Maintenance Goes Digital

Our Harmon Hills Maintenance Team.

The maintenance department works across all divisions of Westland. With over 10,000 residential units and 1 million square feet of retail space, and 14 manufactured home parks - they have a lot of work to do. In fact, the department receives an average of 250 maintenance requests a day.

As Westland continues to expand, it’s become increasingly important to streamline our maintenance work order process by going digital. That’s why our technicians have adopted Yardi’s Mobile Maintenance App, a cellphone app that allows each tech to access and update their work orders through their phones.

Before the change, the contact center was inputting maintenance requests through our Yardi software, which was then printed out by the property manager and given to the maintenance staff, once the tech completed the work order they filled it out and returned it to management, who then typed the work order back into Yardi. The system needed a 21st-century update.

Using Yardi’s Maintenance Mobile App is an easy way for technicians to view and respond to assigned work orders while on the go. Techs can now view their assigned work orders which give them all the information they need such as the unit number, the issue, as well as confirmation they have permission to enter. Once inside the unit, the techs can assess the problem, upload a before picture, log parts used, and upload an after picture.

With our team members set up for digital work orders, we have eliminated a huge amount of paperwork which saves trees, lowers costs, and improves productivity. It’s all part of providing excellent customer service to our residents and tenants who want their problem fixed fast.

Our Property Managers with their training manuals.

The four-day training involved showing all property managers how to assign work orders in the system. followed by training all maintenance technicians on how to download and operate the app.

Thanks to the introduction of the app, Westland has a modern workflow. This new system coincides with the Los Angeles area roll out of our Resident Portal, which allows residents to make maintenance requests online, and allows us to provide digital end-to-end customer service. This lightens the load of our contact center team members and ensures fast and effective customer service.

Working Together for a Long Beach That Works for Everyone

On April 2nd 2019, The Long Beach City Council voted in favor of a proposal to establish new Tenant Assistance Policies in the city.

As a longterm owner and operator of multi-residential housing in Long Beach, Westland Real Estate Group is a community partner and thanks the city for taking the time to consider this proposal.

We are passionate about our city and dedicated to providing affordable housing for our residents. As a family-run business, Westland supports the 10% cap on rent raises, which has long been established as our own general policy. We are pleased that provisions are being put in place to keep the Long Beach community intact.

The proposal’s suggestion to mandate a relocation fee is problematic. The current proposal adds restrictions that undermine management's ability to protect our community members from nuisance tenants. Such limits would inhibit us from maintaining a clean and safe environment for the betterment of all our residents.

Currently, the local economy has momentum which is great for the city, it’s business, and it’s residents. We share a common goal in making sure the Long Beach community remains intact while prospering at the same time. Restrictions like the relocation fee have the potential to stifle growth and discourage buildings being updated, which creates an older and uncared for housing stock. Our ultimate belief is that the only way to keep rents low for city residents is to create more housing stock. This can be accomplished by streamlining the development process which will encourage more construction.

Westland will work with the city council and other property owners to propose a lengthened, 6-month termination notice instead of a relocation fee. This would allow residents time to find a new home in the city that meets their needs. We feel that this is a better approach and look forward to seeing the next draft of this ordinance.

Clean, Safe, and Stable

On March 18th Westland launched Safety Week, a campaign to highlight the importance of injury prevention with an emphasis on creating a clean, safe, and stable work environment.

Throughout the week the Human Resources team toured multiple Westland communities to deliver our new Personal Protection Equipment policy which highlights when and where to wear safety gear like goggles, hard hats, and gloves.

While handing out the policy, HR also celebrated team members who demonstrated excellent safety practices. Each team member was awarded a chocolate bar which entered them into a prize draw for a Home Depot gift card.

Check out our gallery of chocolate winners below:

The response was overwhelmingly positive with many team members stating why safety was important to them. This is the start of a wider campaign to make sure our work environments stay clean, safe, and stable.

See Inside Our New Contact Center

This month we opened our new Contact Center, which offers a new and improved space optimized for productivity.

The Contact Center department has increased in size as Westland’s portfolio of multi-residential properties has expanded. Other new duties such as taking maintenance requests and digital inquiries have also broadened the team’s role, which caused the department to outgrow their original space.

