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Table of Contents
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- Tips on Training and Supporting a Board to Use CiraNet
- CiraHelp
- Setting up for Training
- Suggested Basic Training Topics
- Avoiding Potential Information Gaps
Tips on Training and Supporting a Board to Use CiraNet
Teaching on an application you are comfortable with is the best teaching advice we can provide. Knowing at least a little about your board’s initiatives and specific hot buttons can help you customize your lesson plan to fit their needs. As an example, if they are particularly worried about monitoring collection accounts, emphasize the Accounts Receivable sub-node from the CiraBooks node in training, but if they are more intent on monitoring action items in detail, then focusing on Projects/Tasks would probably be a better use of their time.
The CiraNet application is multi-faceted because it is a turnkey management solution for a complex industry. If you feel, as an internal user, you need more training and experience on the module before introducing your board to it, CiraConnect offers many resources that can augment your own company’s training regimen, including:
CiraHelp
This online help system is integrated into the various modules in CiraNet and also exists as a standalone encyclopedia for CiraNet. It allows users to seek immediate assistance by clicking on question marks inside the blue circles to the right of most page titles. This directs all users to help on that specific node.
Executive users of the Management/Board Portal also have access to CiraHelp through the question mark icon on the Navigation Footer to be able to search the entire content. If they select the lifebuoy icon instead, they are diverted to a convenient help lobby with core help topics they can access by clicking on any of the tiles.
Figure 2: The Executive User's Help Lobby
Setting up for Training
Remember that not all board and committee members will have full access to the Management/Board Portal. If you develop a training program based on full usage and exclude a board member from some modules, your trainees could be confused. Additionally, remember that you do not have access to board member passwords to log in as them for training purposes. But please resist the urge to set yourself up as a "board member" as a workaround. Several processes can be corrupted by having an internal member listed as a community executive, such as the communications metrics and reporting dissemination. As an alternative, we recommend asking one of the board members to use their login and train using their unique view. This allows the trainer to use board-specific information exclusive to that board's community, which will resonate with them.
Suggested Basic Training Topics
While, as we have mentioned above, community executives, depending upon their needs and role with the community, may have different levels of access, some commonalties would be helpful to consider when developing your training curriculum that we have found to be beneficial for all users of the Management/Board Portal:
- Bookmarks. They also have the option of bookmarking oft-visited pages for quick return. This can be particularly valuable for executives who approve one or more processes. They can bookmark the Board Approvals page to get back to it without remembering where to navigate.
- Grids. Understanding how to manage the information by controlling the grids is as essential for the board and committee members as it is for all of US.
- Navigation Search. The Navigation Pane, particularly for an executive user with full access, contains over 100 pages of information, which can overwhelm some users. However, they do not need to learn where all pages reside in the menu when they have Navigation Search, so please highlight this feature when orienting new board members. Workspaces. We have pre-formatted Workspaces available for all users, but it is worth pointing out that they can format their own to highlight the most noteworthy information for them.
- Troubleshooting Basics. Some handy tips shared upfront can prevent user frustration later:
- Browser Basics. We support CiraNet portals on the most common browsers, such as Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Safari. But just as we update our software routinely to fix bugs and push out enhancements, so do the teams who support these browsers, so encourage them to be sure they are keeping their browser of choice updated. Other factors can impact an executive's use of the Management/Board Portal, such as the browser's zoom level (or magnification). If the board member has the zoom set too high, it can impact the portal's functionality, such as freezing functionality and suppressing the view of grid columns. Browser extensions are generally safe but can sometimes affect how the portal behaves. If the board or committee member is having issues on a specific browser, suggest and show them how to try an incognito window to avoid negative interactions with any cached data or extensions they may have.
- Hard Refresh. If any user has trouble loading the portal or a page within it, suggest they try a hard refresh (Control + F5) to clear the cache on the page and load it again.
Avoiding Potential Information Gaps
The suggested topics above barely scratch the surface of the items you may wish to train on or demonstrate for your Board. While we recommend and encourage your training to be designed around your company practices and what your boards need or want to know to help them govern their community, we caution that the Management/Board Portal is only as robust as the information populated within it. Therefore, before scheduling training, take some time to audit the information you have available and add or edit information as needed.
While some information is auto-populated in the system as items are processed, such as payables, receivable data, and financial reporting, other modules rely on management team input, and we recommend working to populate information before scheduling a training. Pay close attention to the following modules/areas of the application to make sure they show you and your company in the best light:
Module | Recommendation | Training Material |
Amenity and Access Control | It is reasonable to assume that most Board members are familiar with their community's amenities, so this might not be on your training radar. However, they receive questions about these just like we do, and it is helpful to show them that information is available to owners on the Resident Portal and how they can view it on the Management/Board Portal in a different format.
Moreover, many Board members may need assistance with more detailed questions, such as reserving the pool for a birthday party, just like anyone else.
However, before you go over it with them, be sure that information is complete and up-todate. They will be familiar enough to notice if it is not. | |
Document Management | Ensure a complete set of the community's governing documents is available in the Document Archive. Watch for any missing items, such as amendments, forms with incorrect management company information, pool rules with outdated dates or hours, etc. In addition to confirming that all governing documents are uploaded, follow the naming convention suggested in the Process and Service Description and accurately use the effective dates to assist all users in sorting or filtering the information efficiently. This also contributes to a professional appearance that is sure to impress even the most detail-oriented board member. | |
Information Summaries | The more information that is there, the better a resource it is for both Boards and owners to self-serve. Remember in many cases, board members are not just new to the Management/Board Portal, but to the inner workings of the community association, so this can be a vital resource for them, and in a far more readable format from the full set of governing documents. While we recommend monitoring it periodically and updating it as needed, the main labor effort is at the onboarding phase, so it is a one-time effort that will pay lasting dividends. | |
Project/Tasks and Maintenance Work Orders | Documenting maintenance projects and action items is essential for your management team to build trust and foster open communication with your board. However, ensure consistent usage. Inconsistent application, along with overdue tasks and work orders, can hinder your team's efforts. If you choose not to utilize these tools, they remain visible as modules should a board member explore, so ensure they understand your intent to manage those processes differently if that is what your company has elected to do. | |
Quick Links | In this case, we refer to the widget located on the bottom half of the Community Landing page. This widget is part of that Workspace and enables users to navigate to specific areas quickly. Pay attention to the Last Published Management Report and Most Recent Board Minutes. True to their name, the system retrieves the latest document in the integrated folder based on the upload date. If management team members are not diligent about consistently updating those folders, it could create a problem for the team. |
Once again, this is not an exhaustive list. Some board members will focus on the calendar feature or be particularly interested in the Architectural Applications module as just two other examples. The management team's best training tool is knowledge about both the application and the board's dynamics. While we cannot help you with the latter, we suggest taking a tour of the software and investigating it. If you see a module you have not had to delve into, but an executive can access, feel empowered to open it and look around. If you can access it, viewing the data will not damage anything. Use the help link to learn more, or contact your leadership team or Account Manager to ask any questions. Minimally, you will find that you can help your board members navigate around better and point them to solutions by familiarizing yourself first with what is available.