Builders: Put Metrics on Your Dashboard!

SST Emerging as a Preference 

Concise, actionable information - 24/7

We've been talking about SST -- that's Self Service Technology -- recently; you can review Solutions Blogs about migrating your homebuyers towards SST customer service options here.

There are a couple of key elements associated with the trend towards SST; demographics and technology. Cloud-based software applications are making information available 24/7, anywhere/anytime.

Preferences and expectations are changing, too; what was once viewed rather negatively is now seen as not only a solution but a preference!

Builders Have 2 Audiences Looking for Information: Buyers and Their Own Team

The benefits of SST apply across the builder audience:  homebuyers and your own team of field managers, operations staff, accounting, corporate management. 

Homebuyers Obtain Concise, Personalized Information via Portals

How can that be? Your homebuyers have access to information through web-based portals with data published through web-based software applications.  It's concise, time pertinent, personalized and available 24/7. 

Portals recognize their participants through credentials. So, it's straightforward for your buyer to locate stage of construction photos or warranty issue status.  They're able to use their phone or tablet and there's no digital clutter: their specific and unique information is presented clearly and concisely.

Metrics Deliver for Corporate Team Members

A business metric is defined as a quantifiable measure used to track and assess the status of a specific business process. Every business area has unique processes that need to be monitored.  Sales, for example, track marketing and social media metrics; senior management tracks key financial results and trends.

Metrics encourage your organization to become more data-driven -- and that's particularly true when SST features are built-in to your software applications.  Think: visual and interactive! 

Portals: Personalized status 24/7 for your buyers

What might your warranty team need as metrics?  Submitted requests, requests turned into work orders, open work orders?  The team doesn't necessarily want all the details at first glance; they're interested in scope and outliers.

Customer Service Rep "A" has 150 open work orders with 20% over 30 days; "B" has 260 open orders with only 5% over 30 days. That's easily viewable in a pie chart, for example, Then, drill down for details; you might find "A" has a community's worth of "manufacturer microsoft recalls" and is waiting for replacements.  

You're able to locate that type of information using a software-generated visual dashboard such as those provided by CPS' WarrantyWatcher. 

Visual Metrics Focus Attention and Investigation

SST means personalized, concise information 24/7, anywhere/anytime. Setup your dashboard to measure the data that's critical to your business -- adjust the timeframe, drill down for details, focus on what's important, offer Portals to your buyers -- that's CPS WarrantyWatcher!

Millennial Marketing: Highlight Your Features in Language They Use!

Did you see the recent Sacramento Bee article: Elk Grove millennials buck national home ownership trend in a big way?

Author Thomas Oide cites marketwatch.com's studies indicating Elk Grove (a suburb south of Sacramento) is the No. 1 city in the country for homeownership for those under 35.  That's the Millennial demographic everyone is focused on!

Millennials favs: large, open spaces, multi-functional rooms -- check!

Smartasset.com attributed the high rate of Millennial homeownership to the strong Sacramento job market (finally!) and relative proximity to San Francisco. Note: median home value is $390,000.

Not every community has the San Francisco factor available for their marketing campaign, however. Builderonline offers suggestions for the rest of us in Redfin's Whitney Bennett's How to Make a Home More Appealing to Millennial Buyers.

We'll focus on Millennial-friendly Suggestion #1 and follow-up with others, soon: Create an Open Floor Plan.

Bennett says most younger buyers are interested in large, open spaces with fewer walls and partitions. Why? They like entertaining in large spaces and are also interested in multi-functional rooms.

How to market that open floor plan? Let's look at a recent CPS SalesTouch installation at Cornerstone Homes' new Agave community in North County San Diego. You'll notice an open first floor area as well as a second floor flex space.

Now, image your home shopper going one step further and interacting with the floor plan, using the drag and drop furniture feature, finding the floorplan meets their lifestyle objectives!  As a builder, your're letting your home shopper dream and create their new living space!

And, it's in a "language" they understand -- interactive technology. This is the generation that grew up with iPhones and iPads, after all.

Encourage your Millennial home shopper to create their lifestyle using interactive tools -- moving away from the standard brochure plan by mixing/matching structural choices, adding furniture, marking up the plan -- and making it their own!

