- CLIENTCentral Coast Smoke Alarm Services
- PLATFORMTheDatabase – DB Gurus’ Cloud Database Platform
- INDUSTRYReal estate servicing
ABOUT
CCSAS provides smoke alarm services to Real estate Agents, Landlords and Accommodation for their rental properties in the Central Coast, NSW. Currently they have over 6000 properties which they used to manage using an Excel spreadsheet.
Services they provide includes:
- Smoke Alarm Compliance (yearly check)
- Water Efficiency Testing
- Blind and curtain compliance
- Safety switch RCD testing
- Fire Safety Certificates
PROJECT BRIEF
In phase 1 they wanted an online system so they could track when their clients wanted a compliance check or were due a retest on their smoke alarms, blinds and RCDs.
In phase 2 they wanted an API gateway to connect their database with PropertyMe. PropertyMe is the online portal used by most real estate agencies in Australia to manage their properties.
SOLUTION DELIVERED
We developed the first prototype in 2019. This was then extended to capture all of the details around property rentals and the servicing of those properties.
Since then, we have developed an online portal for CCSAS that has allowed them to go paperless. This portal lets CCSAS view and manage all of the properties they service using a web browser, accessible from anywhere with an internet connection.
For the real estate agents, they can sign in to PropertyMe and see all the properties being taken care of by CCSAS.
On the home page of the CCSAS portal, staff can see a list of all the properties which they can filter them using a variety of options. This allows them to easily see which properties have been added recently, either manually or via the PropertyMe API. They can drill down into each property and see details on the following:
- Tenant
- Property
- Owner and Landlord
- Evacuation Plans
- Safety Equipment
- Tests Performed
- Compliance Certificates
- Activities and Work Orders
DELIVERY TIMELINE
We were first contacted by CCSAS at the end of 2019. We delivered a working system in 2020 and there have been a number of improvements since then, especially in reporting and templates.
We have also integrated the PropertyMe API into their database which allowed them to bring properties into their database simply by adding a tag to the property in PropertyMe.
REVIEW
What challenges have been faced along the way?
The integration took longer than expected for several reasons:
- There were multiple offices involved.
- We did not have any experience with this API and it was a BETA version.
- The requirement regarding having multiple accounts was not clear at the start.
- We did not have multiple accounts in PropertyMe to test our software with.
What were the successful aspects of the project?
We were able to connect our database with the PropertyMe system and that provided massive value for the client who was able to offer his clients an extremely useful and low effort solution. All the end client had to do was sign up and tag the properties that needed a safety certificate and CCSAS did the rest.
What special or new features have been used?
We were able to use a single secret key for multiple accounts with different access tokens. This meant the client could set up multiple accounts for the same portfolio and keep the agent records separate or view them all together.
What went “sub-optimally”?
The project took longer than expected.
What training or other materials were provided?
We provided manuals and videos to the client to explain how various aspects of the database worked.
" We have been working with DB Gurus for some time now, and we find the team to be enthusiastic & they take the time to get to know us & our business needs.
Recently we have completed our first API integration. This was a huge opportunity for us as a business & the DB Gurus were able to apply a sense of urgency with the project. Now we have the API connection live, not only have we already grown as a business, but the speed in which we can do daily tasks has sped up dramatically. We have been so successful with the API connection, we have already put through requests for 2 more API connections!
We highly recommend DB Gurus for their professionalism, dedication to the job and their ability to customise their system to meet our individual requirements."
