Getting Started

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This topic takes you through the steps required to load the Aspect Property Manager with your data and make it ready to use.  

Overview
The steps covered in this topic makes the Aspect Property Manager ready for live use by deleting the demonstration data and loading your own information .
  • The Setup menu > Getting Started > Cleanup program empties the database, asks for your Company Details, creates some default entries in the Setup menu tables and some "special" accounts for landlords and suppliers.  The generated default data may  be left as it is, or deleted, or modified manually during the initial installation procedures
  • You will add your own entries to the various Setup menu tables
  • The "static" information relating to your landlords, properties, tenants and suppliers will be entered.  A choice must be made to include or omit old defunct accounts in the new system or not.  Unless you are actively chasing or collecting money from these accounts I recommend you drop them.  Any account which is dropped but has a balance will be taken care of during the Initial Bank Reconciliation step.
  • The Setup menu > Getting Started > First Period Details program is run to establish both the date from which transaction recording is to start and to allow transactions to be entered.  After this step it may be necessary to make manual adjustments to tenant accounts
  • Any retained landlord and supplier account balances need entered into the system. 
  • Undisbursed bonds and money held in tenant accounts are also entered into the system and are covered inthe Initial Bank Reconciliation step.

    Finally, an intial bank reconcilaition ensures the real bank account balance at the start up date is matched by corresponding entries in the Aspect Property Manager accounts.  This last step is detailed in the Initial Bank Reconciliation topic.

    NOTE
    If you do not get this initial bank reconciliation right you can not use the internal bank reconciliation to reconcile the system to the bank.

    You may be able to use your existing records directly to enter the information needed in the Aspect Property Manager.  If not the spreadsheet "forms" on the buttons below  may be used as an aid to gathering the initial implementation data. They show the information that may be entered, the fields that are mandatory and those which are used as default data in other records.  Get this data correct and save yourself unnecessary keying. The uncomplicated setup menu tables do not have forms.

    Print the Company details form  -  used in Steps 1 and 2.

    Print the Landlord details form  -  used in Step 8

    Print the Property details form  -  used in Step 9

    Print the Tenant details form    -  used in Step 10     XXXX

    Print the Supplier details form  -  used in Step 11

    Timing
    As stated above, until the master records are in place transactions can not be entered.  To have the "system bank" reconcile to the "real bank" account balances and unpresented items need to be accounted for in the Aspect Property Manager before any transactions are entered.  For these reasons it is recommended that you plan to enter transactions from the beginning of a calendar month after you have made all your payments for the month being closed and before any transactions for the new month are entered.

    The month you start entering transactions from can be next month, or any month in the past from which you are prepared to enter all your transactions.  As stated elsewhere, this is often the beginning of a tax year.  If you do decide to go back in time you can enter all your current (and even future) landlord, properties, tenants, and suppliers even though they did not have transactions until later months.

    Implementation Steps
    Following the steps below will result in a system loaded with your master records, reconciled to your bank account and ready to enter transactions.
  • In each of the numbered steps there will be a general comment on the step about to be performed followed by a link to a section titled "Initial Installation - Step...." within in the relevant help topic.
  • When you reach the new help topic there will be a "Go to ...." line instructing you to start a function in the Aspect Property Manager.
  • Once that new function has started, follow the instructions in the help topic and when the task is complete return to this topic using the return link.
  • You will generally find the Initial installation section is at the bottom of each help topic and by all means read the rest of the topic for more information rather than just guessing what is intended.  It is one way you will learn more about the Aspect Property Manager.
  • Registering the Aspect Property Manager may be done any time after "Step 2 - Changing the Company Details" is complete by a system generated email, or by requesting a Registration form by phone or you normal email program.  Note, however, before attempting to register using the system generated email you will need to enter your Internet access details as covered in the Email Set Up topic.

    Follow the numbered steps below in the sequence given.  Scroll through the help and move from one Aspect Property Manager screen to the next when each step is complete.

    Warnings
  • The procedures below will clear the demonstration data from the Aspect Property Manager and create some default information.
  • If you have entered information you wish to retain take a backup using the integrated backup before proceeding just in case you need to restore and start again.  In the Clean Up program make the appropriate selections but note that transactions will always be lost.
  • It is suggested that you take a backup after completing each step.  Write down the backup name and the step just completed so you can restore to a known point and start again from that point if a significant mistake is made.  Alternatively add a comment to the backup itself as detailed in the integrated backup instructions.  It is often quicker to restore the database to a known point than trying to undo errors.  Backups should also be taken periodically such as at the end the day, or other significant milestone or interruption.


