The answer to the question is always the same. ‘Which software platform do you use? We use (insert name), at the moment.’ There’s always the caveat: at the moment. It seems few in strata love their software.
Strata software platforms fall into two categories: pre-Jurassic and post Jurassic. Pre-Jurassic platforms are desktop-based systems built in the 80s and 90s. Post-Jurassic platforms are newer, cloud-based systems.
When you ask users what they don’t like about desktop-based software, the most common answer is, ‘it’s clunky’. It’s a feeling; awkward, inefficient, or cumbersome to use. Typically, this label is applied when the user interface is unintuitive, features are hard to access, tasks require extra steps, or the program runs slowly and doesn't work smoothly.
Curiously, despite their clunkiness, desktop platforms have the lion’s share of the market. The two or three new platforms, built post-cloud technology, are relative minnows in the market. Many in strata management don’t even know they exist.
Like all things strata, the resistance to change is idiosyncratic. Moore’s law of computing suggests that by the mid-2020s, strata software should look very different. Moore was the founder of Intel. The ‘law’ that bears his name holds that as the number of transistors on a microchip doubles roughly every two years, computing power grows exponentially. This also causes a drop in relative costs over time. This hasn’t happened in strata. We hold on to the old platforms like a child does a worn and bedraggled security blanket.
Of the present offerings, one stands out from the pack, Intellistrata. It’s built from the ground up. It offers an all-in-one solution to the day-to-day management of strata schemes. Their team of owners and development engineers is responsive. They are ready to innovate and adapt to your requirements. It’s privately owned and operated, so nimble enough to quickly respond to requests for innovation. There is no waiting for the ‘next batch’ of updates. (We receive nothing from Intellistrata. All we ask is good service for our clients, which is all we ask of our recommended suppliers.)
Better technology clearly links to client satisfaction, employee retention, and sustainable profits. This connection deserves more than idle curiosity about what else may be out there.
Michael Teys advises strata management businesses on improving profitability through professionalisation and streamlined operating systems.
He has more than 30 years’ experience as a strata lawyer and academic and has owned 11 strata management agencies throughout Australia. He has a Master of Philosophy (Built Environment) and Bachelor of Laws. He lectures and writes widely about strata management issues in Australia and internationally.
