Orchestrating End of Tenancy at Scale
One of the UK’s oldest and largest BTR real estate operators, managing over 10,000 units across multiple regions, set an ambitious goal: materially reduce vacancy periods while preparing to scale its portfolio, all without growing headcount linearly. The client had already invested in a cloud-based CRM platform for lettings and wanted to extend that foundation to the full end of tenancy lifecycle.
The Opportunity
When residents served notice, teams faced a long, interdependent checklist including inspections, make ready works, relisting, finance handoffs and tenant communications. In practice, the process ran on spreadsheets and email, averaging ~30–35 emails per tenancy, with limited visibility into who owned what, where each tenancy sat in the sequence and what was blocking progress. Measuring unit vacancy days was inconsistent and leadership lacked a reliable way to translate days vacant into the opportunity cost of lost rent. The business wanted a standardised, measurable process that could reduce void days, create transparency across teams and unlock portfolio growth efficiency.
The Approach
Open Box partnered with the client in a consulting and delivery engagement designed to de‑risk decisions and accelerate time‑to‑value:
- Discovery & Value Framing – Short, focused consulting to map the current workflow, confirm success metrics (void days and opportunity cost) and estimate benefits from reducing average vacancy.
- Sprint 0 & POCs – A Sprint 0 refined high level features into user stories and validated key elements with proofs of concept (e.g. a data model and UI pattern capable of showing end of tenancy phases, tasks and dependencies without resorting to heavy custom build).
- Agile Delivery – Iterative releases on the client’s Salesforce platform, balancing platform-native configuration with lightweight customisation to keep velocity high while preserving maintainability.
- Change Enablement (Client-led) – Open Box used a train-the-trainer model, which included user guides and enablement sessions.
- Rollout Strategy – From the go live date, all new end of tenancy journeys had to run in Salesforce – no emailed workarounds.
The Solution
Open Box implemented a single, Salesforce-based orchestration hub for the end of tenancy journey:
- Structured Journey Model – A core End of Tenancy record with child phases and tasks, including due dates and dependencies to enforce the right sequence (e.g., pre-vacate inspection before relist). Essentially, a project plan that is created automatically the day notice is received.
- Automated Triggers & Listings – When key milestones complete (e.g., inspection outcome), the system prompts or triggers next steps, including timely relisting on property aggregators and the client’s website from within the Salesforce workflow.
- Cross‑Team Visibility – Leasing, property management and finance all work from the same record, with clear ownership, SLAs and an audit trail instead of email threads.
- KPI & Reporting Layer – Standardised definition of void days and dashboards that translate void days into revenue opportunity cost, giving leaders a live view of performance by region, building and team.
- External Service Alignment – A daily Salesforce report securely feeds the 3rd party maintenance provider’s system so they can schedule inspections and works earlier—no heavyweight middleware needed to start capturing value.
- Scalable Operating Model – By centralising the process, work can be load balanced across regions; managers in one location can run end of tenancy workflows for another as capacity allows. This creates headroom to grow the portfolio without proportional staffing increases.
The Result
- Operational Step Change on Day One.
By mandating “Salesforce only for end of tenancy,” the client replaced fragmented email chains and spreadsheets with a governed, reportable process—delivering an immediate step change in control and transparency at go live. - Fewer Emails, Faster Throughput.
Retiring the email‑driven workflow (historically ~30–35 emails per tenancy) reduced noise, sped up handoffs and cut rework—while making blockers and ownership visible in real time. - Measured Void Reduction & Earlier Revenue Capture.
With consistent void‑day calculation (and automated linkage to rent values), the business could quantify opportunity cost and target specific bottlenecks. Earlier relisting and better contractor scheduling pulled key activities forward, supporting a reduction in vacant days over time as adoption matured. - Scale Without the Pain.
Because teams can manage end‑of‑tenancy centrally, the client is better positioned to meet aggressive growth targets—expanding unit count without scaling the people linearly. - Foundation for a Broader Salesforce Roadmap.
Success here catalysed adjacent initiatives (e.g., renewals and a single view of tenancy, with an eye to improve other processes) to bring more operational journeys onto the same platform.
Conclusion
This project showcases Open Box Software’s consulting and delivery model in action: the operating model was co‑designed, key design decisions were de‑risked with POCs and the client’s Salesforce platform was configured to orchestrate a complex, multi‑team process—without heavy custom build. The result is a governed, measurable end‑of‑tenancy journey that reduces void days, improves cross‑functional visibility and provides a scalable foundation for growth. It strengthened a trusted partnership where Open Box continues to deliver, iterate and expand the value of the client’s technology investments.
Leveraging Salesforce to shrink void days and optimise transitions.