    Step 1 - Clean Up
  • This step deletes data from the database and creates a number of default entries which may be modified or deleted as you see fit.  Although you may be selective in what is deleted when you first start entering your own details we recommend deleting everything and starting with an empty database.
  • Have the company name, address, post code and day time phone number available before running the Clean Up program as this information is automatically entered into other fields as default data.  If you do not complete those entries in this step you will have additional manual entries to make later.  
  • Other company related details are entered in Step 2.

    Go to the CleanUp help topic.

    Return from Cleanup

    Step 2 - Changing the Company Details
    Important  Information entered in this step is used as default data for other records.  Avoid missing bits out as this will entail extra work later.
  • Before entering any of the company details it is suggested that you gather all the relevant information as some of this data is used as default data in other records.  If you missed doing so before you can print the Company details form to gather this information.
  • If you entered the company name, address, post code and day time phone number in the previous Clean Up step this may be modified but if you do check the entries which were automatically filled with default data on the other tabs as this may need changing too. 
  • A series of tabs is used to group related information but not all tabs will be used in the initial setup.

    Go to the Company Details help topic.

    Return from Company Details

    Until the Aspect Property Manager is registered "nag" messages will appear, reports will be limited to a page or two and some functions will not be available.  Having completed the previous two steps you can register the Aspect Property Manager immediately or wait until the initial installation is further advanced or even complete.  To register the Aspect Property Manager via a system generated email use the Email Set Up to enter your ISP's email server address then go to  > Register Aspect Property Manager.  Alternatively request a Registration form by phone or your normal email.


    Step 3 - Setting up the Fees Schedule
    This step creates a table containing a list of the different fee structures you charge your landlords.
    Each entry may be assigned to one or more landlords or properties.
    You do not have one entry for every landlord.
    There may be a different fee structure on the landlord to the fee charged on their properties.
    Each property belonging to one landlord may even have different fees charged.

    Go to the Fees Schedule help topic.

    Return from Fees Schedule


    Step 4 - Setting up the Property Managers
    This step creates a table containing a list of all the people who use the Aspect Property Manager.
    It should include any administrative support staff who write letters to landlords, tenants or suppliers or are to have electronic diary reminders.
    Each entry can carry personalised information which may be merged into letters or emails sent by that person.

    Go to the Property Managers help topic.

    Return from Property Managers


    Step 5 - Creating Portfolios
    Properties may be grouped into portfolios as a management aid.
    In this step the portfolios are set up and each one assigned to a single Property Manager.
    A Property Manager may be assigned to multiple portfolios.
    Many functions and reports may be selected by Portfolio.

    Go to the Portfolio Details help topic.

    Return from Portfolio Details


    Step 6 - Setting up the Inspection Codes
    Inspection codes are assigned to properties as a means of grouping all the properties to be inspected at one time.
    The Clean Up program will have set up entries for two monthly and quarterly inspection cycles as well as a "No Inspections" entry.
    Use the defaults or set up your own cycles as suits you.

    Go to the Inspection Codes help topic.

    Return from Inspection Codes


    Step 7 - Setting up the Inspection Fee Schedule
    The landlord is normally charged for property inspections.
    Different properties may carry different charges and the table about to be set up carries those different charges.

    Go to the Inspection Fee Schedule help topic.

    Return from Inspection Fee Schedule


    Overview of Steps 8 to 11 - Creating landlord, property, tenant and supplier records
    The next four steps create the master records for landlords, properties, tenants and suppliers.  Creating a supplier is simple because there is no relationship to other master records.  Whereas before you can add a tenant a property must exist and before you can add a property a landlord must exist.  So the sequence of adding these records is that the landlord must be created first, followed by the property and finally the tenant.

    Once the system is up and running this is pretty straightforward because you are generally either adding a tenant to an existing property or adding a completely new landlord / property / tenant combination.  However, in this initial implementation phase you may choose to add all your landlords before adding all the properties and finally adding all the tenants.  Alternatively you may elect to add the landlord, then each property / tenant combination belonging to that landlord before moving on to the next landlord.  The method chosen will largely depend upon way your existing information is laid out.  Both ways, or even a combination of both methods, will work.

    As you will have already seen in the demonstration data each of the master records has a 4 digit code.  This code is created automatically by the Aspect Property Manager starting at 1000.  There is no relationship between the landlord code and the property code or the tenant code.  We recommend you let the system assign the code.  Do not try and use the same code for the landlord and property and tenant, unless you have a really compelling reason.  Attempting to apply the same code to the landlord, property and tenant falls apart the moment the landlord has multiple properties and when the original tenant vacates and a new one moves in.  You can not have multiple landlords, or multiple properties, or multiple tenants with the same code.  

