This entire meeting was devoted to an evaluation of the Armstrong Connect System.
Members present: Margie Kramer, Joan Bitely, Bill Arnst, Len Godek, Marv Kuntz, Denzil Willis, Dan Augustine and Norm Kolb
Connect Startup:
For most the start up letter and instructions worked well. There are some folks in FR that do not use the Microsoft Internet Explorer browser and they could not enter Connect. This means they had to find a computer that has Microsoft Internet Explorer such as one at the Center. Microsoft Outlook must be setup on each computer to send Email messages from Connect.
The Villa folks had their letters a week later than others and then found that all their Modification Documents were lumped together in one giant PDF file. This should be changed to individual listings.
Villa residents could not access their Mod Docs nor add emergency phone numbers. Those with BOD access found that the switch system used to access Villa addresses was complicated and should be changed.
All addresses of FR should be together alphabetically, by street, in one file.
Connect Website:
The Committee was in unanimous agreement that the Connect website is a rather plain effort at Websites and should in no way replace our existing Falls Run website.
Navigation is poor and complicated. There is at least one missing back button where there should be: e.g. on the “My Billing” screen or on the “Forms & Documents” screen. Where back buttons are employed they send you right back to home instead of the previous page. Back buttons for BOD members are frustrating because they send you back to home page instead of a previously viewed page. Logoff target frame is located at the very bottom of the web-pages and is difficult to locate. These navigation problems should be corrected.
Does Connect do what we wanted it to do?
n Connect does not have complete data for a future Directory. Most Tenants are not listed. The data export we received on March 25 from Sandra Profitt-Marsteller, would require a great deal of additional computer work to produce a Directory. Some members of the Committee also mentioned that in previous meetings with Jim Armstrong, he indicated that there would be a charge to produce a Directory.
n Report on Age Qualification:
From analysis of the March 25 data export, we concluded that the data contained no more information than the FRIS sent to Armstrong by Len Godek last fall. There are very few new owners’ age qualifications listed in this data. Sylva has much more complete and up-to-date information on age qualifications. She has been working with Len to keep this data current. Her data is not part of Connect at this time.
May 1
n New Owners, Re-sales:
New owners are present in Connect with only basic info such as name and address. There are some telephone numbers listed, but not all.
n Scanning of forms:
Those who investigated their own accounts found their modification forms. The lumping of all Villas Mod Forms into one PDF file should not have happened and should be corrected.
n FRCA Documents: There are approximately 22 documents available to residents in Connect. There are more available to the BOD. This document section should be expanded for residents to include current contracts, financial documents, etc. This section is probably the most important one in Connect because many of these documents do not appear in our Falls Run website. It should be relatively easy for Armstrong to place these documents on Connect because they already have them in electronic form.
The resident information in the Connect database is not as complete as the FRIS maintained by Len Godek. The Committee thanks and commends Len for his continued efforts to maintain a complete and accurate database of all Falls Run residents both owners and tenants. Len said that a second copy of FRIS is also on the PC at the Concierge desk. The Committee recommends that this copy of FRIS be backed up on the server. Len said that he would put it on the server.
Answers to Jack Mount’s Questions from May 9, 2008
Question #1 – Census and age qualification
Connect database on ages contains only what Len sent to Armstrong last Fall.
Sylva, in consultation with Len, has a more up-to-date age list on her computer.
The Committee does not consider this issue its responsibility. We recommend that the FRCA BOD continue to work this out with Armstrong.
Question #2 -- New resident & tenant information
Connect database has new owners listed by name and street address. There is very little other info for new residents such as telephone numbers, email addresses, etc. This can now be added by the new resident themselves if they so desire.
Connect database has very little information on tenants, most are not listed there nor can tenants access data in Connect. There is a field in Connect for Tenants but it has not been used. Connect is first concerned with owners who pay the assessment.
The Committee does not consider this issue to be part of its responsibility. We recommend that the FRCA BOD continue to work on this with Armstrong.
Question #3 – Directory and Election Requirements
A new FR Directory could not be produced from the present Connect database because there are too many gaps in information as noted above – new owners’ telephone numbers, tenant information, etc. The committee recommends requesting Armstrong to provide a report query that produces a formatted file, which matches our current Resident Directory.
Last year’s Election Listing of Owners (in label form) was adequate and useable, although it took three weeks and two different printings to reach Margie Kramer, Chair of the Election Committee. Some adjustments had to be made for new owners. The address checklist that was requested originally totaled more than 100 pages and was unusable. A further request resulted in a more manageable printout.
Len Godek has sent Margie Kramer (May 21st) a simpler and shorter address list from the FRIS for use this year. Margie is hoping that her request for the owners listing and mailing labels will be up-to-date this year.
Question #4. The Committee agreed that Connect in its present form as website and database is not very useful for most residents. Many committee members queried neighbors and friends and found that, though they knew Connect was available and they read the announcement letter, they were not interested in accessing their information there. Some who had visited Connect found it to be uninteresting, hard to navigate and not very useful.
Connect seems to be designed as more of a management tool for Armstrong to communicate with their various Boards of Directors who will use Connect more than the average resident. Directors should find Connect useful especially in the areas of contracts, other lengthy documents and assessment reports and evaluation.
Summary of conclusions and recommendations:
· Connect is more of a management tool for the Board of Directors and Armstrong.
· There should be links in Connect to our Falls Run Website.
· For our residents Connect is rather uninteresting as a website and complicated to use.
· More documents could and should be available on Connect.
· At the present, there is very little confidence in the completeness of the Connect database, i.e. for the production of a new Directory or an Age Qualification Report
· Connect should contain one total listing of all Falls Run residents rather than the two sections (single family & Villas) that it now contains.
· The Connect problem of Villa residents being unable to enter emergency phone numbers into their accounts should be corrected.
Norm Kolb, Chair, Communications Committee