At one point, Georgia-based apartment community developer and manager Walton Communities’ mission to provide exceptional residential, affordable and active adult housing at a great value in a friendly neighborhood environment was awash in paperwork. Staff members from 20 Atlanta-area properties had to transport from 25 to 60 invoices each to the corporate office in Marietta every week. “Along with the money spent on paper, gas and car wear-and-tear, this obligation took our staff members away from leasing and resident service,” said Jennifer Price, IT systems trainer for Walton Communities. “As we moved to grow our portfolio by 50%, we knew the process would become even more cumbersome. We quickly realized that we needed a more efficient invoice processing system.” That was Yardi PAYscan Full Service, with which Walton Communities’ vendors send their invoices to a secure, centralized email or physical lockbox monitored by Yardi. The Yardi team scans and enters the account data, and the invoices show in the client’s Yardi Voyager platform as invoice registers, ready for review, approval and processing as payables. All the client’s site teams have to do is review, add details and approve—without driving anywhere. With invoice processing off their hands, Walton Communities’ staff members can focus on their core business of leasing, resident service and property maintenance. Yardi PAYscan Full Service adds even more convenience by automatically attaching purchase orders, a major time-saver for maintenance and procurement teams. Yardi PAYscan Full Service extends the benefits Walton Communities gains from the Yardi Procure to Pay Suite, an end-to-end procurement, vendor management, invoice processing and payments solution. “Leasing and customer service are the core of our business. Yardi PAYscan Full Service lets our staff concentrate on these activities, rather than dealing with invoicing and billing,” Price said. “The process of...

Since peaking in 2004 at 69.4 percent, U.S. homeownership rates have been slipping year after year. According to the latest Census Bureau data, the third quarter of 2014 ended with a nationwide homeownership rate of 64.3 percent, marking the lowest rate in 20 years. As a result, rentership is becoming more and more ubiquitous and not only among single, newly graduated Millennials and empty-nest Boomers, but child-rearing Gen Xers as well. Moreover, as the economy continues to recover and Gen Y ages, a growing number of Millennials are expected to start new households and families, continuing to fuel demand for family-friendly communities. One company that is focused on offering residents and their families a nurturing environment is apartment developer, owner and manager Walton Communities. The Marietta, Ga.-based company boasts a portfolio of 23 communities that include market-rate, mixed-income, signature and senior apartments throughout metro Atlanta and Augusta, Ga. Walton Communities on track to open three additional projects in fall 2015. The company strives “to develop real estate in a way that builds strong communities and improves quality of life.” Its commitment to family friendly living is even woven into the company name, which was inspired by The Waltons, that back-in-the-day TV drama starring America’s favorite family. A great example of Walton’s commitment to family-friendly living is the 181-unit Walton Oaks garden-style apartment community in Augusta, which recently opened a 106-unit second phase. Family friendly features include a lending library, controlled access for increased security, playground, picnic area with tables and grills and landscaping that includes over-sized oak trees. Clearly, families are encouraged to spend quality time together outside. Energy efficiency appliances help keep monthly expenses down, while a pet-friendly community policy allows children to enjoy the perks of suburban living. Walton Oaks, like many...