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Inventory Reporting Software on the Cheap Cheap!
Increasingly the wisdom of the expert human seems to be outgunned by our artificial friends who seem to know instantly the answer to all of our questions. With Bard (Google Deep Mind), GPT-4 & Codex (OpenAI), Claude (Anthropic), BlenderBot (MetaAI). Lex (AWS) and ChatGPT4o to name but a few. But in reality those who know, know and in the world of Lettings Sian Hemming Metcalfe is the definitive oracle, and here is why.
Sian is a director and runs The Metcalfe Partnership, is Operations Director of InventoryBase & Property Inspect UK, and in her spare time acts as an Advisory to ARLA Propertymark and is an Ambassador for Propertymark Trust. Which means she is an expert in her field, hugely regarded in the industry, always happy to give advice and help with a smile.
But Sian’s biggest quality is her ability to get people to stop and think about things, and though the following is ‘just’ an off the cuff post on Linkedin that I saw recently, it shows that though technology, even artificial intelligence can leverage things – it is actually being a human who works in the industry at a deep level for many years that gives clarity about important things.
Sian Metcalfe‘s Linkedin Post, (Topic inventory software).
‘I get asked and see questions on forums (almost on a daily basis) about what the best hashtag #inventorysoftware is for agents and professionals to both create and manage property reports, risk assessments, carry out void visits as well as a whole variety of service options to landlords and agents.
Now for both openness and clarity – as both an account holder, an employee (had you guessed 😉) and industry trainer, I’m clearly going to recommend Inventory Base. Not just because it’s simple to use but because it’s also packed full of features, solutions and options that allow you to create reports, flex and scale without limit.
BUT! With any hashtag#proptech, you need to look at the bigger picture rather than decide on cost alone (which is usually the first question). So I try to be measured and balanced with my views and will always look at the question from the users point of view.
🙋♀️Questions to ask:
Does the software integrate with your CRM (Reapit, MRI Software, SME Professional and more)?
Can it send maintenance issues via Fixflo’s fault tree?
Are you limited to the number of pictures you can take?
Will it integrate with your accounting software (QuickBooks Company, ClearBooks Technology Inc. Xero etc)?
Can the software connect, support and become a partner with other services such as OpenBrix, The Depositary, Propertymark, Safe2 Ltd?
Can you outsource jobs at the click of a button or invite suppliers into your account to carry out regular reports leaving you free to concentrate on building your pipeline?
Is the support flexible so you can send in a ticket, call and speak to a knowledgeable person, get support out of hours or receive advice on best practice and help when you really need it?
If the inventory / property products don’t or won’t do this – keep looking until you find one that fits you.
Task your Tech! 🧑🏽💻
Build an integrated eco system of software that works not only works with you but your wider resources and systems. Don’t go on cost alone. 💷
As someone noted only yesterday….. if you want cheap, cheap…. buy a budgie!’
So not only do you get lots of wisdom and a punchline from Sian, you get the ‘prompts’ around what you should be asking yourself when looking at who to partner up with to power your company. This goes back to where we started, AI is great to tell you things if you know the prompts or questions to ask, and you only know that if you have put in the hard hours over the years to build that knowledge.
Andrew Stanton Executive Editor – moving property and proptech forward. PropTech-X
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