    Starting a new system provides the opportunity to tidying up your records by entering master records only for those landlords and suppliers where money is owed to, or owed by, and where you intend to collect or pay them out.  Important - If you do not intend to do business with them again and you are simply wanting to write off the balance of the account do not create the landlord or supplier.  The initial bank reconciliation step accounts for any money over or short in the real bank later.

    Any data you entered should be checked against the records in your old system and Step 16 - Checking the Data Entry lists functions in the Aspect Property Manager which will give you the reports you will need.


    Step 8 - Creating the Landlords
    In this step the landlord details are entered.

    If you intend to enter all your landlords before moving on to the properties you may find printing the Landlord details form useful to gather information.

    If you intend to enter a landlord then their property(ies) and the tenant in each property you may find printing the three forms (see above), duplicating them, then stapling them together in sets may be useful.

    If you make Standing Charges they are the only items on the [Details] button which will need entering before the end of month payout, otherwise the [Details] items can be entered after the Aspect Property Manager is up and running.

    Go to the Landlords help topic.

    Return from Landlords


    Step 9 - Creating the Properties
    In this step the property details are entered.

    When adding a new property it is recommended that the landlord is first selected on the main Landlords screen then press the button in the button stack.  Using this procedure has two main advantages.  It makes it more certain that you will select the correct landlord and certain details on the new property record are filled automatically.  These Initial Installation instructions assume the landlord is selected first.  

    You may find printing the Property details form useful to gather information.

    There can be more information held about a property than any other item in the system.  Unfortunately some users only complete the data seen on the main Properties screen and do not complete the information held under the [Details] button.  As a result reports may be incomplete and Aspect Property Manager functions which can save you time and effort may not work, such as the Properties to Rent report which can be used as a handout, or the ability to upload vacant properties and photos to a web site.

    The absolute minimum information required is the Street Name, the landlord who owns the property, the Fee to be charged and the Portfolio the property belongs to.  All other data is "optional" but not having a street number could be a problem.  By not entering certain data you will lose out on many benefits the Aspect Property Manager has to offer.

    The realistic minimum information required, if you need to get "up and running" quickly, are all on the main Properties screen and are listed below.  The remaining data can be entered once the initial pressure is off.
    Street number
    Street name
    Landlord who owns the property
    Fee to be charged
    Portfolio the property belongs to
    Desired rent and bond
    Disbursement limit.
    If you are really pushed for time even the rent, bond and disbursement limit can be omitted initially.

    The remaining main screen items of Inspection Cycle, Sequence and Inspection Fee may be left until a later time, as can all the information on the [Details] button.

    BIG NOTE
    Where you have multiple properties with the same or similar characteristics, such as in a block of flats, the Properties > Copy Property function can save you time and effort because it duplicates the selected property in its entirety.  So if the first property has the full details, number of bedrooms, chattels etc., these get copied too.  Read the Copying Master Recordshelp topic for more information. 

    To continue loading your property records go to the Properties help topic.

    Return from Properties.


    Step 10 - Creating the Tenants
    In this step the tenant details are entered.

    When adding a new tenant it is recommended that the property is first selected on the main Properties screen then press the button in the button stack.  Using this procedure has two main advantages.  It makes it more certain that you will select the correct property and certain details on the new tenant record are filled automatically.  These Initial Installation instructions assume the property is selected first.  

    You may find printing the Tenant details form useful to gather information.

    The absolute minimum information required is the tenant Last Name, the Start of Tenancy date, the Rent amount and Rent Period and of course the property being rented.   With the exception of the property all other items can be easily modified if the circumstance change or they are incorrect.  Even the property may be changed unless monetary transactions have been made through the tenant's account.  So although incorrect entries can be amended later with the system making the appropriate adjustments you should try and make this the exception.

    A little care taken when setting up a tenant can have a marked impact on the effort you need to subsequently put in and quality of the information the system will provide.  One example is synchronising the day the tenant pays the rent with the day their income is paid into their bank account which means the tenant will not appear on the arrears list simply because they pay a few days late.  This requires a little work "outside" the Aspect Property Manager and a little work "inside" the Aspect Property Manager, see Synchronising Rent Day To Pay Day.  But it only happens once when the tenant start their tenancy as opposed to needing to mentally say "I can ignore this person because they will be paying in a day or so." several times every week.  Multiply that by all the other tenants who are unnecessarily on the arrears list for the same reason and you may have pages of arrears instead of a single page with a few entries.