Stats Show Digital Signage Engages Customers

People always ask, "Does Digital Signage really offer anything different than a home builder's website?"

SalesTouch engages and captures more attention!

Websites engage users and drive them towards an onsite sales office visit; digital signage at the sales office has different objectives.  There are potential buyers in your sales office; what should this sales tool do to turn them into actual buyers?

Following is a statistic to evaluate when considering including digital signage in your sales/marketing program -- whether an interactive touchscreen system (in a kiosk, mounted on the wall or a tablet) or a social media wall:  compare the consumer effectiveness of a digital signage display to typical "static" signage such as floorplan displays on the wall or a floor topo table.

Here, at CPS, we can help you develop dynamic digital signage that will engage, gain views, build your brand and increase sales!

Let's kick start 2017!

How to: Build a Construction Team Pipeline

You've probably read the news: the construction industry is facing a severe labor shortage.  And, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics tells us construction workers tend to be older: the median age is now almost 43 years old!

Bringing technology to work on the jobsite!

There are some solid reasons behind these statistics: almost a decade of very slow growth within the industry.

A perhaps larger business issue needs to be addressed, however: how to energize a new generation of workers to consider not only a construction trade -- but the construction business -- as a career path.

And, today's construction team member -- as well as the construction environment -- isn't your father's!

Many of today's senior construction executives started out "swinging a hammer" -- and Millenials and Gen X'ers haven't learned or aren't interested in skilled labor jobs.

At the same time, many schools have pushed skilled trade courses off their schedules -- not enough people are interested and these classes can cost more to produce.

Consider ideas suggested in Dian Zhang's Builder article, Bringing Young Blood to the Construction Labor Force and a few of suggestions, as well:

• Rebuild the image of construction work -- spread the word that there is a vibrant, well-paying industry looking for all levels of employees.  There are production workers, yes; but also an entire team of workers supporting the home building industry.  It's not just the trades, in other words.  Let your world know there are opportunities at all levels -- and much of the home building world is entrepreneurial in nature. Get involved in trade associations -- as well as business groups.
• Bring back mentorships and apprenticeships -- those are definitely good ideas.  Build a system within your organization to support your team members in these efforts.  Reward their success bringing in a new team member or mentoring someone just as you would home completions! 
• Sponsor activities at your local schools and colleges -- show students you are actively using technology in the business, for example. Bring iPads, iPhones, Android devices to schools -- and show them how you schedule, track construction progress, read floor plans -- using today's technology. 

Here at CPS we've been thrilled when asked to provide our FieldCollaborate software to construction management programs at schools and colleges.  Let us know if we can help you build the pipeline of interested and educated construction professionals!

Fall Homebuyers: Yes; they're out there!

Agents might think the home buying season is over once the calendar turns into October.  It's getting darker sooner -- and cooler, there's all sorts of school and sports programs underway and home shopper traffic might seem few and far between.

And, buyers could mistakenly assume if they buy in the Fall they won't see much progress on their home before cold, rain and snow potentially slow construction progress -- and waiting until prime buying season in the Spring could seem reasonable.

Get visual in your storytelling! Make interest rates & process more relevant.

But, says Builderonline in a recent article, "Fall and Winter are a great time to start working with a builder."  After all, much of today's new home sales are "built to order" requiring the "upfront planning and legwork that goes into a new construction home," according to Brian Brunhofer of Meritus Homes.

What can an agent do today to bring today's home shopper to a purchase decision?

Tell your story effectively: Interest rates are bumping around all time lows today.  It is fair to think they aren't going to get any lower. And, today's buyer is that much closer to reaping green benefits!  Use your touchscreen system to calculate payments, illustrate green benefits -- and remember women and millennials two "green leaning" demographics!

Explain your process: While some buyers are interested in a "quick delivery" home, most will be a part of the standard process including approvals, permits, structural option decisions, design center selections.  Let them know your 8-point process or 15 steps to home purchase -- build their confidence in your organization and how the process will create a positive result.  If you can do this visually, all the better as women appreciate creative story-telling.

Get into Process 2.0: Brunhofer suggests that builders are just starting to finalize 2016 vendor bids and many will adjust their home prices reflecting increased costs.  Once buyers understand the time frame involved and the process, suggesting a purchase today is consistent with your story. Show them your construction schedule; introduce them to a Buyer Portal with schedule updates as well as stage of construction photos.

