14 May 2026

Comparing the New Property IQ and AIM Approval Portals

The introduction of Property IQ’s proposed accounts payable approval portal gives strata management businesses another option for managing invoice approvals. For businesses already using the AIM platform by Digital Reign, there are some noticeable differences in workflow, functionality and cost structure that are worth considering before making any changes.


While both systems are designed to streamline invoice approvals, they approach the process differently, and each has advantages depending on how your team and councils currently operate.


Cost Differences

One of the most significant differences is cost.

The proposed Property IQ approval portal is expected to form part of an existing Property IQ subscription, whereas AIM currently charges on a per transaction basis. For larger strata management businesses processing high invoice volumes, this may represent a meaningful saving over time.


Workflow Differences

The approval workflow itself is also quite different.

AIM uses a sequential approval process. The invoice is first sent to one approver, then progresses to the next approver only after the previous person has approved it. This can work well where councils prefer a structured chain of responsibility, however it can also create bottlenecks if one approver delays action.

Property IQ’s proposed portal instead sends the invoice to all approvers simultaneously. Once a majority approval threshold is reached, the invoice is marked as approved.

This approach may speed up approvals considerably, particularly for buildings where one council member is slower to respond than others. However, it may also create additional notifications for committee members who ultimately did not need to review the invoice because approval had already been achieved.


Invoice Comments and Communication

One area where AIM currently has a functional advantage is invoice commentary and discussion.
Within AIM, committee members can leave comments directly against an invoice. For example:

  1. A committee member may note that maintenance work has not yet been completed.
  2. The invoice can remain unapproved while clarification is sought.
  3. The strata manager can later review outstanding invoices and respond directly within the platform.
This creates a contained communication history linked to the invoice itself and can reduce email traffic.
At present, the proposed Property IQ portal does not appear to include a commenting function. This may result in more external communication via email or phone calls between committee members and strata managers when clarification is required.

For some businesses this may not present an issue, however workflows that currently rely heavily on AIM commentary functionality may notice the difference.


Integration and Processing Efficiency

One operational benefit of the Property IQ portal is that invoices remain fully within the Property IQ ecosystem.
With AIM, invoices are typically uploaded or emailed into the platform first, then synchronised back into Property IQ. This process can sometimes involve delays, particularly where invoices are submitted via email forwarding and require OCR processing or manual coding review.

The proposed Property IQ portal removes that additional layer because invoices are entered directly into Property IQ from the outset. As a result:

  1. Uploaded invoices immediately appear within accounts payable.
  2. There is no separate synchronisation process.
  3. Managers maintain visibility over outstanding invoices at all times.

This tighter integration may improve transparency and reduce confusion regarding invoice status.
However, AIM currently retains one practical advantage in relation to invoice submission. AIM provides a dedicated email forwarding address for invoices, allowing suppliers or staff to email invoices directly into the system.

The proposed Property IQ portal instead relies on manual uploads, although these can still be performed in bulk.

That said, many businesses have already experienced limitations with automated Outlook forwarding rules into AIM, particularly where forwarding is based on invoice keywords or PDF attachments. In practice, some firms are already relying on manual processing due to these reliability issues.

Importantly, workflow automation tools such as Make and Zapier can assist in extracting PDF invoices and saving them into SharePoint folders ready for scheduled bulk uploads. For businesses looking to streamline invoice handling, these tools may help reduce manual processing time. If your team is unfamiliar with these automation options, please reach out to our team to discuss further.


A Positive Additional Option

Overall, the proposed Property IQ approval portal appears to be a welcome addition for strata management businesses seeking more flexibility in accounts payable workflows.

For some firms, the ability to keep everything contained within Property IQ and avoid managing another external login may outweigh the current feature gaps. Others may still prefer AIM’s structured sequential approvals and invoice commentary functionality. As with most workflow tools, the best solution will depend on the operational preferences of the strata management business and its councils.

It will also be interesting to see whether future development of the Property IQ portal incorporates additional communication features following industry feedback.


Quick Takes

  • Property IQ's proposed approvals portal may reduce costs by eliminating per transaction charges.
  • AIM offers stronger invoice commentary and discussion functionality.
  • Property IQ may improve visibility and reduce synchronisation delays by keeping everything within one platform.
  • Automation tools such as Make and Zapier may assist with bulk invoice upload workflows.