TELS x ALIS Integration Guide

TELS is a building management platform that helps communities manage maintenance, life safety, and assets in a single system. When connected to ALIS, the integration allows staff to push work orders from ALIS into TELS and keeps unit occupancy statuses synchronized between the two platforms automatically. 

About the TELS Integration

The TELS × ALIS integration connects building operations and resident management across both platforms. 

It includes two components: Work Orders and Unit Turns.

Work Orders

ALIS users can create, view, edit, and cancel maintenance work orders directly from ALIS. Orders are pushed to TELS in real time and updates flow back in both directions.

Unit Turns (Area Status Sync)

ALIS occupancy events (move-ins and move-outs) automatically update the corresponding TELS Area status. TELS turn statuses sync back to ALIS on an hourly basis, giving both teams visibility into room readiness.

This integration is designed to:

• Eliminate manual communication between maintenance and operations teams about room availability.
• Automatically mark a TELS Area as "Ready for Turn" when a resident is moved out in ALIS.
• Automatically mark a TELS Area as "Occupied" when a resident is moved in in ALIS.
• Pull TELS turn statuses ("Turning" and "Ready for Sale") back into ALIS so staff can see room readiness without leaving the system.
• Allow ALIS users to create and manage TELS work orders for any area in the facility, including common and exterior spaces.
• Keep work order details in sync between both systems in real time.

Who benefits most? This integration is especially valuable for maintenance teams, operations directors, and community staff coordinating room turns and move-in readiness.

How the Integration Works

System	System Roles
	ALIS manages: Integration configuration and community enablement TELS Area-to-Unit mappings, work order creation and management Occupancy event triggers (move-ins and move-outs)
	TELS manages: Work order processing and status tracking Unit Turn lifecycle ("Ready for Turn," "Turning," "Ready for Sale") Building area and floor plan data

⚠️Important: TELS reflects ALIS occupancy data but does not replace ALIS functionality. All integration configuration and area mapping must be completed in ALIS. 

Understanding TELS Areas

TELS tracks physical spaces through "Areas." An Area can be any space in the community, including individual resident rooms, multi-room apartments (e.g., "105 Bedroom" and "105 Living Room"), and common or exterior spaces. 

During setup, TELS Areas are mapped to their corresponding ALIS Units. Common and exterior spaces should be left unmapped to the ALIS floor plan and can still be used for work orders.

Data Flow

Data flows bidirectionally between ALIS and TELS depending on the event type.

Status Mapping

⚠️Important: The Turning and Ready for Sale statuses are visible in the Open Units report on the Daily Stand Up Report. These statuses do not affect the "Unoccupied" status on the ALIS unit used for Occupancy reporting.

Setup Prerequisites

Before beginning setup in ALIS, confirm the following are in place:

• Active TELS account through Direct Supply (DSSI)
• TELS API Key, Location Code, and Person ID for each community to be enabled (provided by TELS)
• Integration email address to receive sync notifications

Required Credentials

⚠️Important: Store all credentials securely. The Basic Auth Token is generated once during installation and should be copied immediately and stored before leaving the setup screen.

Enablement Process

The TELS integration is configured directly in the ALIS App Store. Follow the steps below for each community.

1. Install the Integration 

Completed by: Client with App Store access or ALIS Integrations Team

1. Navigate to the ALIS App Store.
2. Search for TELS and click the Direct Supply TELS card.
3. Click Install and confirm.

2. Configure Outbound Connections 

Completed by: Client

Step 1 - Create Credentials

1. Click Create Credentials and copy the Basic Auth Token that is generated.

⚠️Important: Securely store the generated credentials prior to Step 2. 

Step 2 - Set up Outbound Connections

1. Set Authentication to API Key.
2. Set API Key Header to X-API-KEY.
3. Enter the API Key provided by TELS.
4. Enter the Person ID provided by TELS.
5. Paste the Basic Auth token. 
6. Enter the Integration Email address for sync notifications.
7. Click Save. 

3. Enable Communities 

Completed by: Client

1. Select the Communities tab.
2. Click Manage for the community to be enabled.
3. Enter the Location Code provided by TELS into the External ID field.
4. Click Save.
5. Click Enable for the community.

4. Run the Area Sync 

Completed by: Client

1. Navigate to App Store → Configure Tab → Onboarding Tools.
2. Click Area Sync and select the communities to sync.

This pulls all TELS Areas for the selected communities into ALIS so they can be reviewed and mapped.

5. Review and Confirm Area-to-Unit Mappings 

Completed by: Client 

The integration will automatically map TELS Areas to ALIS Units where the Area name is an exact match with the ALIS unit number. Review these for accuracy. Incorrect mappings can be unmapped and remapped at any time. 

To verify mappings: 

1. Navigate to the Mapping tab.
2. Use the Status dropdown to filter for Mapped units.  

To review and Map Unmapped areas: 

1. Use the Status dropdown to filter for Unmapped units. 
2. Click the Map button on the right. 
3. In the side pane, select the unit in the Unit Mapping dropdown menu.
4. Click Save.

⚠️Important: Common and exterior spaces should be left unmapped to the ALIS floor plan as they can still be used for work orders without a unit mapping. 

6. Enable Unit Turns 

Completed by: Client

1. Navigate to App Store → Communities Tab → Manage (community).
2. Select Unit Turns under features to enable the Area Status Sync for that community. 
3. Click Save.