Work Your Co-op Program: Many areas see co-op agents bring in most of their traffic; do you have an established co-op program?  Such a program helps bring in traffic -- and it also helps with co-op sales.  Offer to put your home shopper in touch with one of your co-op program participants; help them understand Spring selling time frames and let them coordinate what is needed for a summer move-in.

Remember: there are all sorts of touch points associated with the buying process.  Information gathering is critical for many of today's buyers -- especially millennials.  Visual presentations and storytelling are key for women shoppers.  Take advantage of the slower traffic season to strengthen the tools necessary in today's market!

Does Your Marketing Program Include Clienteling?

Clienteling is the blending of digital and physical worlds in order to maximize the customer experience.

Brick-and-mortar retailers have had a fair amount of experience putting together physical point of sale contacts along with ecommerce and back-end CRM touch points. Homebuilders are just starting to put together end-to-end sales channels.

Think about your CRM system: does it include information derived from a prospect's web visit (registration, for example, including which floor plan is of interest or what makes up their purchase motivators)?

Utilizing that "back-end" information is part of what is called a prospect's omnichannel experience -- no one, in other words, wants to have to verbally repeat what has already been input in a digital encounter.

iPads and Kiosks: alternative tools for "self-starter" prospects

When you have a be-back prospect, can you retrieve previous discussions?

Do you offer different types of on-site shopping experiences?

Some home buyers like talking with sales agents, walking through models, taking a site tour, reading a brochure.

Others, suggests Matt Rhodus in a recent Innovative Retail Technologies article are "self-starters" who may not want or need a salesperson's assistance initially but do want an enriched shopping experience.  Having an interactive kiosk or iPad presentation provides that alternative information-gathering experience -- which is much more rewarding for them than passive signage or static information.

Some buyers want immediate feedback from their on-site visit.  That's where the text follow-up with a video really pays off. Others want to take home your brochure to browse later.

Rhodus suggests understanding your individual customer and responding to their unique needs is key to creating a best in-class buying experience.  Having multiple tools, digital and physical, in place and available to your sales force is what facilitates your clienteling!  CPS has been providing sales and marketing solutions for 30 years; let us help you enhance your clienteling experience!

Homebuilder Collaboration Software: Enhances Office-to-Field-to-Vendor Interaction

Traditionally, there were separate sets of knowledge, requests and data.  Homebuilders developed schedules and assigned tasks to their vendors.  There were faxes and telephone calls to communicate what needed to be done -- with more calls and invoices indicating what had been done.


Shared Schedules, Punch Items, Safety - Anywhere, Anytime

Today, homebuilders are focused on replacing localized data with a central repository of information accessible by authorized team members via the lowest common technology denominator -- software utilizing an internet browser.  This process means that office desktops, mobile phones and tablets are able to share information -- and design drawings have been added to this shared set of information.

CPS' Vendor Portal meets the core objectives needed for effective collaboration: organizational features such as security settings, user authorization and the like; communication features including publishing items such as FieldCollaborate construction schedules, management features including work standards and sharing/viewing/working with design drawings through 3rd party add-ons such as

Homebuilders: Managing for Quality Task-by-Task

Task level quality scoring -- on the jobsite, using an iPad!

Homebuilding, says Carl Seville, faces difficulties few other industries encounter. What other industry has to build their product in the rain, using dozens of other companies, each of which hires their own employees to perform the work? If you watched GE build a refrigerator in your front yard, Seville asks, would you buy it?  Read his Builder Online article here.

High-performance (think: quality) construction, Seville posits, will provide long-term benefits such as happier clients, fewer callbacks, decreased warranty issues...but how do you achieve it?

One suggestion is a commitment to quality from your entire team -- and that takes time and requires processes.  Everyone in the organization

iPad and iPhone: New Tools for HomeBuilder Construction

Just saw an interesting article in Mashable's iPad for Business Series (you can review here).  For the last several months, Mashable has been suggesting that iPads and iPhones are an "excellent, super-portable addition to the workplace (in addition, of course, to being great devices for viewing videos, playing games and surfing the web!).

