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myriad of property management software is available today to handle account and reporting needs of industrial sites. One product that has been around awhile and continues to draw favorable reviews for its latest version is Skyline II. SS&C, a Windsor, Conn.-based software developer for a variety of applications, is the creator of Skyline.
Skyline has continually evolved, with developers adding new fields and functions. Bob Cummings, director for Skyline II, says a predictive leasing model will debut in the fall of 2004.
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“Rather than waiting till a lease expires, it will give an early warning if you have a prospect that needs space out in the future,” says Cummings. “Users will be able to go in and search Skyline’s database for expiring leases.”
Cummings says the basis of any system that handles real estate is the ability to maintain and keep track of lease information as well as any extra billing or administrative properties.
“It’s a very scaleable application,” Cummings says. “It makes sense for a guy who just did one build-to-suit and then discovers he’s got another and another. Skyline essentially becomes your working knowledge base with dates, dollars and activities. They all need to be coordinated by different people at different times. As many as 500 people can be on at one time.”
Cummings says documents such as site plans, easements and property tax agreements can all “hide in filing cabinets” in the physical world, but all can be scanned into Skyline.
“As you grow, you need work flow,” he says. “It’s a physical thing, but also a system thing. Skyline has excellent checks and balances and internal control. If anything goes awry, it can easily be retrieved. Clients tell me all the time that Skyline produces the clarity of reports required by banks and other financial institutions. They love the formats and accept the information.”
Approximately 2,000 companies use Skyline. They represent more than 10,000 actual users. Site Selection spoke with a few who say they generally like the product, but have a wish list for future versions.
Bret Barton is controller and vice president of the David D. Bohannon Organization, a property management firm in the Bay area of California that uses Skyline to integrate billings and collections.
“It pretty much does everything we need it to do,” Barton says. “It keeps track of all our tenants. It comes as a shrink-wrap package with basic functions, and for extra data, there are additional edge fields you can attach to any component of software to capture additional tenant data. That’s important to us.
“There’s additional flexibility you can program into it,” he continues. “It’s really easy to use. There are a lot of drop-downs and they are making it easier to use as time goes on. It’s very stable and rarely are there system errors. It had its roots in DOS and there are still tidbits of the older product they are trying to address and improve.”
Kevin Weaver is network manager specializing in accounting operations for Dallas-based Lincoln Property Company. He says Lincoln, which manages industrial and commercial property, has used the software for several years to handle property management accounting chores.
“Of the available products, it works very well,” Weaver says. “It’s flexible enough to fit our needs. It allows us to access it remotely and do all the things we need to do.”
Weaver says Lincoln also uses another brand of software on its own and others at the suggestion of clients. While Weaver likes Skyline, he says there’s always room for improvement with any accounting software.
“From a user standpoint, there always could be easier reporting,” he says. “It’s not as easy as one would wish it would be. To a degree, and this is not a knock on Skyline, but in general, software companies approach customization as an after-market deal. They say they will help you do what you want to do, but you either have to pay for it or get trained. Today, all software runs fairly well on a daily basis. It comes down to knowing how to really use it.”
Bill Cejka, vice president of operations at McCraney Property Co. in West Palm Beach, Fla., says his company has used Skyline for about six years, going back to when it was in DOS mode. McCraney uses it to handle accounting and management functions for commercial property.
“Each year, new and different features have been added,” Cejka says. “Based on speaking with other property managers, Skyline seems to be the most user-friendly and adaptable.”
But Cejka says Skyline is lacking in some areas.
“I would like for it to do two things: Install easier when you replace a PC and have more interface capabilities with Excel and Word.”
| This is the second installment of Technology Toolbox, a regular department in each issue of Site Selection devoted to the use of technology products and systems in managing corporate real estate portfolios and processes. To submit a product for consideration, please contact John McCurry, senior editor, at (770) 325-3429, or at john.mccurry@conway.com. |