and tracking collateral and critical dates. Executing all these obligations accurately is necessary to minimize risk throughout the duration of a loan. Consider a loan-to-value covenant, for example, a lender-imposed restriction that compares the value of a property to the loan’s value. Borrowers need to monitor this figure because falling property valuation could potentially trigger additional financial costs that can further reduce the asset’s return to investors. Another common covenant is the debt service coverage ratio, the ratio of NOI to the debt service amount. This figure indicates whether the property generates sufficient net operating income to meet each month’s debt payment, revealing the borrower’s likelihood of exceeding the thresholds and potentially falling into default. This covenant, too, requires close monitoring based on the current forecasts in place at the properties. Discovering you have breached a covenant as it occurs is far too late in the game to correct it. Having some visibility into forward-looking information is a key aspect of risk reduction. But tracking loan information using manual data entry and transfers among multiple software systems is time-consuming, inefficient and prone to error. As a result, many borrowers are turning to new technology solutions that provide full visibility to reduce risks and drive informed decision-making. And that’s why Yardi Debt Manager is gaining traction among real estate borrowers. This solution eliminates the risks involved in manual loan tracking processes and delivers transparency to all users, including executives and key stakeholders. It centralizes loan data,  provides a comprehensive system...