    Read the Notes in the Tenants topic for other administrative tips and time savers.

    Go to the Tenants Help topic.


    Return from Tenants.


    Step 11 - Creating the Suppliers
    In this step the supplier details are entered.

    Suppliers are organisations which perform tasks or jobs which you pay for on behalf of the owner of the property.

    Go to the Suppliers help topic.


    Return from Suppliers.


    Step 12 - Run First Period Details
    In this step the Aspect Property Manager is made ready for the entry of transactions such as receipts, payments, invoices etc.

    BEFORE carrying out this step check the details of the landlords, properties, tenants and suppliers you have entered by printing the related "Listing" report found on the ... > Reports sub-menu paying particular attention to these items:-
  • Landlord
      4 Fee schedule
  • Property
      4 Fee schedule
      4 Desired Rent Amount and Period
  • Tenant
      4 Tenant Start Date
      4 Rent Amount and Period
      4 Vacate Date

    After checking the above and before running First Period Details please do a back-up.

    Go to the First Period Details help topic


    Return from First Period processing.


    Overview of Steps 13 to 18 - Entering opening landlord, supplier and tenant account balances
    The remaining steps are aimed at entering any money owed to or by landlords, or suppliers, or held as bonds, or letting and management fees, or in tenant accounts and finally getting the "system bank" to reconcile with the "real bank".  

    Note that from V3.17.0.0 tenant accounts may have money being held for the tenant and is accounted for in the initial bank reconciliation step.

    If you are starting the Aspect Property Manager at the point where there is no money in the real bank, and no money is owed to or by landlords, or suppliers, or as tenant Held amounts you can go directly to Step XXXX bypassing the intervening steps.  If you opened your "trust account" a month or so ago AND there have been no transactions but there is a bank balance you will need to through Steps 13 to XXXX.

    These steps provide you with an opportunity to tidy up your accounts by only entering 

    Step 13 - Enter Landlord Opening Balances
    In this step money owed to or by landlords is entered using a special program.

    From your records you must enter any amount owed to or by an existing landlord which you intend to collect or pay out in the future.  If you do not intend to do business with a landlord again you should not have entered them into the system as covered in the "Overview of Steps 8 to 11".  Any balance owed to or by the landlord will need to be accounted for later in the initial bank reconciliation step.

    Go to Enter Landlord Opening Balances


    Return from Enter Landlord Opening Balances.


    Step 14 - Enter Supplier Opening Balances
    In this step money owed to or by suppliers is entered using a special program.

    From your records you must enter any amount owed to or by an existing supplier which you intend to collect or pay out in the future.  If you do not intend to do business with a supplier again you should not have entered them into the system as covered in the "Overview of Steps 8 to 11".  Any balance owed to or by the supplier will need to be accounted for later in the initial bank reconciliation step.

    Go to Enter Supplier Opening Balances


    Return from Enter Supplier Opening Balances.


    Step 15 - Enter the Tenant Opening Rent Status
    In this step the tenant records are set to reflect the tenant's rent position at the system starting date.

    To expand on the above statement the following scenarios are given.
    1.  If the actual calendar month is November when the master record details are being entered and your intention is to start running the system live from 01 December, the First period Details program will be run with a start date of 01 December.
    2.  If the actual calendar month is November when the master record details are being entered and your intention is to start running the system live from 01 November, the First period Details program will be run with a start date of 01 November .
    3.  If the actual calendar month is November when the master record details are being entered and your intention is to start running the system live from 01 October, the First period Details program will be run with a start date of 01 October.

    In all three cases the First Period Details > Paid To date calculation will almost certainly have calculated an incorrect Paid To date for at least some of the tenants.  This may have been caused by a tenant:-
      4 being in arrears or have their rent paid in advance
      4 having paid a few days extra rent so the rent day was synchronised to their pay day
      4 paying an odd amount of rent which resulted in what is termed in the Aspect Property Manager as an "Amount in Credit"
      4 paying a little extra each week so they could stop paying rent over the Christmas period.

    Additionally adjustments may need to be made to cover the situation where a tenant:-
      4 has unpaid debt for water, damage repairs etc
      4 may still owe letting fees or bond
      4 has been paying a little extra each week towards any future debt for which they will become responsible such as water bills.

    This step allows you to make any adjustments necessary.

    Go to Enter Tenants Opening Rent Status


    Return from Enter Tenants Opening Rent Status.


