Interview with Sean Landsberg, SVP of Operations for DASMEN Residential: Elevating Maintenance Excellence through Tech Integration

DASMEN Residential is a privately held real estate investment and management firm that owns and operates multi-family properties in major cities throughout the United States. DASMEN makes opportunistic investments in growth markets and employ a range of strategies to create value and sustain long term asset appreciation. They seek to continue exceeding our goal of providing outstanding risk adjusted returns to our investors and clients and providing the best possible living experience in our communities. DASMEN has assembled the culture, philosophy, and skills necessary for this task: their time horizon, their capital base, experience, and intellectual resources all reinforce their mission of being the best partner possible for investors, lenders, clients, and residents.

As Senior VP of Operations at DASMEN Residential and Co-Founder/SVP of Product at AppWork, Sean Landsberg is a seasoned leader in operational excellence and tech innovation. With over a decade in the multifamily sector, Sean is dedicated to transformative strategies.

Since 2016 at DASMEN, Sean has spearheaded growth across diverse departments like Operations, Marketing, and IT. His leadership prioritizes performance and customer satisfaction, and he is adept at building valuable relationships. Based in New York, Sean is key to DASMEN's success.

At AppWork, Sean uses his multifamily expertise to direct product development and operations. Serving as a link between property management and tech solutions, he leads a global team focused on modernizing maintenance and operations in the multifamily industry.

In both roles, Sean merges his tech and operational know-how to add value for teams and clients, making him an industry thought leader. His dedication to excellence and innovation benefits not only DASMEN and AppWork but also elevates the multifamily sector at large.

*1. **Q**: Can you describe a recent example of how your organization has used technology to enhance its maintenance operations?*

We've integrated gamification into our maintenance workforce, introducing a badge-based rewards system that fosters healthy competition and camaraderie. The results have been remarkable, fostering heightened motivation and driving operational excellence.

Moreover, in our relentless pursuit of addressing turnover concerns, we've introduced a pioneering technician tipping tool. This innovative approach allows residents to express their gratitude by tipping technicians who've gone the extra mile. This performance-linked incentive system has created a harmonious synergy between staff and residents

Our organization has embarked on a transformative journey with a product we created called AppWork, a powerful digital platform that has become the linchpin of our maintenance processes. One standout improvement revolves around our turn process, a pivotal component of property management. Traditionally, marker boards were the norm, but we recognized the inefficiencies and challenges tied to this outdated method. By seamlessly digitizing the process, we've revolutionized the efficiency and precision of this crucial operation.

Delving deeper, we pinpointed the most influential factors affecting occupancy rates. Swift unit turnover emerged as the cornerstone of occupancy success. To bolster our maintenance teams, we ingeniously harnessed technology. Through resident feedback and ratings, we've established a system that motivates and recognizes our maintenance personnel's efforts.

**2. Q: What specific challenges or pain points led your organization to explore technology solutions for maintenance improvement?**

Our journey into technology integration was ignited by the intricate tapestry of challenges intricately woven into our day-to-day operations, where maintenance activities play a pivotal role. It became evident that a paradigm shift was imperative to navigate the complexities we faced.

At the heart of our challenges lay the need for streamlined processes that could eliminate bottlenecks and redundancies, optimizing the way we manage maintenance tasks. We also recognized the critical importance of precision in staff allocation - ensuring the right expertise at the right time for each task. Moreover, the seamless flow of communication was vital in this interconnected ecosystem, ensuring that every team member remained aligned and well-informed.

In our pursuit of excellence, it became evident that traditional approaches were struggling to meet these dynamic demands. Manual processes and siloed communication were no longer adequate to address the intricacies of modern maintenance management. This realization propelled us to explore innovative technology-driven solutions that could harmonize our operations, elevate service quality, and enable us to navigate the challenges of the ever-evolving industry landscape.

*3. **Q**: How do you determine which areas of maintenance operations can benefit most from technological integration?*

At the core, technology is a potent problem-solving tool. The aftermath of the COVID era introduced unparalleled staff turnover challenges, propelling us to engineer innovative solutions like the maintenance tipping feature. Our decision-making is grounded in real-world intricacies, strategically addressing critical pain points and operational gaps that emerged. Through a lens of adaptability, we ensure our technological integrations align with the evolving needs of our operations.

**4. Q: How do you assess the ROI of implementing new technology in maintenance processes?**

While ROI undeniably plays a pivotal role, our assessment is a holistic endeavor. We weigh operational gains and necessities as essential factors. Despite tempting NOI promises, our priority is alignment with our infrastructure and operational objectives. We ensure that technology not only enhances financial metrics but also transforms our core processes.

