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November 6, 2025 Published by British Columbia Chapter - By Jaclyn Jeffrey

Maximizing Efficiency In Strata Corporations: How Technology Can Streamline Council Operations

From CCI BC Strata Connection Magazine, Volume 05, Fall/Winter 2025

Being a council member is hard work—some might even liken it to a constant challenge. While it’s rewarding to give back and shape the future of a community, it can be a relentless, uphill slog. You’re tasked with overseeing maintenance and meetings, as well as managing communications and record-keeping. The modern council member's role requires careful organization and effective decision-making. As communities grow and regulations evolve, the complexity of strata administration continues to increase. 

Fortunately, technology offers solutions to help councils operate more efficiently. These tools range from all-inone digital platforms explicitly designed for strata management to standalone ones focused on certain tasks. All of these can simplify daily operations, reduce administrative burdens, and enhance communication between council members, strata managers, and residents. But for the average person, the number of available tools can seem overwhelming. With so many options out there, how do you know which one—or ones—your strata council needs? By identifying the group’s challenges and selecting the right tools for the job. 

Common Issues Facing Strata Corporations—And How Technology Can Help

Before adopting new digital tools, it’s essential to assess the key administrative challenges your strata corporation faces. While every community has unique needs, four common areas of difficulty consistently emerge: document storage, communications, meetings, and task tracking. 

1. Document Storage

Managing strata documents—such as minutes, contracts, bylaws, and insurance policies—can be challenging. Paper records may get lost or degrade over time, while outdated electronic filing systems often lead to disorganization and accessibility issues. 

Cloud-based platforms provide a centralized and secure document repository, allowing council members and owners to access essential files anytime, from anywhere. Many of these platforms offer structured filing systems, advanced search functions, and version control, reducing the risk of misplaced or outdated documents. Most property management companies provide proprietary portals with document storage, but for smaller or self-managed stratas, tools like Google Drive or Dropbox may offer basic storage solutions, though they may lack strata-specific functionalities.

2. Communications

Effective communication is essential for strata operations, whether it’s notifying residents about fire inspections or sharing council meeting updates.

Traditional methods—such as printed notices or mass emails—often result in missed messages, delayed responses, and Integrated administrative inefficiencies. community management platforms streamline communication by providing built-in messaging systems that connect council members, strata managers, and residents in one place. Features like notifications, SMS alerts, and community bulletin boards ensure that important updates reach residents quickly. Additionally, automated reminders help councils keep owners informed about meetings, deadlines, and maintenance schedules. For real-time internal council discussions, tools like Slack or WhatsApp can enhance collaboration, but they lack the strata-specific features found in dedicated strata software platforms.

3. Meetings

Coordinating council meetings can be time-consuming, from scheduling and agenda distribution to recording minutes and following up on action items. Many councils struggle with maintaining accurate records and ensuring accessibility for all members. 

Virtual meeting platforms such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams enable councils to hold meetings remotely, increasing participation and flexibility. Strata-specific platforms take meeting management a step further by integrating agenda distribution, electronic voting, and automated minute recording—helping councils stay organized and ensuring meeting decisions are properly documented. Online scheduling tools like Doodle assist in finding mutually convenient meeting times, while transcription services like Otter.ai ensure accurate, searchable minutes and track action items.

4. Task and Project Tracking

Strata councils oversee various tasks, from routine maintenance to major capital projects. Without an organized system, tasks can be forgotten or delayed, leading to inefficiencies, increased costs, and resident frustration.

Project management tools like Trello and Asana allow councils to track maintenance schedules, assign responsibilities, and monitor project progress. However, strata-specific platforms like StrataPress go further by integrating maintenance logs, service request tracking, and vendor management—all within a single platform. These tools provide automatic notifications for overdue tasks and visual dashboards for improved workflow management.

Choosing the Right Technology for your Strata

Most management companies provide some sort of community platform for their clients. Even with these platforms, gaps can exist that the council should evaluate to determine whether additional technology could help. Keep in mind that strata managers have heavy workloads and may not be able to adopt new technology on a strata-by-strata basis. 

The council should collaborate with its manager to ensure that any tools adopted will be beneficial. For example, council communication that doesn’t require involvement from the manager may be better suited to a tool like Slack or WhatsApp.

Self-managed strata corporations, on the other hand, have more freedom in choosing what works best for them. The council should carefully evaluate its needs based on factors such as ease of use, budget, and implementation time. All-in-one platforms like StrataPress or Power Strata provide seamless solutions by consolidating document management, communication, meetings, and task tracking into a single system. 

Self-managed strata corporations, on the other hand, have more freedom in choosing what works best for them. The council should carefully evaluate its needs based on factors such as ease of use, budget, and implementation time. All-in-one platforms like StrataPress or Power Strata provide seamless solutions by consolidating document management, communication, meetings, and task tracking into a single system. 

To encourage adoption, councils should introduce new technology gradually. For example, starting with a digital document storage system before expanding to communication and task management features can make the transition smoother for council members and residents alike. 

Managing a strata corporation is hard, but the right technology can significantly ease the burden. By leveraging digital tools for document storage, communication, meeting management, and task tracking, councils can improve efficiency, enhance transparency, and foster stronger community engagement. 

Whether a community is self-managed or supported by a strata management company, adopting modern technology enables council members to lead with confidence— transforming their role into a rewarding opportunity to enhance their strata community.

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Jaclyn Jeffrey is a former managing broker, property, and strata manager with over a decade of experience working with notable British Columbia real estate brokerages. Now a freelance consultant, she specializes in proptech, and digital transformation in real estate, helping industry professionals stay ahead of emerging trends.