Production and Accounting Software for Home Builders

Markham, ON, January 4, 2010 – Constellation Software Inc., through its wholly owned subsidiary Constellation HomeBuilder Systems, is proud to announce the acquisition of Builder1440, a leading software company focused on the residential homebuilding industry.  This acquisition includes Sales1440, a trusted and proven web-based sales solution for hundreds of home builders, as well as the consulting and staffing solutions of G.1440.

“We know this industry, and after evaluating several firms, it was clear that Builder1440 was more than a simple sales system,” says Dexter Salna, President of Constellation HomeBuilder Systems.  “Builder1440’s software suite is a great choice for homebuilders that can’t afford to risk putting their business in the hands of old technology, limited solutions, or small family businesses that might not be around to support them tomorrow.”

Builder1440 will continue to operate and grow out of its Baltimore offices, under the same management team and will continue to promote and enhance its existing product line.  Constellation welcomes all Builder1440 customers and will provide world-class solutions and services as a long term technology partner in the homebuilding industry.

“Constellation recognizes Builder1440’s commitment to our clients,” says Matt McShane, Vice President of Builder1440.  “Throughout the downturn, we’ve been aggressively expanding our solutions with one goal in mind: to help builders sell more homes.  Constellation shares that goal, and we’re excited to be a part of the Constellation family.”

Larry Fiorino, Builder1440 CEO and Founder added that Builder1440 is planning to announce several key initiatives and new offerings at the International Builders’ Show in Las Vegas, NV this January.  “I can’t get into it yet, but we’re rolling out solutions that will completely change how builders sell homes,” said Fiorino.

With many of North America’s top 10 builders as clients, Builder1440’s cloud-based platform supports customers ranging from large national builders to smaller, regional builders, and everyone in between.

In addition to Builder1440, Constellation has acquired parent company G.1440, including consulting solutions and IT staffing services divisions that deliver end-to-end IT solutions.  Specializing in custom software, web design, web marketing, and tech staffing, G.1440 will continue to be a leader in IT in the Baltimore/Washington region. G.1440 was founded in 1998 and was previously a subsidiary of Sinclair Broadcast Group.

About Constellation HomeBuilder SystemsAs 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.

About Builder1440, LLCBuilder1440, LLC delivers trusted software solutions for home builders. With a deep vertical knowledge of the home building industry and extensive technical expertise, our team designs and develops cloud-based software solutions currently in use by hundreds of builders across North America. Builder1440′s sales & marketing software suite increases profits and decrease costs through all stages of the homebuyer life cycle.

About Constellation Software Inc.Constellation Software Inc. is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol “CSU”. Constellation Software is an international provider of market leading software and services to a number of industries across both the public and private sectors. Constellation acquires, manages and builds vertical market software businesses that provide mission­-critical software solutions to address the specific needs of its customers in those industries.

Media Inquiries
Cathy Kotsopoulos
ckotsopoulos@constellationhb.com
(888) 723-2222

Markham, ON, June 29, 2009 – Constellation HomeBuilder Systems, the largest provider of homebuilding software, is pleased to announce that Constellation was named Constructech’s 50 Hottest for 2009.

Constructech 50 Hottest for 2009 is a listing of the most influential construction technology providers with a strong and ongoing market presence.  The Constructech editorial team considered various criteria which included having a strong product/service aimed at the construction industry, customer satisfaction and growth, as well as industry outreach and educational efforts.

“The Constructech 50 Hottest honors the hard work and dedication that these exceptional companies have shown in the construction space.” said Mike Carrozzo, chief editor of Constructech.  “Though ecomonic turmoil has neen prominent and the construction market has seen struggles, this year’s winners have still found success and are taking part in th emove toward improvement in the industry.”

About Constructech Magazine

As the only publication focused exclusively on the technology needs to the construction professional, Constructech magazine division of Speciality Publishing Co., Constructech advises 30,000 unique builders and contractors in all trades within the homebuilding market on the technology, services, and automated home technology that help improve business and increase margins.  With a specialized focused in the homebuilding space, Constructech uncovers the solutions that are shaping the way homes are built.

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, and vendor portal solutions designed exclusively for the home building industry.