Homebuilders: iPad Use IEnhances Construction Process

The latest article, 3 Innovative Business Uses for the iPad, reinforces this thought, identifying specific business scenarios (such as Point of Sale) focused on the iPad's "ability to go green, to collaborate and to increase productivity." 

All 3 of those iPad capabilities are critical to homebuilder construction operations.  Field Managers/Superintendents are out on the jobsite: they really aren't able to (and don't like to) carry bits of paper with notes, reports and miscellaneous pieces of their office outdoors.  But...they need information to effectively perform their job (in other words, to collaborate): scheduled activities, vendor contacts, buyer selections.  And, everyone is interested in increasing productivity (in homebuilding terms: increased carry rates).

CPS' FieldConnect Mobile -- using either an iPad or iPhone -- effectively tackles those job-site needs -- and more.  FieldManagers can access their current scheduled activities -- on a job-by-job basis.   They're able to track and record progress -- collaborating with the corporate office regarding deliveries, changing requirements, vendor changes and the like.  And, they have easy (via touch!) access to vital construction information: schedules, vendors, buyers, selections.  And, there's the ability to record Safety Assessments, punch items and Quality Inspections, as well.  As well as the ability to easily record construction notes and attach photographs to lot and task activities.

Go Green, Collaborate, Increase Efficiency?  All available at your construction Field Manager's fingertips with FieldConnect iPad/iPhone use!

HomeBuilder Construction Scheduling: Smartphones & Tablets Add Features

Are you an Operations Director or Manager in the home building world?  Field Manager? Superintendent? 

FieldConnect Mobile for your iPhone!

Do you think an iPhone, iPad or Android smartphone or tablet brings anything "extra" to your construction scheduling universe?  Apart from goodies such as easy-to-scroll lot lists or the ability to pinch/expand screens?  Take a look at FieldConnect Mobile to see how a cross-platform job-site scheduling tool takes advantage of the hardware you are carrying around in your pocket!

We'd like to suggest thinking about your phone or tablet in a slightly different (perhaps, more casual) fashion for a minute.  Does it have a camera?  See a problem with the header on Lot 26? Take a photo and include it in a task note, punch list or email directly to your sub!

Using an Android device? Now, you can walk your jobsite and "talk" your task notes using the phone.  "What?" you might ask.  You've seen the ability to switch keyboards -- one choice is a microphone.  It turns speech into text!  No more typing, using a stylus or trying to keep up.  Speech-to-text makes input straightforward.

FieldConnect Mobile..selected as a 2012 Top Product by Constructech...we'd love to show you more of the reasons why!

Construction Field Managers: "Tablet Revolution" includes you!

 

Smartphones and tablets are changing the way almost every business does business.

The reasons vary but we can say that communication is at the heart -- whether you're presenting beautiful products,  providing information for off-site employees, doublechecking a phone number, photographing a problem ... business uses are as varied as the number of businesses. 

Construction field managers have had the opportunity to utilize mobile devices (remember PDA's?) for several years.  There wasn't a "standard" environment across devices, however, so scheduling programs typically had to be designed for a specific mobile device.  If you didn't have the "right" device...you'd either have to change or add another device to your toolbelt!

Now, widespread acceptance of iOS and Android smart phones/tablets have encouraged/enabled developers to design for a large portion of the market.  Yes, there are others but -- at least for now -- iOS and Android are the major smartphone/tablet operating environments; lots of construction personnel already have them and scheduling programs need to be available across both platforms.

Why should Field Managers get enthused about CPS' new cross-platform FieldConnect Mobile? First, they're able to use phones and tablets they already have -- no additional expense.  Then, they can starting improving both their business processes and communications.  Current FieldConnectMobile builder clients report measurable critical business benefits: decreased cycle times and increased carry rates.  And, there are the "softer-side" benefits, too: ease-of-use, access to buyer/vendor data on the jobsite, better communications with vendors and the ability to incorporate "built-in" features such as cameras and voice recognition. 

We like to talk about "connectivity" -- and there are many components to that phrase.  FieldConnect Mobile changes the construction "connectivity" game with anytime/anywhere scheduling that works on virtually all of today's smartphones and tablets.  And, we'll be demonstrating these benefits at NAHB's IBS2012 in Orlando next month!