Contact Center Manager Susan meeting with Contact Center Lead Brielle.

Our in-house architectural department designed the new room with a focus on providing ample personal space, a sound-absorbent environment that benefits multiple calls, and eye-pleasing workstations. Built by Westland’s Maintenance Team, the fantastic custom-built wood cubicles were designed to provide space and privacy. The cork partitions and carpet absorb sound so team members will not disrupt each other. A training area where new team members can practice is also placed right by the Contact Center Lead.

Our proud Maintenance Team: Jesus, Rafael, Hector, and Ruben.

The new and improved Contact Center is part of a larger office expansion. Our IT Department was tasked with building new infrastructure to extend the network to that part of the building. With the future in mind, the new network was set up with extra cables for our future needs. As Westland continues to grow, other departments will fill the adjacent space.

IT ensured a smooth transition between the two centers. On the Friday before the move our Contact Center team packed their desks before leaving. The IT department came in on the Sunday to move the computers and test the connections. When Monday morning arrived, all tech had been moved to the new desks and everyone was online without a single hiccup.

The new Contact Center has brought the department together in one space which makes it easier for everyone to feel a part of the team. They’re ready to take your call!

Revitalizing North Long Beach

Upcoming, The Uptown Retail Center has taken a major step forward with Westland’s purchase of a vacant lot at the development’s site. The North Long Beach project will be built on Atlantic Ave turning Westland’s Harding Plaza and the newly-purchased adjacent half block into a new and unique shopping center.

The Uptown will reinvigorate the neighborhood providing sit-down and fast-casual restaurants with outdoor seating and diverse architecture that creates an inviting atmosphere. Westland worked with the city and the local community to make sure The Uptown provides space for the businesses the area needs.

The project is part of a larger renaissance for the under-served community spearheaded by councilman Rex Richardson. In recent years the community has enjoyed a new library with a community garden, the opening of the areas only bank, infrastructure upgrades, and the modernization of the local high school. The Uptown is one of three commercial developments that will serve the area.

At a city meeting, residents said they were interested in small local businesses rather than big franchises. “They want local mum and pop shops,” said Manny Bukiet, our Commercial Leasing Manager. “Right now, the area doesn’t have anything like this. The locals are having to travel to other areas.”

Four new buildings will be constructed with a unique design that will include a shipping container structure, a two-story barn, and a concrete and glass building.

The new 36,000 square feet shopping center will include the transformation of Harding Plaza, a Westland retail property since 1997. A laundromat will be demolished while the other original Harding Plaza buildings will maintain their tenants and receive facade improvements to match the new additions.

Project Manager and Building Designer Sarah Newman designed The Uptown. Talking about the variety of building styles she said: “We couldn’t do an all shipping container complex because it wouldn’t blend with the current structures so we needed another design.” She chose to mix the shipping container structure with a barn and another metal and glass building to create a mix that both contrast and compliment each other. “Bringing it all together as a cohesive project was a fun challenge.”

Tenants expected to move in include BurgerIM, Tierra Mia Coffee is in leasing negotiations, and Westland’s neighbor Long Beach Beer Lab will open a second location - becoming the first brewery in North Long Beach.

Now the Retail Division will continue to pre-lease the space, make final design tweaks to fit the tenant’s needs, and file permits with the city. The project expects to break ground in 4 to 6 months.

Westland’s IT Hero Helps Camp Fire Victims Get Back Online

Camp Fire was Northern California’s worst fire in recorded history with 85 people confirmed dead and the destruction of over 18,000 structures including homes, business, and barns. Westland’s IT Director Jesse Nowlin offered his tech know-how to the Camp Fire recovery and set up critical infrastructure for the community.

In an increasingly digital world, the internet has become an important component of everyone’s life. When lives have been turned upside down by disaster the ability to communicate becomes as important as food, water, shelter, and medicine. That’s where people like Jesse come in.

“I started volunteering about a year ago. During Hurricane Harvey, I thought about how the tech community could help people. I did some research online and stumbled across ITDRC [Information Technology Disaster Response Center]. I called them to offer my skills and did some remote stuff online. This time I was deployed out to the Camp Fire recovery.”

