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ChoiceofpropertymanagementsystemforresidentialstratadevelopmentsinSingaporeThissectionpresentsacasestudyoftworesidentialstratadevelopmentsinSingapore–referredtohereas“StrataDevelopmentA”and“StrataDevelopmentB”.Thecasestudyprovidesinsightsintothetwodevelopments’choiceofpropertymanagementsystemanditsimplications.BasedoninterviewswiththepropertymanagerandManagingAgentofthetwodevelopments,thedifferentpropertymanagementsystemsareexaminedtoestablishhowappropriateandsuitabletheyareforeachstratadevelopment.Theseprovidevaluablelessonsforotherresidentialstratadevelopmentsontheimplicationsofeachpropertymanagementsystem.ChoiceofresidentialstratadevelopmentsforcasestudyThetwodevelopmentswereselectedforthecasestudybasedonthefollowingcriteria:Location:ThetwostratdevelopmentsarelocatedincloseproximitytoeachotherinaprimeresidentialareainSingapore.Assuchtheysharesimilarlocationalattributeslikedistancetoamenitiesandaccesstopublictransport.Age:TheconstructionofthetwostratadevelopmentswerecompletedaroundthesametimeStrataDevelopmentAin1977andStrataDevelopmentBin1979.Theimplicationoftheageofthestratadevelopmentsisthatitprovidesagoodcomparisonwithregardtothephysicaldeteriorationandtheextentofupkeepandmaintenancerequiredforbothofthestratadevelopments.Tenure:Thetwostratadevelopmentssharesimilartenures–bothhold999-yearleaseholdtitles.Differentmanagementsystems:StrataDevelopmentAhasalwaysemployedanin-housemanagementteamfortheirstratadevelopment,whileStrataDevelopmentBhasalwaysemployedaManagingAgenttomanagetheirstratadevelopment.Dataavailability:TheChairsoftheManagementCouncilsaswellasboththepropertymanagerandManagingAgentofbothstratadevelopmentswereresponsiveandforthcomingwithregardstotheinformationrequiredforthisstudy.StratadevelopmentAStrataDevelopmentAisaresidentialstratadevelopmentwithinaprimeresidentialarea.Thedevelopmentconsistsof470unitswhichinclude38townhousesandsixshophouseswiththerestoftheunitsbuiltintofivehigh-risetowerblocks.Thetenureofthepropertyis999yearsleasehold.Sincethedevelopmentwascompletedin1977,ithasemployedanin-housemanagementteamtooverseeitspropertyandfacilitymanagementneeds.Therewasjustonetime–arelativelybriefperiodofaboutsixmonths–whenaManagingAgentwasengagedasaconsultant:thiswaswhenthestratadevelopmentwasseekinganewpropertymanager.EventhentheManagingAgentwasneverinvolvedinthelineofauthorityoftheManagementCouncilorofthein-housemanagementteam.RathertheroleoftheappointedManagingAgentwasmerelytoactasaconsultantonanyissuestheManagementCouncilorpropertymanagermayhaveencounteredinthemanagementofthestratadevelopmentduringtheinterim.Thein-housemanagementteamforStrataDevelopmentAcomprisesof28staffmembers.ThepropertymanageracknowledgesthatitisrareforaresidentialstratadevelopmentinSingaporetoemployanin-housemanagementteamofthissize.Thepropertymanagerheadstheteamallofwhomareunderthedirectpayrollofthedevelopment’sManagementCorporationFigure3.ThepropertymanagerwhoholdsaPolytechnicDiplomainPropertyManagementisassistedbyapropertyofficerachiefsecurityofficeranadministrativeofficerandtwoaccountsofficers.Inadditionthepropertyofficerleadsateamofsixmaintenancestaffthattakecareofthedailyphysicalmaintenanceofthestratadevelopmentincludingtheperiodicservicingofthestratadevelopment’swatertanksandpumpsandreplacementandrepairofanyfaultyelectricaldevices.Thechiefsecurityofficerleadsateamofsixteensecurityguardswhosejobincludesthemanningofthedevelopment’sthreeentry-exitpointsandthepatrollingofthestratadevelopmenttoensurethesafetyoftheresidentsinthestratadevelopment.Theonlyaspectoftherunningofthestratadevelopmentwhichisnothandledbythein-housemanagementteamiscleaningandwastedisposalwhichissub-contractedtoanexternalcleaning2company.ByhavingtheentireteamunderthedirectemploymentoftheManagementCorporationtheissueofcommandandcontrolismoreefficaciousaswhencomparedtothesituationifthestratadevelopmentwasrunbyaManagingAgent.Byhavingallthestaffreporttohimthepropertymanagerhasabettergraspoftheday-to-dayhappeningsinthestratadevelopment.Withthisoverviewheisabletorespondmorequicklytosituationsoremergenciesthatarise.Thepropertymanageralsopointedoutthatinhisexperienceatthedevelopmentbeyondthephysicalaspectsofrunninganin-housemanagementteam,hehasfoundthatthestaffintheteamdemonstrateahighdegreeofcommitmentandloyaltytotheiremployer.ThismaybecontrastedwithastratadevelopmentmanagedbyaManagingAgentwherethestaffareemployedbytheManagingAgent’sfirmandtypicallyrotatedbetweendevelopments.InsuchacaseitismorelikelythattheircommitmentisdirectedtowardstheiremployertheManagingAgent’sfirmratherthantotheManagementCouncilsthattheyareassignedtoworkwithwhichmayinturnchangefromtimetotime.ThestudyofStrataDevelopmentAalsorevealsthattheemploymentofanin-housemanagementteamnotonlyallowsbutrequirestheManagementCounciltoassumegreaterpowerandcontroloverhowthestratadevelopmentisrunthanifitwerehandledbyaManagingAgent.Suchcontrolcantranslateintobettermanagementofboththedailyactivitiesoftherunningofthestratadevelopmentaswellastheformulationandcontinuedimplementationoflong-termgoalsandstrateg