Construction Companies Software – Online Service

In the bricks-and-mortar world of home builders, technology often is as popular as a nest of termites. But at least one Twin Cities area builder is embracing technology head-on. Brandl Anderson Homes has invested tens of thousands of dollars in a software system that helps the builder -- and homeowners -- keep tabs on the construction process.

This new interactive, online service is a proprietary system developed for Brandl Anderson by Inetium, a Chaska-based software developer that was named Microsoft's Small Business Solution Provider of the Year for 2002.

The software was developed to streamline, centralize and improve the company's operations, but also to help new homeowners such as Elizabeth Mills monitor the day-to-day progress on construction of their new homes.

"I used it for the instant gratification of seeing [the house] without having to get muddy," said Mills, who moved into her new home this fall.

Mills said she was able to log on to the site every three or four days and look at photos of her house as it was being built without having to trudge out to the job site, which is in the Charleswood development in Farmington.

The online photos even enabled her to show off the house to her out-of-state relatives. "I'm not a computer geek, but I'm very comfortable with it," she said. "Even my mom could get on the computer and do it."

The central component of this system is a database with three separate functions. It serves prospective homeowners, on-site job superintendents and administrative workers at Brandl Anderson's office. The Brandl Anderson home page, http://www.brandlanderson.com, includes several consumer links, including a Homeowner's Toolbox that requires a user name and a password to access the site. There's also a wireless component that's used by on-site job supervisors, and a desktop application that office managers use.

The Homeowner's Toolbox offers several options, including a message board and photo gallery with pictures showing the customer's house as it's being built.

Homeowners can post questions on the message board about schedules, materials, floor plans and other issues and receive answers from Brandl Anderson general manager Scott Ervin.

Buyers also can access the Brandl Anderson home page to go over floor plans and make modifications and changes right in the system, without having to markup blueprints and floor plans.

The wireless system, which was implemented in May, has become critical in the company's day-to-day operations. It's most useful as a way of communicating among on-site job superintendents, office workers and others at the Burnsville-based company.

They're able to track inventory, expenses, purchase orders, schedules and change orders on all of the 30 to 75 jobs the company juggles at one time.

"We wanted a seamless flow so the information was touched one time," Ervin said. "And our accounting department has a better handle on what should be paid and what shouldn't be paid." In addition, the clerical people in the office no longer have to handle hundreds of pages of documents, reports and faxes that have to be manually entered into the computer. That saves time and decreases the chances of making mistakes, which are expensive and time consuming, Ervin said.

Ervin said that there's no doubt that the system is saving the company money, but he's not sure how much yet. "It's still new and there are some bugs," he said. "But it has saved me a couple of new hires, and that saves time and money."

Mills didn't sign with Brandl Anderson because of the technology system, but it is a big perk, she said. "It's really, really neat," she said. "People I've known who have built a house have to trek out to the the site after it's dark. I didn't have to worry about going in after work or after dark."

The system wasn't a determinant in Tim and Amy Stensrud's decision to use Brandl Anderson, either. Even though they haven't broken ground yet on their new house, a 2,800-square-foot, four-bedroom home, they've already logged on to the Customer Toolbox several times to work out details of the schedule and floor plan.

"It's a definite plus because you think of something at 10:30 p.m. or midnight, and sometimes you're too busy during the day," Tim Stensrud said. "I've got messages that I've sent at midnight and they've responded at 6 a.m."

More home builders are using technology in their daily operations, but few are using it as a consumer tool. In part, that's because technology is expensive and many builders just aren't big enough to justify the cost of the computers and software, said Wendy Danks, spokeswoman for the Builders Association of the Twin Cities.

She said it's more common for larger builders to have the infrastructure to support an interactive Web site.Many builders use technology for specific jobs, including estimating, sales, planning and accounting, but few are taking this comprehensive, holistic approach, Danks said.

Several builders have Web sites and many use them to help their customers select and modify floor plans. Brandl Anderson started working with Inetium more than two years ago, primarily to develop a system to attract new customers and provide services to existing ones, said Eric Raarup, Inetium's director of business solutions. He agrees with Danks that few small and medium-sized builders are exploiting the full potential of technology to centralize their operations. Inetium is working to convince other builders to leverage technology to improve efficiency and customer service, Raarup said.

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About The Author:

Mark Harris is a successful author and regular contributor to http://www.home-n-house-plans.com. The best place to find new home plans, home designs & houseplans is the Internet.