MANAGING
Commercial
Property Management
Mobility is key to keeping
commercial office space ‘up to spec’
BY THEMBA MSIMANGO
T
he world of commercial property
management is a fast-moving business sector
that requires constant delivery of services to
keep ‘business-critical’ facilities operating in large
managed buildings that are often occupied by multinational corporations.
The nature of the commercial property business
demands that contractors, ranging from plumbers
through to air-conditioning specialists, painters,
electricians and others are on constant call, says Ethel
Nyembe, Head of Small Enterprise at Standard
Bank, when pointing out that major property groups
literally have armies of specialists criss-crossing cities
attending to calls on behalf of their clients.
“The common denominator in this sector is that
great customer service is regarded as the normal
standard. When your business depends on facilities
being constantly available, you expect remedial work
to be undertaken quickly. The answer to these needs
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Commercial Handbook 2016
is a responsive workforce that is highly mobile and
able to reach buildings across a major city as quickly
as possible. It is also something that is easier said
than done.”
This was examined in a recent episode of the
Standard Bank-supported The Growth Engines
series. It revealed just how listed company, the
Broll Property Group, and its SME supplier, Asset
Control, tackled and tamed the perennial challenge
of client service facing the property industry, via
innovative software solutions.
The Broll Property Group, with a legacy of 40
years in South Africa, offers property services to
occupiers and investors across 17 countries in Africa.
To remain successful, the company has constantly
needed to reinvent itself to meet market demands
- a process that occurs every five years or so, says
Malcolm Horne, Group CEO of the Broll Property
Group.
www.reimag.co.za