Integrating the many moving parts of a home building company into an information system that provides multiple users with consistent and up-to-date information can bring a huge internal productivity boost, or can become a frustrating money pit that fails to deliver promised efficiencies.
In this survey, almost half of the respondents are small companies and more than half use multiple, stand-alone software for their business operations.
Methodology and Respondent InformationThis survey was distributed between June 27 and July 12, 2013, to a random sample of Professional Builder?s print and digital readers. No incentive was offered. By closing date, a total of 227 eligible readers responded. Respondent breakdown by discipline: 35.2 percent customer home builder; 22.6 percent diversified builder/remodeler; 15.7 percent production builder; 10.7 percent architect engaged in home building; 4.2 percent multifamily builder; 1.4 percent systems builder, and 10.7 percent other. Forty-nine percent of respondents had built one to five homes in 2012.
A third of builders have no interest at the moment in integrating their business operations. Among the explanations cited in the open text responses as to why some builders haven?t taken the plunge or hesitated to do so were dishonest sales pitches, ?cluelessness? of the vendors, customer care preferring their own software, and being turned off by continually paying for subscription plans.
For those builders who have an integrated system?39 percent?the top-three benefits they realized include better communication with subcontractors and vendors as well as between their field and office staffs.