Day three at PCBC 2009 began with a motivating keynote by Seth Godin. His challenge to the home builders in the audience was to figure out how to build a home that will be lived in because the buyers like it, not becuase they will make a bunch of money when they sell it in 6 months. The home is more than the granite countertops, 4 bedrooms, the great room and a nice backyard.  The home needs to be part of the community and that begins with communication.  The builder needs to learn from the crowds that want to buy a home, identify a niche, design a home and a community that people want to live in, one that fits their lifestyle, allows them to live near people with shared interests, and one that people will tell stories about.  It is those stories that will bring motivated buyers into the sales office. Stories that people identify with and stories about the people that will become neighbours.  Telling stories is so much better than simply talking about how many bedrooms, bathrooms, square feet, and parking spaces the buyer will have in their new home.

If you are a builder doing something different, post a comment and let us know.

Here is a picture from the event.

We had another great day at PCBC 2009 and some very savvy builders visited our booth. Some were looking for home building software, some were starting new businesses, and some were frustrated with their current software partners.

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.

Constellation had a great day 1 at PCBC 2009. We met a bunch of home builders that are just getting started or looking for ways to improve their businesses with technology. Our online home owner warranty and service guides were a hit, with a few builders learning how to reduce warranty costs, while communicating online with their new home buyers.

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)

Just a reminder that we will be at PCBC (Booth 1316 South Hall) next week with several new products and enhancements for home builders. We have had a great year developing award winning software products and helping builders do more with less.

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.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Markham, ON, January 8, 2009 – Constellation HomeBuilder Systems, the largest provider of homebuilding software, announces the availability of nine new homebuilding software technologies. Instead of cutting back on development, in a time when many homebuilding software companies are struggling to meet the most basic customer support requests, Constellation is taking this opportunity to increase its investment in new technology and solutions for home builders. “We are continuing to invest in new products and services for home builders and maintain our long-term commitment to the home building industry”, says Dexter Salna, President of Constellation HomeBuilder Systems. “As everyone knows, the home building industry and real estate in general are very cyclical and, as a result, there has been very little long term investment in software for homebuilders. The long-term stability of Constellation ensures that we will continue to support our customers and bring new solutions forward to help builders and land developers compete in any type of market condition.”

Constellation will be at the 2009 International Builders Show in Las Vegas, NV from January 20th-23rd 2009; booth #C4299. Please contact us to request an appointment, or visit our booth during the show. All of our new solutions will be available for demos and our product experts will be available for detailed discussions.

With Constellation, home builders have security and stability with their software investments and the comfort of knowing that they will be supported now and in the years to come. Our continuing investment in software for home builders and land developers will help Constellation customers manage costs more effectively and respond to changes more quickly in 2009 with the following new technologies and solutions.

Land Development

Constellation LandDev, an integrated web-based land development system designed exclusively for land developers with flexible “best practices” to automate workflow, reduce and control costs, view cash flow and job schedules, while at the same time automating many tasks that are now manually performed. LandDev includes a vendor portal and supports detailed and summary level budgeting, estimating, bidding, contracting, and payment processing with easy to manage security and approval settings.

Marketing and New Home Sales

Constellation CRM Marketing is an industry-proven new home sales and marketing system that enables you to capture all relevant customer information for targeted, customized campaign management. The hallmark of every great marketing strategy is to know and communicate effectively with your prospects. Who are they, individually or as a group? When, where and how are they likely to buy? With easy-to-use tools to help you ask the right questions, you’ll understand and meet your customers’ budget and lifestyle preferences every time. Stay ahead of the competition; improve productivity and profitability with personalized marketing campaigns to turn qualified leads into new homebuyers. This highly disciplined, flexible system gives you the unique ability to design, build and deliver buyer-qualified products with every home you build.

Design Center Upgrades and Options Selections

OnLocation-Design Center is an integrated mobile device software application that helps design center staff easily manage options, upgrades, and color selections while helping to maximize the amount of each sale. During option and upgrade selection appointments, sales staff can walk through available options and upgrades while keeping running totals and making suggestions within the home buyer’s budget. With fewer errors and no additional data entry, the sales documents and addendums are printed and signed immediately.

Executive Dashboards and Reporting

NEWSTAR Enterprise and FAST have been updated with enhanced executive dashboards and reporting functionality. With FOCUS and FAST Insight, managers, field staff, vendors, and other partners can have access to production and accounting information as needed. Key business indicators are visible in a graphical format with the ability to drill down and look at the data in additional detail when making critical decisions.

