Housing Giants - September 10, 2008 - (Page 15) for what price. Wouldn’t it be better to have one version of the truth, with every department working from one single database? stepping up to integration Let’s look at a before-and-after real-life case study of a builder who initially had a few software systems and paper-based systems that he converted — with impressive results — to an integrated system that has had a dramatic return on investment. I will keep the builder’s name confidential, but if you want to follow up, contact me directly. This builder puts up homes in a Texas metro market. In 2005, the company put up 69 starts using 3 models and obtained land options to nearly double that number in 2006, using five models. The team had been running QuickBooks Pro and Excel to perform all its front- and back-office business functions such as sales, management of job site superintendents, estimating, workflow management/scheduling, work orders, accounts receivable/accounts payable, change orders/variances, warranty management and general ledger accounting. But if the sales department received a change order, QuickBooks Pro and Excel needed a “translator” to create with this workflow management approach, the builder immediately saved two full-time equivalents. a work order and purchase order and make sure everything took place — that pricing was right, job expense was properly allocated, the superintendents updated, the subs alerted, the payment authorized, and the proper client billed — with complete reconciliation back to the general ledger. In one fell swoop, with the implementation of an integrated accounting system and a process management system, the builder went from QuickBooks Pro, Excel and lots of wasted time and paper to an entirely integrated, paperless, invoice-free, checklist-driven purchase order system that the builders’ superintendents can drive wirelessly from the field using a BlackBerry. With this workflow management approach, the builder immediately saved two full-time www.Housinggiants.com 9.10.08.Housing giants 15 http://www.Housinggiants.com
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