The Information Technology Disaster Response Center is a non-profit organization that coordinates relief efforts by putting together a team of tech experts. For the last ten years, the organization has worked with FEMA, Red Cross, and participating tech companies like Verizon, Sprint, Google, Microsoft, who donate time, resources, and equipment.

Camp Fire was Jesse’s first deployment. When the ITDRC put out a call for volunteers he asked for the time off work, packed a bag, and headed to Chico Fair Grounds which had been transformed into a shelter for the 50,000 displaced residents of Paradise.

The fire had burnt and destroyed telephone lines and cell phone towers. Residents had difficulty contacting loved ones, applying for aid, or making insurance claims. The shelters needed critical communications set up. Jesse and the ITDRC rolled up in converted RVs with satellite dishes and created internet access points for aid groups and the Red Cross.

“In many cases, the recovery process can’t begin until the local government has access to their cloud-based data. Now with the internet, they are able to get to their back-ups and download the info so they can assess who’s accounted for.”

One of Jesse’s projects was helping a charter school that had moved into a local church get back online. “It allows the children to begin to return to normalcy with their routine. After all the upheaval, they see their friends and get back to learning. Here they are in a makeshift school with their friends and they start to laugh and interact. It takes their mind off things. That's the beginning of the healing process. That was really powerful to see.”

Jesse looks forward to being deployed again in the future. “It’s a great example of people working together and trying to help get something done. It was both inspiring and depressing at the same time. There is so much negativity in the news and online and everywhere. You’ve got to celebrate the good things that happened. This is an opportunity to be a part of the good thing.”

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A MOBILE HOME PARK

Mobile Home Park Asset Manager Rick Bloom visits our communities every week. Although they are spread throughout Southern California, he can visit 10 of the 12 sites in a single day.

Bear Valley Mobile Home Park in San Bernardino County is a Westland community on the outskirts of Apple Valley. Surrounded by beautiful mountain views, these homes are situated in a peaceful quaint location.

“I make myself available to visit each of the Mobile Home Parks at least once a week. By visiting the sites, I get to see what my managers need and work out how we can find solutions together,” Rick said.

Today, Rick is checking in on a recent addition of the Bear Valley Mobile Home Park, an upgrade to the sewage system. “As occupancy has grown it put a strain on the system, with larger refuse potentially overtaxing the system.

The engineering company that maintains it suggested a catch system, kind of a basket, that collects all the heavy gunk and lets the rest get treated properly.”

Rick joined the company 33 years ago in his early twenties working as a salesperson for the mobile home parks. With that level of experience, Rick knows how to work with his management and maintenance teams to find a solution. “I basically found the parts online. We have a great team so the project was completed perfectly. Our maintenance man, Gernaro Zapata, is a skilled welder. I can call him anytime, night or day. He’s a guy I can count on to fix anything.”

The completed project ensures the Bear Valley residents are comfortable. “These people are part of the Westland family and deserve to be taken care of.”

The finished catch system received a thumbs up from the engineering company that maintains the sewage system. Rick explained: "They were so impressed they actually want to use our product on all their jobs."

BACK TO SCHOOL WITH THE BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF SOUTHERN NEVADA

Westland Real Estate Group celebrated the start of the new school year by donating school supplies to children at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada (BGCSNV).

With the new school year just around the corner, Westland employees Ileana, Evelyn, Mayra, Tatiana, Jeeny, Sarai, Dena, Yanki, and Ruth, all arrived at the Boulder Highway Clubhouse to hand out the school supplies and make sure the kids were ready for their first day of class.

More than 100 children aged between 5 and 18 received backpacks as well as essential items like pencils, scissors, notepads, rulers, crayons and more - setting them up with the tools they need for a great start to the year ahead.

The Boys & Girls Clubs is a non-profit after-school program with 14 clubhouses in the Southern Nevada area serving 22,000 youth.They provide a safe environment for the children where they can take part in fun, life-changing programs and form supportive relationships with peers and caring adults.

Both Westland and The Boys & Girls Club have a mission to help people in our communities reach their true potential so it’s a great collaboration and we look forward to doing more with them in the future.