There are several factors that can influence a change in a property’s performance. The economy and market conditions are often the largest influences that are beyond your control. Smaller and more controllable factors, like vendor selection, may influence your success as well. If you haven’t evaluated your vendors’ performance since striking the contracts, now is the time. Complacency with vendors is bad business It’s common to find reputable vendors and stick with them until a major event prompts you to reconsider. The result is that the quality of vendor services may slowly and subtly change without your awareness. As the quality of services degrade, it negatively affects your property’s performance. Have resident complaints or dissatisfaction risen? Have you noticed units are harder to lease out? The overall maintenance of your site could be a contributing factor. Any work completed by vendors—landscaping, pool and site maintenance, turning and staging units, for example—are part of the prospects’ and residents’ experience. If vendor performance is underwhelming, your property suffers. Ask the three simple question below to determine if your vendors are truly an asset to your business. Are your vendors organized? Disorganized vendors rarely delivery top-notch services. A few common signs of disorganization include: arriving late to appointments delayed invoicing unclear and unspecific invoicing inconsistent performance or products and poor communication If your vendor demonstrates more than one of these signs, it may be worthwhile to take a closer look at their performance and business practices. Also, ensure that all licensing and insurance is updated each year. A lack of coverage is a risk to you and your customers. Besides, if they’re falling behind on essential documentation, what else are they overlooking? Learn how VendorCafe empowers your business to reduce risk, gain efficiency, and enhance compliance. Are...

Property owners and managers now have a new tool for making their communities safer places—VendorShield, Yardi’s new automated vendor screening platform. VendorShield lets property owners and managers define their requirements for insurance coverage, professional licenses and background checks. The system follows the custom rules for searching government watch lists and other national and local verification sources to ensure suppliers meet requirements. Regular auditing ensures ongoing compliance. With credential screening automated and insurance data auditing outsourced to the Yardi compliance team, property staff members have more time for their core responsibilities. VendorShield also simplifies management of Form W-9s, certificates of insurance, service contracts and other documents. “VendorShield helps facilitate safe communities for residents, tenants, vendors and staff,” said Terri Dowen, senior vice president of sales for Yardi. “The full integration of VendorShield with Yardi Voyager and VENDORCafé provides a convenient one-stop shop for vendor management.” Download a brochure to learn more about how VendorShield helps reduce risk and promotes a supportive community...