Flexkeeping allows you to assign repair-related work to external service providers, called outsource companies, directly through the platform. This functionality is particularly valuable for maintenance tasks that require expertise beyond the property's internal team, such as electrical work, plumbing, painting or other specialized services. This article is for Flexkeeping users who manage the Administration menu and who create maintenance assignments and tasks in the Flexkeeping web app. You add outsource companies in Administration > Outsource company, and you assign them in Assignment > Maintenance or Assignment > Tasks. The outsourcing feature must be activated in your property settings before you can use it. With outsource companies, your property has better visibility over all assigned repairs and clear communication with external partners.

 

In this article, you can learn about:

• How to work with outsourcing companies in Flexkeeping

  • How to activate outsource company assignment in Flexkeeping

  • How to add a new outsource company in Flexkeeping

  • Where to assign an outsource company to a task or repair in Flexkeeping

  • How to send automatic notifications to outsource companies in Flexkeeping

    • What the notification email to the outsource company includes

    • How the outsource company schedules the repair

  • What are the benefits of outsource companies in Flexkeeping

 

How to work with outsourcing companies in Flexkeeping

To work with outsource companies in Flexkeeping, you first activate the feature, then you add each company in the Administration menu, assign the company to a repair or task, and let Flexkeeping notify the company by email.

How to activate outsource company assignment in Flexkeeping

Before assigning tasks to an external provider, the outsourcing feature must be activated in your property settings. If the outsourcing feature is not yet activated, reach out to your onboarding manager or to Flexkeeping support for assistance. To learn how to contact support, go to How to report an issue to Flexkeeping support.

Once the feature is activated, you can access the outsourcing management page in the Flexkeeping web app.

On the outsourcing management page, you can add all external service providers your property collaborates with. These companies then appear as available assignees in relevant tasks and repair assignments.

How to add a new outsource company in Flexkeeping

To add an outsource company, you open the outsource company page, add a new row and enter the company details.

1. In the Flexkeeping web app, go to Administration > Outsource company.

2. Click the green + add new company button. A new row appears where you enter the company details.

The screenshot shows the outsource company page in Flexkeeping with the green + add new company button and the new row for the company details. 

3. Complete the following fields:

   • Title: required.

   • Company name: required.

   • Address: optional.

   • Address 2: optional.

   • Country: required.

   • Vat number: optional. VAT stands for value-added tax. 

   • Email: optional, but recommended if you intend to use automated email notifications.

4. If you want Flexkeeping to automatically send email notifications to the company when the company is assigned to a repair, click the send email switch to change it from no to yes.

5. When all information is entered, click the green checkmark icon to save.

The new company then appears on your list of available outsourced partners.

Where to assign an outsource company to a task or repair in Flexkeeping

In the Flexkeeping web app, outsource companies can be assigned within:

• Assignment > Maintenance: the most common use case.

• Assignment > Tasks: if your property uses external vendors also for non-repair tasks.

The screenshot shows an assignment in Flexkeeping with an outsource company selected as the assignee. 

To see how an assignment is assigned to an outsource company, go to the Flexkeeping help article on assigning an assignment to an outsourced company.

Note: Before you can assign a company, the company must be added in the Administration > Outsource company section. If the Outsource company menu is not visible to you, contact Flexkeeping support.

How to send automatic notifications to outsource companies in Flexkeeping

If an email address is linked to the company profile, Flexkeeping can automatically notify the outsource company when the company is assigned a repair.

1. In the Flexkeeping web app, in Assignment > Maintenance or Assignment > Tasks, select the outsource company in the task. A pop-up appears asking if you want to send an email.

2. Select yes to automatically send the notification.

If the email is sent, this information also appears on the assignment details.

The screenshot shows the assignment details in Flexkeeping with the information that the email was sent to the outsource company. 

What the notification email to the outsource company includes

Flexkeeping sends the message to the email address saved in the company profile. The email includes:

• Property name

• Company name

• Name of the user who created the assignment

• Timestamp of when the task was reported

• Room number and property details

• Summary and description of the issue

• Attached files, if provided

• A schedule repair button

The screenshot shows the notification email that Flexkeeping sends to the outsource company, with the assignment details and the schedule repair button. 

How the outsource company schedules the repair

When the external provider clicks the schedule repair button in the notification email, a new page opens where the provider can:

• Select the repair date

• Choose the time of day

• Add an optional message for the property

• Confirm their planned visit

The screenshot shows the page where the external provider selects the repair date and time of day, adds a message and confirms the planned visit. 

What are the benefits of outsource companies in Flexkeeping

The outsource company workflow in Flexkeeping ensures:

• Better visibility over all assigned repairs

• Clear communication with external partners

• Seamless tracking of outsourced work, including completed tasks

• More efficient maintenance management across your property

 

Once you add your outsource companies in Flexkeeping and assign them to repairs or tasks, the external providers receive the assignment details by email and schedule their visit, and your property tracks the outsourced work in Flexkeeping. If you need any assistance setting up or managing outsource companies, Flexkeeping support is here to help: go to How to report an issue to Flexkeeping support.