Earlier in the week, the West Palm Beach HOA Examiner published an article dealing with the creation of TOPS software, and how the company has grown and changed over the years. Part two of the article focuses more specifically on the software package itself, as well as how the company is planning on adapting in the world of mobile internet.
Q: What do you think the greatest asset of the TOPS system is?
A: Three things have really led to our success:
· TOPS came out of the Condo/HOA industry. We’ve walked in our client’s shoes. Our staff has been in community management. We know what our clients go through day in and day out. That experience changes how you develop software.
· Another factor is our dedicated staff and our knowledge of the community management industry. We do not have a lot of turnover, so our staff really gets to know the industry, product, and our clients
· Superior product design. Making software to fit a particular purpose is hard, but making that software also easy to use is extremely hard. It requires more thought, more time, more testing, more of everything. But the end result is a product that makes daily operations easy and efficient.
Q: What, if anything, are you going to add/remove from the system in the near future?
A: What are two topics you hear all the time? Cloud computing and mobility. For 2012 TOPS Software is all about both.
We’re adding mobility to our software in a couple of ways. We recognize the trend is toward mobile data access and when you think of property managers, it makes a lot of sense to give them access to community data when they are actually out at a community. First, for customers using our TOPS Professional™ Windows® software, we’re introducing TOPS Go! ™, a mobile phone app so managers can update information directly while inspecting a community. Second, for customers who want a true cloud computing application our new TOPS OnPoint™ web based application was recently released. This gives the management staff direct access to community data 24/7 with a unique dashboard interface with drill downs so you are only 2 -3 clicks away from any information you want.
The key is not just offering one option. Clients want choice. They want flexibility. And as mobility is and will become the next big jump forward for community management, TOPS clients will have the option to get a mobile solution that meets their needs.
TOPS is also leading the way as a thought leader in the industry. Beginning in 2010, our 25th anniversary of serving the condo/hoa industry we’ve begun several initiatives designed around giving back. The financial aspect of the HOA/condo business is on the minds of many of our clients in today’s struggling marketplace:
· We host webinars with industry thought leaders on important topics like identity theft and reserves – all free for anyone to participate in
· We have also launched a new traveling event in 2012 called the CAM Profitability Conference to help management companies in these tough times in finding new ways to maximize revenues while controlling expenses
Software and technology in general is an efficiency tool to save time and money. At TOPS, we understand that this is the primary function of our software. TOPS is committed to keeping our customers at the forefront of proven technology to provide the utmost in efficiency to the management operation. No matter how large or small the organization, if you manage community associations, TOPS will scale to fit your needs.
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