Ongoing Maintenance

After setup, the integration runs automatically. The following tasks help keep it accurate over time.

Area Mapping Maintenance 

If new units are added in ALIS or new Areas are created in TELS, the Area Sync can be rerun from: 

App Store → Configure tab → scroll down to Onboarding Tools → click Area Sync. 

After running the Area Sync, review the Mapping tab to confirm new areas are mapped correctly.

Community Transfers and Multi-Room Units 

Multi-room apartments (e.g., a unit with a separate bedroom and living room Area in TELS) require manual review during mapping setup to ensure the correct Area is mapped to the correct ALIS Unit.

Sync and Status Monitoring

The Activity Log includes a history of all sync activity and can be filtered and exported to Excel for review. Review the integration Activity Log periodically to identify and resolve issues early.

To access the Activity Log, click the TELS Activity Log button directly within the Work Orders page. Alternatively, navigate to App Store → TELS → Configure tab → scroll to Activity Log. 

If an error is present on a record, click View Details to see additional information about what occurred during that sync attempt. From this view, you can also copy the full payload (complete record of the data that was sent during the sync) which can be useful when working with the ALIS team to diagnose and resolve an issue.

Work Order Management (in ALIS)

Work orders can be created, edited, and cancelled directly from the ALIS Work Orders page. Changes made in either ALIS or TELS are reflected in both systems in real time.

Access Work Orders 

Once the TELS integration is fully enabled, you can access Work Orders via the ALIS Dashboard icon.

Create New Order 

1. Click +Create New Order. 
2. In the side pane, enter the following:
   1. Summary: type a brief overview of the work order.
   2. Room/Area: select the room or area the work order pertains to.
   3. Has Permission to Enter: select Yes or No (if known).
   4. Priority: set to Low, Medium, High, or Critical.
   5. Requested by: select who is requesting the work.
   6. Category (optional): select a category, or leave as None.
   7. Notes (optional): add any additional details.
3. Click Create Order.

Once created, the work order appears in descending order on the table based on the Created date. 

Manage Orders

Use the top page filters to locate specific orders based on priority or statuses. To view, edit, or cancel an order, click View Details.

On the Order Details page, "Open" or "In-Progress" orders can be edited or cancelled, whereas details for "Completed" or "Cancelled" orders can only be viewed.

Troubleshooting

Issue: A move-out in ALIS did not update the TELS Area status to "Ready for Turn." 

• Likely Cause: The ALIS Unit is not mapped to a TELS Area, or Unit Turns is not enabled for the community.
• Resolution: Confirm the unit has an active Area mapping in the Mappings tab and that Unit Turns is enabled for the community. Rerun the Area Sync if the mapping is missing. 

Issue: A TELS status ("Turning" or "Ready for Sale") is not showing in ALIS.

• Likely Cause: The hourly sync has not yet run, or the Unit Turns feature is not enabled. 
• Resolution: Allow up to one hour for the status to appear. Confirm Unit Turns is enabled for the community. Check the Activity Log for errors.

Issue: A TELS Area did not map automatically to an ALIS Unit. 

• Likely Cause: The TELS Area name does not exactly match the ALIS unit number. 
• Resolution: Manually map the Area to the correct unit from the Mappings tab. Exact name matching is required for automatic mapping.

Issue: A work order created in ALIS is showing as "Pending" and not updating 

• Likely Cause: TELS has not yet returned a work order number via the API. 
• Resolution: Allow a moment for the status to update. If it remains Pending, check the Activity Log for API errors and confirm the integration credentials are still valid.

Issue: A common area is not available when creating a work order 

• Likely Cause: The Area Sync has not been run, or the common area has not yet been pulled into ALIS. 
• Resolution: Run the Area Sync. Common areas do not need to be mapped to ALIS units to be used for work orders.

FAQs

Does the "Turning" or "Ready for Sale" status in ALIS affect Occupancy reporting? 

No. These statuses are visible in the Open Units report on the Daily Stand-Up Report but do not change the "Unoccupied" status on the ALIS unit used for Occupancy reporting.

Can Area mappings be changed after the initial setup?

Yes. Mappings can be unmapped and remapped at any time from the Mapping tab in the TELS integration configuration.

Can the Area Sync be rerun after go-live? 

Yes. The Area Sync can be rerun at any time from App Store > Configure Tab > Onboarding Tools > Area Sync. This is recommended whenever new units or TELS Areas are added.

What happens if a work order is cancelled in ALIS? 

The cancellation is pushed to TELS in real time, and the work order is also cancelled in TELS.

Can work orders be created for common areas like hallways or outdoor spaces? 

Yes. Common and exterior spaces can be used for work orders without being mapped to an ALIS unit on the floor plan.

Best Practices

• Complete the Area Sync and review all mappings before enabling Unit Turns. Enabling Unit Turns before mappings are confirmed may result in status updates being sent to the wrong Area.
• Manually map any Areas that did not auto-map before go-live. Unmapped units will not trigger status syncs.
• Leave common and exterior spaces unmapped to the floor plan. They can still be used for work orders without a unit mapping.
• Rerun the Area Sync whenever new units or Areas are added to either system.
• Review the Activity Log periodically to catch sync errors early.

Related Articles:

• Daily Stand-Up Report Reference Guide

For more assistance: 888.404.ALIS (2547)  |  support@go-alis.com