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2022 Self-Storage Software Showcase: Vendors Discuss New Features and a Glimpse Into the Future
New technology combined with consumer demand for contactless transactions has led to extraordinary progression in self-storage management software. Eight industry vendors offer insight on their program features, what’s on the horizon, and how to choose the right product for your business.
April 2, 2022
6 Min Read
If you’re operating a self-storage facility without quality management software, you’re doing your business a disservice. Today’s programs do so much more than just check tenants in and out of units. They’re enriched with features that’ll enhance your operation and marketing efforts, offer insight on customer and property trends, and provide you with more control of facility performance.
In this showcase, eight industry software vendors discuss the essential and advanced functions of their products, plus what’s new. Moreover, they offer guidance on how to choose the best program for your business. We’ve presented them here in alphabetical order.
Domico Software LLC
Products: DomicoCloud (cloud-based)
Essential features and functions:
Unit and tenant management
Delinquency schedules
Online tenant portal accessed from any browser
Tenant communication via email and text messaging
Customizable dashboard
What’s new: An improved facility sitemap that’s interactive, single-page facility summary report, integration with The Storage Group’s Clickandstor Rental Suite
Upcoming: A new, modernized user interface
Advice for choosing software: Align yourself with a partner who’ll grow with you. Some points to consider for down the line are training and technical support, plus adding on features, more units or new sites.
QuikStor Security & Software
Products: QuikStor Cloud (cloud-based)
Essential features and functions:
Browser-based for fast, go-anywhere access
Designated access levels for managers, owners, accountants, etc.
eSignature and tenant document upload for contactless rentals
Built-in two-way texting
CRM (customer-relationship management) module for tenant communication
What’s new:
Rental-rate management for fully customizable rent raises
CloudGate, which provides full remote configuration, activity and control of an access-control system
A mobile app that allows tenants to open the gate, pay their rent and access electronic locks all from their smartphone
Upcoming: New initiatives geared toward the multi-site operator
Advice for choosing software: Since you'll be using your software daily to manage every detail of your business, from great to small, it's important to choose one you find easy to navigate and with which you are comfortable working. Once you've decided, then you can select access control, a website, etc., that integrates with your product of choice.
Sentinel Systems Corp.
Products: Sentinel Anywhere (cloud/desktop hybrid)
Essential features and functions:
Automated revenue management
Tenant notifications via text, email or print mailings, completed manually or automatically
Online payments and automatic credit card processing
Financial, occupancy and site-performance reporting
Multi-site financial tracking
What’s new:
Integration with additional credit card processing vendors
Online management functionality
A tenant portal that allows customers to make payments, rent units and open the gate from any device including their smartphone
Upcoming: Multi-site reporting and dashboard controls that allow for real-time monitoring vital site information
Advice for choosing software: Look for proven applications with the flexibility to work from home as well as in the office. The product should include the features needed at a reasonable price, and support should be available when required. If you’re using access-control software, look for a seamless integration with the management software.
Storage Commander
Products: Storage Commander Online (cloud-based), Storage Commander Cloud (cloud/desktop hybrid)
Essential features and functions:
Website integrations with online rentals
Europay, MasterCard and Visa chip and pin compliance
Device integration including customer display terminal, biometric fingerprint reader, receipt printer and merchandise bar-code scanner
Multiple site navigation
Automated tenant communications
What’s new: Contactless payment options using digital wallets such as Apple Pay and Google Pay
Upcoming: An expansion of the existing work-order capabilities for operators with multiple locations, integration with more Internet of Things solutions to offer autonomous-operation options
Advice for choosing software: Every management-software platform should have a demo you can test, so take advantage of that and run through different scenarios (payments, rentals, etc.) to see which works best for you. You don’t want to find the things that bother you after you’ve already made the purchase.
Syrasoft Self Storage Software
Products: Syrasoft Connect (cloud-based), Syrasoft V9 (desktop)
Essential features and functions:
Automatic credit card and ACH payments
Notifying delinquent tenants by text, email or print
200-plus reports to assist in facility auditing and revenue management
eSign for electronically signed documents
Integrated text messaging to communicate with tenants
What’s new: Tenant-facing features with an emphasis on contactless and online rentals, reservations and payments
Upcoming: Browser-based Syrasoft Version 11
Advice for choosing software: Read the terms and conditions to understand how your data will be used and whether you can easily export it if you switch vendors. Also, how is technical support? When you need help, especially in the beginning, having help that’s readily available is imperative.
Tenant Inc.
Products: Hummingbird (cloud-based)
Essential features and functions:
Built on an open application programming interface
Organizing and automating tasks
Static and dynamic reports
Document signing and management
Tenant communication via email and text
What’s new:
Tenant profile to get a bird’s-eye view of accounts including transaction history
More than 50 reports on financial and operational aspects
An automated auction process
Rent and promotion-management features
Upcoming:
Full support for general ledger and accrual accounting
An expansion of existing automation capabilities
A pre-made delinquency process for all 50 states
Building integrations with four new service providers
Advice for choosing software: We encourage operators to make a choice where they have ultimate flexibility to do business in an ever-changing e-commerce climate. Choose the software that’ll meet the customer in whatever form they want to do business.
U-Haul
Products: WebSelfStorage Business Platform (cloud-based)
Essential features and functions:
Payment, delinquency, rental agreement and communication management
Detailed reports to track unit status
Assignment and management of maintenance tasks
Reporting (financial, customer, retail, facility)
Print and mail via First Class Mail or Certified Mail automatically
What’s new: A marketing module, two-way texting, integration with affiliated websites and unbranded payment portals
Upcoming: Online auction integration and a network-wide cautionary alert system to identify “trouble” customers
Advice for choosing software: Take time to learn how different features can benefit your business. Sometimes services that seem straightforward can have a profound impact on your day-to-day operation in the long run. Small tasks that can be made easier by the right software add up and will lighten the load on you, your employees and even your customers.
Yardi Systems Inc.
Products: Breeze Premier (cloud-based)
Essential features and functions:
Property management
Marketing
Leasing and rent collection
Accounting
Facility management including gate integration, auction management and rent, discount and pricing tools
What’s new:
Centralized mail services
Auto-generated tasks based on pre-set processes
Driver’s license photo-data capture
Multiple units per account
Auction management
Mixed-asset type portfolios on a single platform
Upcoming: Breeze Premier will soon be available as a module within Yardi Voyager, with third-party vendor integration for enterprise-level accounts. RentCafe Chat IQ, an AI-driven chat function, will be able to be embedded in the marketing website, providing up-to-date information about the property including availability, pricing, amenities, etc.
Advice for choosing software: Look for all-in-one software solutions that include natively integrated functionality that addresses all your business needs to reduce costs and ensure data quality. Partner with software providers that have long-term financial stability and ownership, and can provide robust initial and ongoing customer support. Look for a track record of ground-up software development and innovation, so you can continually upgrade over time and add advanced capabilities as your business grows.
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