In self-storage, your facility-management software plays a critical role, handling important operational tasks, keeping the business organized, and helping employees do a better job. Here Markus Hecker, chief operating officer for SMD Software Inc., gives a demonstration of his company’s software, SiteLink. More than 65 of the top 100 operators use SiteLink Web Edition, and more than 5,000 installations are in operation worldwide. The program is rich with features, but one of the aspects of which SMD is most proud is the software's ability to integrate with other facility functions.

"If user-friendly design and rock-solid architecture are the foundation of a Web-based program, integration with other services may be its greatest possibility," Hecker recently wrote in an article for Inside Self-Storage. "To connect and exchange data with other vendors such as insurance companies and call centers, programs often use APIs, or application programming interfaces. APIs allow other platforms to share the data entered into the management program."