Onboarding checklist for larger operators
An operator with 2,000 units does not switch everything on in one day. You go live with one building, run it for two to four weeks, look at the numbers together, then roll out building by building with the same files.
We have run this at size: four towers and 2,000 units were loaded in under four minutes of upload time — see Tested at 2,000 units.
Two things decide whether it works
- The old channel closes for that building. If reception still accepts repair requests on a personal WhatsApp, by phone note or on paper, people keep using it and half the requests never reach PMFriend. From go-live day, repairs for the pilot building are accepted through the PMFriend number, the report link or email — and a request that arrives by phone or at the desk is typed into PMFriend by the person who took it. Emergencies by phone stay, of course; they are logged afterwards.
- Tenant mobile numbers are right. A WhatsApp message finds its tenant
by the mobile number. International format (
+974 …), the number the tenant really uses, one per tenant.
Before go-live
| Step | Who | What |
|---|---|---|
| Agreement | both | pilot building, two before/after numbers (for example: time from message to assigned contractor; share of repairs the tenant says were not fixed), data-processing terms, one named owner on your side |
| Six files for the pilot building | you, with our templates | properties (+ one row for the building itself), tenants, contractors, leases, equipment, certificate register — see Importing your portfolio |
| Import | we do it with you | fifteen minutes; upload again after fixing rows — nothing duplicates |
| WhatsApp number | both | a number for the pilot building only — see below; decide early, it has the longest lead time |
| Team | you | invite dispatchers and the building manager; sign-in with Microsoft Entra or Google if you use them |
| Training | we | one hour: inbox, triage, dispatch, "did it get fixed?" |
| Announcement | you | lift notice + message to tenants of the pilot building: "report repairs here" |
The WhatsApp number
Most operators have one support number for every building, and the pilot covers one. So the main number stays exactly as it is during the pilot.
During the pilot — a number for the pilot building only
- The pilot building gets its own PMFriend number: a new mobile number, or a landline you already own that is not on WhatsApp yet (verification is by voice call).
- Tenants of that building get it on a lift notice and a door sticker with a QR code that opens the chat. The same sticker carries the building's PMFriend report link, so a tenant without WhatsApp can report in a browser.
- Your main number keeps working for the other buildings. When a pilot-building tenant writes to it out of habit, reception answers with one saved line — "for Tower 4 repairs please write to …" — and does not take the request. This is the "old channel closes" rule, for one building.
At roll-out — the main number moves
Once all buildings are in PMFriend, the main number is moved to PMFriend: it stays the same for tenants, stops working in the WhatsApp Business app on a phone, and the team answers in the PMFriend inbox. Chat history in the app is not carried over. The pilot number can be retired then.
If the main number must stay in the phone app
Meta allows a number to work in the app and through a platform at the same time only via an approved provider. We set that up per contract; it takes longer. During a one-building pilot the main number is then set to ignore numbers it doesn't know, so tenants of the other buildings never hear from PMFriend and your team keeps answering them in the app. Tell us early if you need this route.
Go-live and after
- Week 1: we look at the Attention Inbox with your building manager every day. Unmatched numbers and missing leases show up here first.
- Week 4: review — the two numbers before and after, the contractor scorecard, and ten minutes of your director asking ChatGPT about the building.
- Roll-out: one or two buildings a week with the same six files. Access by building, and events pushed to your ERP, are scoped at this stage — see For larger operators.
What onboarding costs
The pilot building is onboarded with you for a one-off QAR 12,600 (≈ €3,000): preparing and loading the six files, setting up the WhatsApp number, training the team and four weeks of go-live support. When you sign for your whole portfolio, the amount is credited in full against your first invoices. Further buildings are rolled out with the same files at no extra onboarding charge.