    Step 16 - Enter the Tenant Opening Bond Status     XXXX    Revise with changes to Init Bank Rec    Also links to and return names
    In this step the tenant records are set to reflect the tenant's bond position at the system starting date.

    If you combined the entering of the Rent status and the Bond position, Steps 14 and 15, into a single pass you can move directly to      XXXX     

    Go to Enter Bonds Opening Status


    Return from Enter Bond Opening Status.


    Step 17 - Enter any Tenant Held Amount     XXXX    Revise with changes to Init bank Rec
    In this step the tenant records are set to reflect the tenant's bond position at the system starting date.

    If you combined the entering of the Rent status and the Bond position, Steps 14 and 15, into a single pass you can move directly to      XXXX     

    Go to Enter Bonds Opening Status


    Return from Enter Bond Opening Status.



    Step 17 - Checking the Data Entry
    It is important the records you have entered are checked against your old system's records before moving on to the Initial Bank Reconciliation process which is the following step.

    Go to Checking the Data Entry


    Return from Checking the Data Entry.


    Step 18 - Initial Bank Reconciliation
    This final XXXX step reconciles the system bank to the real bank..

    Go to Initial Bank Reconciliation

    Return from Initial Bank Reconciliation.




    If you combined Steps


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    Invoke Excel Reconciliation TemplateXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX





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    Implementation Steps
    When the above steps are complete and the system bank reconciles with the real bank you are ready to go live.  Please make a back up before entering transactions to give you a fall back point should you need it.  It will be no fun re-doing all your work again.



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    The Implementation Steps in the Introduction show the general sequence required to get up and running and this topic tries to tie them together and make some suggestions which may help as well.

    There are a number of tables which should be set up first because they will be used to varying degrees when you start adding landlords, properties, tenants and suppliers. They are all found on the Setup menu and all have demonstration data entries which are not deleted when the "Clean up" program is run prior to you entering your own data.  You must edit or delete the entries to suit your operation.  The tables are:-
    Company Details
    Fees Schedules
    Aspect Property Managers
    Portfolio Details
    Inspection Codes
    Inspection Fee Schedule

    Before adding your landlords read the Special Accounts topic and create these special landlord accounts:-
  • 9000 - Unidentified Items.  This account will be used throughout the life of the system as long as unidentified money keeps appearing or disappearing from your bank statement.
  • 9100 - Bank Charges.  Ditto this account but it is used solely for bank charges.
  • 9900 - Balancing Items.  This account will only be used when transferring from another system to handle your old system's unpresented items and if required adjustment or  "fudge" entries if you cannot initially reconcile your system to the last cent.

    Add the static details for every landlord, property, tenant and supplier right up to "today", even if you intend to "start the system" a month ago and enter the transactions for last month as a parallel run to check the system out.

    It should be self evident that you need to check the entries you have made for accuracy and against your old system's records.  You should be taking back ups both for security and as a recovery point if a major mistake is made.

    Once the static details are in place run the First Period Details job which sets up the tenant rent records on a best guess basis.  The details will need changing for many tenants with the Tenant Opening Rent Status program.

    You are now ready to load the balances into the system and get the old and new systems into sync with each other and with the bank balance.  You must be able to draw a line in your old system's accounts and the bank statement which is the start date of the new Aspect Property Manager and say everything after that point must be in the new system.  Typically that line will be at the start of a calendar month.

    Before entering any balances or transactions read the Initial Bank Reconciliation topic and decide upon the procedure you are going to use for the initial reconciliation process as that determines what balances will be entered and where.  The topic works through a recommended procedure in detail and offers an alternative which requires a bit less work but can also cause confusion if you don't get everything right.

    This is probably as good a place as any to state that if your current system doesn't reconcile this one will force you to do something about it even if it means putting money into the trust account from your trading account.  As you will see there is a mechanism to get rid of all the little aggravating bits and pieces of money lying about too.

    Running the system in parallel with your existing system has been mentioned above.  Our experience has been that users that have a good play with the demonstration system first and then bite the bullet get the best result.  When you run two systems in parallel you have twice the work, errors get made in one and not the other, (and it's not always in the new system), there will be minor calculation differences with fees and GST which affect balances and you spend more time chasing these silly things than benefit is gained.  All that duplicated and lost time would be better spent learning about the new system.  After all you have decided to make the change, so make it!  

    Remember too there is the Training system which allows you to try things out with your real data without actually messing it up.  Consider the "Initial Loading Service" as well if you want a flying start.