Apartment Express Corporate Housing, Inc.
Client Business
Apartment Express is the fastest growing corporate housing company in Florida from 2002 to 2005. In 2004, Apartment Express Corporate Housing entered the Inc 500 List of the fastest growing privately held companies in America at rank of 170.
Apartment Express, Inc. is a company that provides quality apartments to people who would otherwise have a long stay in hotels. Apartment Express determines your needs, provides information on the different levels of corporate housing and the costs, and then finds the best place for you. Quality and convenient apartments are provided at the right price. Apartment Express serves all segments of the market from entry level to the lap of luxury. Apartment Express has over 500 properties to choose from. They are also a Bridgestreet Global Partner and have access to thousands of apartments worldwide. This helps give you the lower prices and excellent service of a smaller local company with access to housing at any point on the globe.
Business Challenge
Apartment Express was already using FileMaker as its primary database software. The system that was in use by Apartment Express was developed in house. The company had outgrown the system and needed a new system that could meet new needs, such as credit card integration and task management.
“Now that we have Extensitech focusing on the system, I no longer need to constantly concern myself with our business software. Instead, I have been able to concentrate on marketing and growing our business.”
Solution Provided
Extensitech developed a highly automated system, with automatic creation and entry of data based on the criteria, needs, and expectations of Apartment Express. For instance, the system tracks employee hours, the amenities found in the apartments, and even tracks the keys of the apartments. The Task Management module automatically tracks and creates tasks for employees based on the status of the apartment. The Task Overview displays the tasks assigned to each employee.
The task management portion of the solution built by Extensiteech automatically tracks and updates Apartment Express’ complex workflow. The system also updates tasks automatically, enabling their staff to focus on more important roles in the company. Invoices are automatically created by the system. Bills and Vendors are automatically tracked for the apartments.
Apartment Express’ administrative and accounting staff has been able to handle a 40% increase in business with no additions to staff. Mistakes make in the management of their $7 million company have been reduced by well over 75% because of accurate and effective management systems built into their Extensitech solution.
Apartment Express received such a return on investment from their initial project that they continued to look for new opportunities to add value to their solution in conjunction with new services and processes. Apartment Express estimated that the new system saves them $10,000 per month that goes straight to the bottom line.
Extensitech continued to work in cooperation with Apartment Express to further automate standard tasks, billing, invoicing and other routines, in a program of continuous improvement. Apartment Express relied on Extensitech to help them leverage new opportunities and continuously make their jobs easier and more efficient.
“We have complex business processes and unique requirements, so it was important to us that we were a part of the planning and design process…Extensitech brought to the table a unique understanding and approach to business processes that was instrumental in designing our system. The insights offered by Extensitech created many synergistic solutions in our system that produced much more efficient and effective systems in our software package.”
Note: in 2006, Apartment Express was purchased by Leading Apartments, a national chain with their own software package, to which the Apartment Express office had to switch. The former owners, David and Chris, are still happy to act as references and discuss their experiences.
“We have been using Extensitech for the past 6 years in several of our businesses. The team of Extensitech have exceptional programming minds and keen senses of the business world. They’re often able to lend suggestions in developing the right business process before the actual programming begins. This insight helps us come up with an even better way of tracking invoices, implementing marketing programs, and enhancing our customer service programs.”
