We’ll cover many recent enhancements in our home building software solutions and offer product training sessions as well.  For a detailed agenda and registration information, please click on the link below.

Register Now

We have an exciting show planned with many experts available to answer your questions about our products, recent acquisitions, and real-world best practices. To register for these sessions, please click on the session name in the schedule below.

Over the past year, we have seen huge changes in our industry and technology in general. While many builders were focused on their business and making many tough decisions, we were focused on providing world-class customer service, enhancing our products, and developing or acquiring new technologies to meet the needs of the changing home builder, home buyer, and home owner.

To meet these demands, we have released major enhancements to our core production, accounting and sales solutions, completed two significant acquisitions, developed two new products, and offer many of our products in hosted configurations. Our track record with new acquisitions demonstrates Constellation’s commitment to customers with world-class service and ongoing product support and enhancements. This means that home builders can rely on Constellation for stable products, dedication to the industry, and proven expertise. With more than 100 employees focused on homebuilding software, and over 2,400 customers we are the largest software company in the industry with the resources to deliver mission-critical solutions for home builders of all sizes.

With several booths at the show this year, please be sure to stop by to share some stories, or just ask our experts a few questions. We would like to learn more about your business and offer our assistance in any way we can.

See you in Vegas.

Constellation Booth Schedule

*if you are unable to attend any of the scheduled events, please contact
sales@constellationhb.com.

Constellation BuildSERV’s Home Ownership Guide, the 2009 Innovative Housing Technology Award Winner, is used by Shea Homes to enhance home builder-to-home owner communications using  content management services, online messaging and warranty management software solutions throughout all phases of the new home construction process to keep new home buyers informed and engaged both during and after construction.

In the recent 2009 J.D. Power New Home Builder Customer Satisfaction Study reveals that customer satisfaction and new home quality has improved dramatically from 2008.  Shea Homes, Walnut CA performance in this survey was enhanced and strengthened through the company-wide implementation of BuildSERV Ownership Guide.   Shea Homes ranks 1^st or 2^nd in customer satisfaction in all 5 markets where they competed (Phoenix, San Francisco Area, Denver, Inland Empire, and Orange Co/San Diego), and ranks highest in Shea Trilogy Active Adult communities where they compete in 6 U.S. markets.    Year over year, Shea Homes places in the Top 10 for number of homes built each year with approximately 2,400 homes being sold this year.

Shea Homes expanded their commitment to utilize BuildSERV throughout their 11 regions with built-in milestone notification e-mails and web-based appointment scheduling.  Shea Homes expanded from 3 to 11 regions for three principal reasons.  Firstly, BuildSERV helps Shea Homes internally by allowing everyone to upload, share and collaborate regarding the same documents and information for consistency and unification of their branded image in all locations.  Externally, they’re able to proactively communicate with home buyers using milestone-based messaging and appointment scheduling to keep homebuyers informed and positively engaged.  Secondly, Shea Homes tracks and monitors home owner activities and warranty performance with activity timeline reports giving them a clear picture as to how the home owner is learning and using the system while helping Shea Homes meet their legal obligations.  Finally, the implementation process is quick, easy and cost effective so they save time, money and resources.

Once BuildSERV is delivered to the home buyer by CD ROM, web or e-mail, Shea Homes receives campaign management results with reporting on recipients who’ve received, responded to and are using their information and services.  “In essence, instead of delivering the Home Owner’s Manual as a paper 3-ring binder that gets shelved, BuildSERV delivers twelve copies of their Manual electronically during their first two years in their home using BuildSERV’s milestone messaging and web-based Home Ownership Guide”, Chip Pennington, Corporate Director of Customer Service, Shea Homes.

“The next generation of home buyers are expecting more information online, and BuildSERV delivers the effective communication tools they’re looking for with a comprehensive, web-based Home Owner Manual, providing quick and easy access to regular updates about their home and enhanced information services to create better home buying experiences,”

- Robb Pigg
Corporate VP Operations
Shea Homes

Constellation HomeBuilder Systems is the largest home building software supplier helping builders manage their information technology costs with cutting-edge, integrated software solutions to run their businesses more effectively.   Constellation continues to invest in new products and services, while providing regular updates  to keep builders current with today’s technology trends. 

Constellation HomeBuilder Systems (“CHS”) is a division of Constellation Software Inc. (“CSI”), and is a publicly traded company.

About Constellation HomeBuilder Systems

As the largest home building software company in the industry, Constellation HomeBuilder Systems has helped more than 2,100 builders manage their information technology costs with integrated software solutions to run their business from dirt to warranty. From planning to homeowner services, we have land development software, new home sales and marketing software, production, purchasing, scheduling, accounting, warranty, electronic homeowner manuals, vendor portal solutions, and web site solutions designed exclusively for the home building industry.

Media Inquiries
Cathy Kotsopoulos
(888) 723-2222

The award program, owned by CE Pro, TecHome Builder and Electronic House magazines honors the most innovative products, builders and CE pros serving the homebuilding industry.

A panel of tech building industry experts and journalists evaluated the 2009 finalists and made the tough choices.  The winners represent best practices by CE pros, builders, home technology makers and IT innovators.

Visit www.techomebuilder.com for product information and slideshows of the winners and award finalists.

Constellation Sales was nominated as a finalist.

An existing customer that has been using one of our systems for a long time was blown away with how much more they could be doing with our software.  They could be using scheduling better, they could be following up with leads quicker, they could be providing all their warranty materials online, they could be tracking supplier quality better, and they could be using more of our built-in reports.

As a software partner, I feel that we have let them down. They should know that we have been working hard to improve our products and provide them with tools to make them more effective and efficient.  I encourage any builder with a slight interest in wanting to do more with technology to run their business to give us a call.

I’m looking forward to Seth Godin‘s talk on Friday.  Should be fun.

We had some great conversations with builders looking for integrated software systems like BuildSoft, Builder 360, NEWSTAR and FAST.  Builders are looking for sales systems as well, so it was good timing when Mike Lyon came by the booth to chat about how Constellation Sales, NEWSTAR Sales and FAST Sales are helping home builders improve their websites and prospect follow-up processes to help close more sales. (starts at about 2:45)

Our sales, production, and accounting systems will help builders respond more quickly to prospects, work better with trades and suppliers, build homes on time with improved quality, and reduce ongoing homeowner warranty and service costs.

See you at the show.

I am frequently asked about the effectiveness of e-mail/on-line media versus printed United States Postal Service (USPS) letters for communicating important information or for soliciting a response.

While I am not claiming to be an expert in print to draw out all the comparisons, one advantage of e-mail is that it gets past the “gate keeper” who opens, sorts and prioritizes mail, in contrast to e-mail which will often get to the actual intended recipient.  In the same home you could also have multiple recipients recieving the same e-mail message directly to their desktop.

Several recent research studies have describe that higher response rates were achieved among certain audiences when using of e-mail/on-line versus paper surveys.  Although customer survey responses are not a perfect analogy for determining the most effective mode for customer interaction; the studies do show a significantly higher response rate for e-mail vs. USPS when recipients are already “on-line” and have been conditioned to use e-mail as the primary means of communication with a particular vendor or service provider.

Certainly more and more home buying customers fall into this “on-line” category….but the most effective way to get a high response rate from this kind of audience is to use a combination of media…e-mail/on-line, phone and perhaps a post card or two.

Here are some helpful blog links on the subject:

E-mail versus snail mail: which ever is better for you…

E-mail vs. Snail Mail: Creative Criticism…

Marketing – Snail Mail versus E-mail, MoneyBlog…

Direct Marketing News, Views and Opinions: E-mail

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