Accounting and Production System Enhancements

Constellation’s core products include home building accounting and production systems used by over 40% of the top 100 home building companies in North America and over 1,400 home builders in total. Our mission critical production and accounting systems include FAST, NEWSTAR, Builder 360, BuildSoft, Constellation CRM (formerly Computers for Tracts) and LandDev. We continue to support and enhance these systems with the latest regional and regulatory requirements and bring new functionality to each system to help our customers improve their core operations.

Field Scheduling and Quality Control

OnLocation-Construction Manager is the latest solution in the award winning software OnLocation family of mobile device applications for home builders. In addition to core scheduling functionality and payment approval, field staff and inspectors can easily identify and record quality issues at any point during the building cycle and beyond. Not only can vendor payment be withheld, but issues can be addressed easier and tracked over periods of time. Using the camera capabilities of many mobile devices, you can capture photos from the field and automatically categorize them within the system. Once they are in the system, they can easily be made available for all employees and distributed to managers, vendors, and home buyers as necessary. The photos and easy identification of quality issues becomes a key tool in supplier and trade negotiations.

Warranty and Homeowner Expectation Management: Driving Referral Sales

Constellation BuildSERV – Ownership Guide is a hosted web portal and e-mail service for the delivery of home care and warranty information to new home buyers. Multiple touch-point communication tools help you track responses and reinforce your warranty and customer service standards. Integrated lead referral programs offered during and after the warranty period will help you drive referral sales.

Home Owner Portal and Customer Self-Serve

Constellation HomePlate is a home owner web portal designed to enhance the home owner experience by providing 24/7 Internet access to construction schedules, warranty requests, and home purchase information from contract to warranty. It’s designed to deliver instant information to your customers anytime, anywhere, without phone calls or phone staff. HomePlate is easily customized to match your website and data flows seamlessly between your production system and the HomePlate website.

Database and Technology Flexibility

NEWSTAR Enterprise, FAST, Builder 360 and Constellation CRM all operate on Microsoft SQL, which is essentially becoming the industry standard database technology. Microsoft SQL, familiar to many home building professionals, provides self-tuning for database performance, replication built-in for faster and easier reporting, more security with failover clustering, and enhanced automated out-of-the-box scheduling and alert services.

About Constellation HomeBuilder Systems

As the largest home building software company in the industry, Constellation HomeBuilder Systems has helped more than 1,400 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, and vendor portal solutions designed exclusively for the home building industry.

Media Inquiries

Cathy Kotsopoulos

ckotsopoulos@constellationhb.com

(888) 723-2222

Mark Jarasek from Professional Builder interviews Craig Schweikart on the floor at PCBC. 

Click here to watch the video

Craig gives a great overview of Constellation’s products and provides some advice to help builders get a handle on their information mangement systems.  With a strong focus on cost management and cash flow, builders need to ensure that their home building software production and accounting systems are providing the information they need to run their businesses.

While attending a session entitled Creating and Maintaining Company Value presented by Ron Robichaud at the 2008 Pacific Coast Builder Conference in San Francisco he says Information management systems are the second most important components in operational excellence.

“The second most important tool to achieve and maintain operations excellence is information. Now there are a number of providers who are actually successfully electronically integrating the full complement of sales and marketing, operations, production, service and financial functions into a seamless flow of live information readily accessible and useable to all parties as well as customer friendly.  Every builder is painfully aware of the costs generated by inaccurate plans, incomplete budgets, poor schedules, information slipping between the cracks, poor communication within the organization as well as with vendors, trades, and homebuyers.  All of the above is a function of information management.  The role of effective information processing, distribution and flow in creating and maintaining a well run company cannot be over-emphasized.  A consistently superior financial performance is not usually the result of some single secret formula or weapon, but rather the result of doing many things right, and the single most important way to do that is by managing information.”

Ron Robichaud
2008 PCBC
San Francisco

Just to remind everyone, Constellation HomeBuilder Systems will be exhibiting at PCBC next week in San Francisco.  Here are the details.

Pacific Coast Builders Conference
http://www.pcbc.com/default.aspx
June 25-27, 2008
Moscone Center
San Francisco, CA
#7535
HomeTech Connect
North Hall

If you have any questions about our Home Building Software products, please don’t hesitate to stop by the booth or give us a call.