Issue link: http://osercommunicationsgroup.uberflip.com/i/1198653
Construction Marketplace 3 7 Thursday, January 23, 2020 and bathroom renovations continue to lead as the two most popular remodeling projects. Members also report an increase in whole-home remodeling along with basement renovations. CM: What is universal design? DP: Universal design, sometimes referred to as aging in place, focuses on incorporating accessibility into the design of spaces, especially kitchens and bathrooms, to ensure comfort and safety. While many think of universal design in terms of older adults, people of all ages can benefit from incorporating these design principles. In the same way clients choose materials or products, they also customize their living space to fit their current and future needs. Universal design takes thoughtful planning and cre- ative thinking to design spaces to meet life-long needs. Elements of universal design are integrated into the overall plan and become virtually invisible. CM: How does NARI promote universal design best practices? DP: NARI has many education, training and certification resources that are avail- able to remodelers. I know from firsthand experience as a Universal Design Certified Professional the value of this NARI (Cont'd. from p. 1) certification. Prior to taking the certifica- tion exam, I participated in a preparatory course. NARI provides both online courses and in-person sessions offered through local NARI chapters. This is a great opportunity to learn and network with other remodelers at the same time. CM: What are some of the benefits of being a NARI member? DP: In addition to NARI Certification, NARI offers members a variety of educa- tion opportunities available through NARI University. A new online learning tool on NARI.org provides access to on-demand webinars in a range of topics including business management, design, project management, safety, technical skills and more. For companies seeking third-party validation, NARI offers the Accredited Remodeling Company accreditation. CM: Why is membership in a trade asso- ciation like NARI important? DP: NARI supports remodeling busi- nesses with education and training, advo- cacy, networking and leadership opportu- nities, as well as building consumer awareness for the value of hiring a NARI member who follows the Code of Ethics. For more information, visit IBS booth #N1173, go to www.nari.org, call 847.298.9200 or email info@nari.com business overall. ERP implementation is where planning and profitability inter- sect, allowing you to streamline your back office processes with software that helps you achieve a more controlled, paperless build. With ERP, you can rid yourself of duplicate data entries in dis- parate systems, unpredictable cost, quali- ty and accuracy, and scheduling delays, all of which cost you time and money and hinder your company's potential for growth. Most ERP systems also offer real- time reporting and automation tools. Instead of relying on separate databases and spreadsheets that employees need to consistently update, and then putting someone in charge of manually merging them all to generate reports, some ERP solutions give you the ability to pull reports from one central system. For example, with schedule approvals flow- ing automatically into the financial sys- tem without the need for the additional step of manually signing and entering new invoices, builders can not only build homes more quickly and accurately, but the accounting department can close the book faster. For a deeper understanding of what ERP does, it's helpful to take a step back and think about all of the processes that ERPs (Cont'd. from p. 1) are essential to building new homes, including accounting, purchasing, con- struction, sales and beyond. The purpose of ERP software is to have one complete system that supports and integrates all of these functions, in order to streamline processes and information across an entire organization. By creating a smooth flow of information that is always in sync, employees across all divisions (for exam- ple, accounting and sales) have access to the same, consistent information. In conclusion, ERP is a comprehen- sive solution essential for modern home builders. You may wonder if an ERP real- ly can work for your business and deliver on all that the vendor promises. The fact is that an ERP can do all this and more. ECI has seen it happen time after time, and witnessed some builders reach their goals by implementing an ERP solution firsthand. ECI has over 30 years of experience providing home builders with MarkSystems, the home building indus- try's leading single-platform ERP. It is a completely integrated, easy-to-use cloud- based solution that maximizes business efficiency for home builders and property developers. Visit ECI at booth #SU1041. For more information, go to www.ecisolutions .com/home-builders-land-developers. process organized into a mobile app. The app provides an on-demand solution for home builders, home warran- ty companies, professional services com- panies and ultimately, homeowners, and allows them to connect in real time. The company provides a solution set that dig- itizes the three-ring binder given to homeowners and turns it into a compact, easy to use native app for iPhone and Android. All aspects of the home can be included for tracking in the app, from appliances/components, paint codes, photos, documents, manuals, builder- backed warranty items, manufacturer- backed warranty items to after the build vendor maintenance schedules. The app can be used as a social engagement tool during the build process, a warranty scheduler for builders during the builder- backed warranty period, a tool for home- owners to get non-warranty services scheduled after warranty periods via an in-network of service providers, and an ongoing maintenance schedule to keep homes in top shape. It integrates with Amazon for homeowners to purchase consumables such as refrigerator filters, air filters and so on, in accordance with the many maintenance schedules required to keep a home in good shape. The app delivers a digital experience customers expect and gives builders a sim- plistic analytics tool to track quality con- Dun Today (Cont'd. from p. 1) trol all the way down to the sub-contractor level. It eliminates the need to create cum- bersome binders and manuals for each home while delivering a full home warran- ty scheduling platform as a digital service. It also offers builders a sales differentiator. The Dun Today software app will enable buyers to easily handle warranty claims, track home maintenance activi- ties and consolidate all aspects of the home building experience into a mobile application, which then offers a mobile wallet method for homeowners that will allow them to pay digitally for services rendered outside of home warranties. