Use LeadSimple to manage all your processes, including maintenance!
Learn how to set up and use LeadSimple's Maintenance product below.
This article includes instructions for AppFolio users. If you use Rentvine, read these instructions instead.
Setting up the Integration
LeadSimple syncs Work Orders created in AppFolio to a special process, purpose-built to streamline your maintenance flow.
The first step is to configure your AppFolio integration to sync Work Orders: watch this video or walk through the steps below!
Don't have AppFolio connected to LeadSimple yet? Start here.
From LeadSimple, navigate to Settings > Integrations in the lefthand sidebar.
Click on AppFolio on the Integrations screen; then click the integration to open the settings.
You'll see this window pop up. Open the Sync Work Orders section.
Use the toggle to turn on Sync Work Orders.
Under Process Template, choose Use a recommended Work Order process template (more details below).
Choose which types of Work Orders you want to sync.
Decide if you want to sync past Work Orders or not.
Hit "Save"!Now your integration will start a one-time full resync of your data (which can take anywhere from 2 to 24 hours).
If you would like to have your stages in LeadSimple control the status of the work order in AppFolio, you'll need to map the stages and statuses. Click on the integration again and open the Work Orders section.
Now your settings will say Use an Existing Work Order Process, linked to the new Work Order process that was just added to your account.
First, map your Tenant and Vendor contact roles:
Then map your statuses from AppFolio to whichever stage you would like them to sync to in LeadSimple. If there are stages that don't correlate exactly, you can add additional stages in your process by clicking Edit Process Stages Here.
Ensure that each stage is only mapped to one status in AppFolio.
Important note: We will drive the status update from LeadSimple, so you will still need to start with LeadSimple to update the stage/status. This ensures that you won't accidentally move a work order to a stage your aren't aware of by changing the status in AppFolio.
Please Note: turning on Work Orders will trigger a one-time full resync of your data from AppFolio as we sync over your unit/property maintenance data.
Depending on how far back you chose to sync and how many units you manage this could take from 2 to 24 hours.
After this full resync completes, work orders will sync into LeadSimple every 5 minutes.
"What if I want to sync Work Orders to a custom work order process I already created?"
"What if I want to sync Work Orders to a custom work order process I already created?"
Under the Process Template section, you have the option to sync AppFolio Work Orders to an existing Work Order process, if you have one.
This is useful if you already use LeadSimple to handle maintenance and want to continue using that process.
If you want to do this,
Select Use my existing Work Order process.
Choose the Process Type you want to use.
Indicate which contact roles in that process are associated with the Tenant and Vendor respectively. This ensures we can sync those contacts correctly from AppFolio.
Hit Save!
Please Note: turning on Work Orders will trigger a one-time full resync of your data from AppFolio as we sync over your unit/property maintenance data.
Depending on how far back you chose to sync and how many units you manage this could take from 2 to 24 hours.
After this full resync completes, work orders will sync every 5 minutes.
How LeadSimple Maintenance Works
Once you set up your integration, you will see a new Process Type called "Work Orders Best Practice" (assuming you didn't choose to use an existing process type above).
Creating Work Orders
New Work Orders will sync here from AppFolio. If you chose to sync past work orders when configuring the integration, those will sync here too.
You can manually create Work Orders from LeadSimple too. Just click the "Start Process" button and create a new process like you normally would!
Please Note: turning on Work Orders will trigger a one-time full resync of your data from AppFolio as we sync over your unit/property maintenance data.
Depending on how far back you chose to sync and how many units you manage this could take from 2 to 24 hours.
After this full resync completes, work orders will sync every 5 minutes.
Running the Work Order process
Click a Work Order in the list, and you'll see all the details you're accustomed to, easy to review!
Use the Stages and Tasks to power troubleshooting, scheduling, communication and much more. The best-practice template contains a full maintenance workflow, developed with help from experts in the property management industry.
Edits & Two-Way Sync
Edits made to the Work Order in LeadSimple will sync back to the Work Order in AppFolio to keep it up to date! The opposite is also true; AppFolio will sync changes to the Work Order back into LeadSimple. Say goodbye to double data entry! 🎉
See the full list of which fields sync back and forth below.
Work Order Status Updates & Stage Changes
Note: You can set up your integration to update the status of work orders in AppFolio when you change the stage in LeadSimple. See Step 9 in the setup instructions above.
We will drive the status update from LeadSimple, so you will still need to start with LeadSimple to update the stage/status. This ensures that you won't accidentally move a work order to a stage your aren't aware of by changing the status in AppFolio.
Note that status changes to the Work Order in AppFolio will not update the stage of the corresponding Work Order process in LeadSimple.
These changes will also update the AppFolio status:
Vendor is Assigned --> Updates AppFolio status to Assigned
Scheduled Start Date is set --> Updates AppFolio status to Scheduled
If you change these date fields in LeadSimple, the Work Order status will automatically update on the Work Order in AppFolio!
Tenant Availability
Scheduled Start
Scheduled End
Work Completed At
What Work Order data syncs back and forth between AppFolio and LeadSimple?
This is a comprehensive list of the data that syncs from Work Orders in AppFolio:
Type [unit turn, resident, owner, internal]
Priority [urgent, normal, low]
Property
Unit
Requesting Tenant
Job Description
Tenant Remarks
Work Order Number
Assigned Vendor
Assigned Tech
Vendor Trade
Entry Allowed
Vendor Instructions
Entry Notes
Tenant Availabilities
Scheduled Start
Scheduled End
Created At
Responded At
Assigned At
Scheduled At
Work Completed At
Invoice Received At
Completed At
Canceled At
LeadSimple also syncs these fields from AppFolio:
Property maintenance notes
Unit maintenance notes
Frequently Asked Questions
How often do Work Orders & updates sync between systems?
How often do Work Orders & updates sync between systems?
Work Orders sync to and from AppFolio every 5 minutes!
What are the available merge tags for work orders?
What are the available merge tags for work orders?
They are the following:
{{work_order.job_description | default}}
{{work_order.priority | default}}
{{work_order.work_order_number | default}}
{{work_order.entry_allowed | default}}
{{work_order.entry_notes | default}}
{{work_order.vendor_instructions | default}}
{{work_order.tenant_remarks | default}}
{{work_order.scheduled_start | default}}
{{work_order.scheduled_end | default}}
{{work_order.work_completed_at | default}}
Why do the work order merge tags not appear in my merge tag list in my account?
Why do the work order merge tags not appear in my merge tag list in my account?
If you do not see the work order merge tags in your list, it may be that your process is not categorized as a maintenance process.
Go to General under Process Settings and you can update the process category.
Is there a separate portal that my owners, tenants, or vendors need to log into?
Is there a separate portal that my owners, tenants, or vendors need to log into?
No, your owners and tenants can use the AppFolio portal to submit work orders and your vendors can also log in there as needed as all data will sync directly to LeadSimple.
Communication to owners, tenants, and vendors can all go out from the process in LeadSimple so that all communication is automatically tracked and easy to find. You can also utilize AppFolio's automated maintenance communication.
If I delete a work order process in LeadSimple, will that delete the work order in AppFolio?
If I delete a work order process in LeadSimple, will that delete the work order in AppFolio?
We do not delete work orders in AppFolio. Rather than deleting a work order, we recommend moving to the "Canceled" stage in LeadSimple instead, which auto-updates AppFolio and closes out the work order with no need to delete.
Can the type of work order (Resident, Internal, Unit Turn, Recurring) be used as conditional logic to determine any tasks firing off?
Can the type of work order (Resident, Internal, Unit Turn, Recurring) be used as conditional logic to determine any tasks firing off?
Yes it can! This is a great way to ensure that communications don't go out when the work order is an internal work order for example.
Where can we find the "Owner Specific Notes" that currently populate at the top of the work order?
Where can we find the "Owner Specific Notes" that currently populate at the top of the work order?
We don't sync owner notes yet, but it is on our list of things to add. Right now we sync from AppFolio to LeadSimple: the maintenance limit, year built, has warranty fields on the property along with property & unit maintenance notes.
How will we know if the tenants have submitted photos or videos with their work order if they do not sync to LS?
How will we know if the tenants have submitted photos or videos with their work order if they do not sync to LS?
AppFolio doesn't let us pull the photos in from the portal submitted work order. If the work order is created in LeadSimple, photos can be sent via email or text and uploaded to attachments.
We are likely going to push these photos back as attachments to AppFolio. It's easy to open the AppFolio work order and check the photos with the AppFolio icon in LeadSimple.
In Appfolio, you have a main service request that starts with one work order, and you can create additional work orders underneath the same request. Will there be a way that these are linked in LS or will they all show up as individual work orders?
In Appfolio, you have a main service request that starts with one work order, and you can create additional work orders underneath the same request. Will there be a way that these are linked in LS or will they all show up as individual work orders?
We create a separate LeadSimple work order process for each sub work order so you can assign vendors to each one specifically. You can see them all by going to the property page, filtering work order list by property, or just search processes by the parent work order number.
Will we be able to create an additional work order as part of the same service request if we start the process in LS, or would that only happen in Appfolio?
Will we be able to create an additional work order as part of the same service request if we start the process in LS, or would that only happen in Appfolio?
Our recommendation for projects or turns is to have a Make Ready/Turn parent process with multiple sub processes in LeadSimple for each work order related to the project/turn. Then you can see the project status and then see each sub process work order status and progress.