How To Streamline Sales & Purchasing With A Construction ERP Software
As residential home sales ramp up to pre-pandemic levels, it’s more important than ever for Home Builders to prepare for increased volume and growing competition in an already fiercely competitive industry. While it’s true that the residential construction industry is one of the least digitized sectors, a growing number of Builders have realized the importance of incorporating digital processes to stay ahead of their competitors. Historically, many Builders have tried to replicate an enterprise resource planning (ERP) environment by cobbling together multiple pieces of software and then using Excel to fill in the gaps. Many discover this approach doesn’t provide seamless communication nor the added edge to stay competitive.
The most critical aspect of a solid ERP implementation is the use of a single database across all functions, processes and stakeholders. It’s also crucial to only consider all-in-one, cloud-based ERP software solutions tailored to the residential construction industry. If you’re still on the fence and considering ERP software, it’s important to find a product that is fully integrated with other solutions you currently use. Real-time integration is an essential feature for improving communication between your back-office, field operations and sales, while enabling easy management of schedules, Supplier orders, leads and more.
Streamline Purchasing Order Processing
Look for construction ERP software that links purchase orders to relevant job budgets. This enables you to quickly see when jobs are on the brink of going over budget and to take proactive steps to correct the problem, balance out costs and protect narrow profit margins. Centralized access streamlines the purchase order processing and allows you to gain more transparency into your costs.
Track Project Expenses
Software that provides detailed breakdowns of job costs by division, region, cost code, vendor and project enables accurately tracking costs against your original budget or extra costs by variance codes. This information can be used for client billing, future estimates and improving your cash flow.
Convert Leads into Happy Homebuyers
A modern user interface that allows your sales team to track activity from leads to contracts streamlines the home buying process. As the home buying process progresses, contracts are signed, options are chosen and selections are made. The ERP should include interactive tools that provide your sales team with the ability to engage potential Homebuyers when they visit a model. For example, an important feature is a display and interactive plat map that shows the community layout, available lots and where spec homes are under construction. An added bonus is being able to show Homebuyers available plans and options, then automatically generating a selection sheet with images and attributes. Providing these tools helps Homebuyers feel like they’re playing a hands-on role creating their dream homes!
Electronic Document Signing
Given the high volume of legal documents and approvals, look for a solution that offers robust integration with an electronic signature tool to expedite signing of sales contracts, change orders, addendums, plan reviews, and many other documents. The right tool delivers convenient, fast agreement experiences for all stakeholders, while boosting business efficiency, increasing sales and decreasing the time to close deals.
Learn More About Hyphen BRIX
Hyphen BRIX is a fully integrated ERP solution that allows Builders to access the most efficient solutions available for any size and volume—from purchasing and sales—to scheduling and accounting. BRIX is fully integrated with Hyphen BuildPro, the most widely used scheduling and production management platform in residential construction. It also works well with Hyphen CRM, Wallet, Homesight and SupplyPro, thereby providing Builders with all the digital tools they need to stay ahead.
To learn more about how adopting BRIX as your residential construction ERP software can improve all aspects of your sales process and more, schedule a demo today.
