Introduction

Church of the Valley Retirement Homes Inc. provides housing and services for seniors aged 55 and older. After selecting AppFolio as their new property management software, the team struggled with limited onboarding support and difficulty navigating the platform’s features. They partnered with Balanced Asset Solutions (BAS) to improve their use of AppFolio, reduce operational friction, and gain access to expert guidance when handling daily tasks and exceptions.

Opportunities and Collaborative Goals

Navigating a Complex Software Transition
While AppFolio met Church of the Valley’s pricing and feature needs, the onboarding process left gaps in training and support. The client quickly realized they needed expert assistance to fully understand and utilize the platform.

Workflow Reliability
Internal users were facing frequent roadblocks, especially when unexpected situations arose. Without an easy way to escalate questions, tasks that should take minutes were dragging into days.

Check Scanning Capabilities
A critical feature, check scanning was missed during the software setup, despite being discussed early on. The client had to independently source the hardware and configure it with little vendor support, adding to delays and inefficiencies.

Approach

1. Expert-Led Support and Daily Guidance

BAS provided hands-on support by assigning an AppFolio expert who could answer questions and provide clear next steps when unusual tasks came up. This real-time access was critical for the team, reducing confusion and eliminating long delays from vendor support channels.

• Reviewed existing workflows and configuration settings
• Provided guidance on AppFolio features, settings, and limitations
• Made recommendations to streamline key operational tasks

2. Resolving Configuration Gaps

Our team helped the client better understand the system’s flexibility and how to avoid unnecessary changes. We addressed risks tied to user permissions and system access, and provided ongoing clarification for features previously misunderstood.

3. Ongoing Reconciliation and System Cleanup

The client is currently in the process of reconciling records and correcting prior inconsistencies. BAS is supporting this work to ensure a clean financial foundation going forward.

• Support with posting workflows and exception handling
• System-wide reconciliation of transactions and balances
• Collaborative review of monthly close and reporting tasks

4. Clear, Responsive Communication

Time-Sensitive Support:One of the most valuable parts of the engagement was having a point of contact who could answer questions in the moment. The client emphasized how useful it was to email their BAS consultant and get a direct answer quickly often within the same day.

Improved User Confidence: The team no longer had to rely on searching through AppFolio’s help center or waiting for chat support responses. Tasks that once required hours of troubleshooting could now be resolved in minutes.

Results & Impact

Faster Task Resolution

Having a trusted point of contact for software questions saved the team hours each week. Instead of relying on online articles or chat queues, staff could quickly confirm how to proceed with unusual posting scenarios and continue their work without delays.

Improved Software Use

With direct support and clarification, the team began using AppFolio more effectively and with more confidence. BAS provided guardrails for how the system should be used—especially for key workflows like payments, posting, and reconciliations.

Progress Toward Stability

While the full reconciliation process is still underway, Church of the Valley is on track to run a tighter, more organized system. The team expects a more stable operating environment once cleanup is complete.

Collaborative Experience

Accessible Expertise: The client noted that BAS’s ability to respond quickly and clearly especially from consultants like Marie made a significant difference in day-to-day operations. Being able to ask a question and receive an actionable response without delay removed much of the frustration the team had previously experienced.

Professional Communication: They also appreciated the clarity and responsiveness of their initial interactions with BAS especially the detailed explanations provided during the evaluation process. The team had reached out to several firms, but BAS stood out in both speed and thoroughness.

Conclusion

Church of the Valley Retirement Homes Inc. partnered with Balanced Asset Solutions to fill key knowledge gaps after a challenging AppFolio onboarding. Through expert support, system clarification, and ongoing reconciliation work, the organization is regaining control over its daily operations. With less time spent troubleshooting and more access to answers, the team is building a more stable and efficient process for the future.