Taking a Technological Leap Into the Future

A Best-of-Breed Digital Transformation Journey for FirstService Residential in the AI Era

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

CLIENT

FirstService Residential

SERVICES

Artificial Intelligence
Strategy
Engineering

STRATEGIC PARTNERS

Microsoft
Databricks

As North America’s largest property management company, FirstService Residential services over 9,000 residential communities and high-rises and millions of residents.

FirstService partnered with Epam to create a compelling vision for the future of business operations, and roadmap the modern software platform needed to support that future. The team identified major potential for AI to unlock efficiencies, improve experiences and swiftly update an aging platform.

Our collaboration resulted in a vision for new products and services for FirstService, as well as the successful launch of Homeowner Digital Assistant^® (HODA), a GenAI- and SMS-enabled, cloud-native, modern web experience that helps make residents’ lives easier and more convenient.

To ensure HODA could deliver the experience that users expected, we worked extensively with Microsoft Azure and Databricks. Microsoft Azure provided a critical foundation and scalable cloud infrastructure to enable HODA’s performance. Databricks enabled robust data management and semantic search, ensuring accuracy across communities and providing data-driven insights.

Results

100%

of uploaded documentation reviewed

Same Day

full QMS analysis completed

Instant

reports generated after analysis

KEY OUTCOME

60%

Increase in weekly unique users since SMS redirect in HODA

HEAR FROM OUR CUSTOMER

“EPAM has been an indispensable partner in our digital transformation journey. From helping us define our North Star vision to seamlessly executing with their delivery teams, EPAM’s strategic guidance, technical and AI expertise have been instrumental in turning our goals into reality.”

Joe Kotten
VP of Product & Data, FirstService Residential

“HODA enables residents to stay connected across devices. Whether they prefer SMS or a resident portal, all of that drives more people, better experiences and more connectivity across the different channels.”

Zachary Davis
VP, Transformation & Program Management, FirstService Residential

Bridging Legacy & Innovation

FirstService Residential services over 9,000 residential communities and high-rises and millions of residents. When the company first engaged with EPAM, the mission was clear: create a compelling vision for the future of business operations, and roadmap the modern software platform needed to support that future.

Knowing it needed to harness the data of legacy applications, processes and technology, and recognizing the need for a clear strategic vision to guide the transformation, FirstService collaborated with EPAM for industry best practices in AI, UX and design, data and development, as well as implementation services. The North Star vision provided guidance to prioritize objectives and ensure resources were focused on moving the organization forward to meet its new goals. After six months of on-the-ground learning from residents, HOA boards and leadership, and a roadmap defined for the project, the team identified major potential for AI to unlock efficiencies, improve experiences and swiftly update an aging platform.

Our collaboration resulted in a vision for new products and services and the launch of Homeowner Digital Assistant® (HODA), a GenAI- and SMS-enabled, cloud-native, modern web experience that helps make residents’ lives easier and more convenient. HODA also represents a pivotal step in FirstService’s journey to modernize customer interactions, showcasing how AI can bridge the gap between traditional service models and the expectations of a digital-first world.

STRATEGY & CONSULTING

Defining a North Star Vision

When FirstService initially approached EPAM, our experts worked to define a North Star vision through immersive research, analysis, opportunity identification and ideation in collaboration with our client team. Our hands-on approach uncovered the real-world needs and expectations of the people who would eventually use the solution — HOA board members, community residents and internal business users. The result was a roadmap for a future-ready solution that was aligned with all three groups’ needs and ready to scale and evolve with the company’s growth.

DATA & ANALYTICS

Intelligently Solving Data Challenges

With a roadmap in place, FirstService and EPAM tackled the existing challenge of better connecting and unlocking the unique capabilities of its proprietary legacy systems. In order to fuel AI-powered solutions and actionable insights, data spread across thousands of properties would need to be cleaned, centralized and made accessible. Yet updating, verifying and cleaning the data manually would be logistically challenging.

To solve this problem, we implemented a Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) solution. RAG combines AI with a centralized repository of documents and knowledge bases, enabling HODA to retrieve accurate, context-specific answers from a vast pool of community data. This approach ensured that even with inconsistencies in the source data, HODA would be able to deliver reliable, up-to-date information.

LEARNING & TRAINING

Setting the Stage for Success

A crucial component of the success of HODA was FirstService’s top-down enthusiasm for team member training and learning. For many, there were lingering fears about AI tools. FirstService knew that HODA’s success depended on associate buy-in.

FirstService got to work producing a series of in-house training videos and materials to help familiarize users with HODA, ensuring that HODA would be a key component of company-wide transformation. To help, we created the HODA Simulator, a tool that emulated the same HODA environment that residents would use, allowing associates to learn and experiment safely and accurately. The simulator served as a vital training tool and troubleshooting aid for property managers, who could personally ensure data cleanliness and a seamless UX, providing a white-glove experience for their residents.

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