**5. Q: What key performance indicators (KPIs) do you track to measure the effectiveness of technology-driven improvements in maintenance?**

Our vigilant monitoring extends across a spectrum of KPIs. Alongside maintenance-specific metrics like open work orders, average completion times, and technician-rated resident feedback, we delve into broader property indicators such as occupancy rates, delinquency, rent growth, and expenses. This comprehensive approach provides a well-rounded view of how technology fuels overall operational excellence.

**6. Q: In what ways has technology influenced predictive and preventive maintenance strategies within your organization?**

Our strategic focus is centered around harnessing software-driven solutions, with a special emphasis on the predictive and preventive maintenance domains. By leveraging AI-powered insights, we've delved into a new dimension of understanding property-specific needs. This profound understanding has paved the way for a finely-tuned process of staff allocation, enabling us to deploy the right skill sets to the right tasks with unparalleled precision.

This transformative shift has not only optimized resource utilization but also allowed us to tailor our approach to the unique challenges of each situation. As a result, our workforce has evolved into an agile and responsive entity, capable of addressing issues proactively and providing solutions that align seamlessly with the distinctive demands of our properties. This strategic overhaul has elevated our operational efficiency to new heights, positioning us at the forefront of the maintenance landscape.

**7. Q: How do you strike a balance between adopting new technologies and maintaining compatibility with existing systems during the implementation process?**

Our approach to adoption is a finely tuned harmony of seamlessness and velocity. The urgency of swift integration stems from our commitment to safeguard tenant experiences from any disruptions. Yet, our strategy doesn't stop at mere integration. Regular and purposeful check-ins serve as compass points, ensuring unwavering adherence to the transition process. This dynamic fusion guarantees that the assimilation of technology is not just successful but also holistic.

Central to our approach is the art of equilibrium – the equilibrium between introducing innovation and preserving the flow of established systems. This balance is the bedrock of a transition that is not only smooth but also paves the way for a unified technological landscape, ready to empower our maintenance operations for the future.

**8. Q: Could you discuss any lessons learned from past experiences with technology adoption in maintenance, including both successes and challenges?**

Our journey through technology adoption has been a treasure trove of insights. These experiences have solidified the importance of crafting a harmonious tech landscape. First and foremost, the gateway to success lies in an interface that's not just user-friendly but user-centric. This paramount aspect significantly propels adoption rates, ensuring that technology becomes an asset rather than a hurdle.

Intricately woven into this success narrative is the power of simplicity. It's not just about ease of use, but about creating an ecosystem where engagement flourishes. Technology that seamlessly integrates into workflows, while engaging users, becomes ingrained in daily operations.

Resonating with this is our encounter with resistance within maintenance teams. Overcoming this resistance demands a strategic approach, addressing concerns, and showcasing the tangible benefits that technology brings to their roles. Often, it's about understanding that these changes aren't replacements but enhancers of their expertise.

A recurring challenge was addressing concerns around personal device usage. We recognized that embracing technology shouldn't encroach on personal boundaries. Hence, a pivotal stride was the provision of stipends to alleviate such concerns, creating a win-win situation.

Securing buy-in from stakeholders became a cornerstone of our tech journey. Garnering regional managers' and maintenance teams' support was pivotal in ensuring seamless integration and acceptance. Yet, this journey isn't just about buy-in; transparent communication during rollout holds the compass, leading to success.

Our experiences have taught us that technology isn't just about implementation; it's a narrative that binds people, systems, and processes. It's a testament to the transformative power of technology, where each challenge metamorphoses into an opportunity for growth and innovation.

**9. Q: Can you elaborate on the process of selecting technology partners? What criteria do you consider?**

Our relentless pursuit of innovation fuels an ongoing journey of exploration, driving us to traverse diverse avenues of technological evolution. At the heart of this quest lies the endeavor to seamlessly align products with the intricate fabric of community needs. A symbiotic partnership hinges on the versatility of the chosen technology – an ability to elegantly address multiple challenges that underscore the ever-evolving demands of our industry landscape.

Validation is another vital thread in our selection fabric. References become windows into real-world experiences, offering insights beyond marketing promises. By gathering firsthand accounts of partnerships, we construct an in-depth look of the provider’s true capabilities and their commitment to delivering tangible value.

Piloting isn't just a step; it's a crucible where potential provider’s prove their mettle. Through controlled implementation, we witness technology in action within our environment, gauging its impact, compatibility, and scalability. This phase serves as the crucible in which innovation's promise transforms into reality.

At the epicenter of our criteria lies adaptability and reliability. The technological ecosystem is fluid, evolving, and dynamic. Therefore, our partners must possess an inherent flexibility that molds to our needs and remains resilient amidst industry shifts. Reliability, the bedrock of any partnership, ensures consistency and the ability to weather challenges together.

Through this intricate process, we weave a partnership that isn't just transactional but transformational. It's a dynamic synergy of technology, vision, and values that stands as a testament to innovation's power to shape the future.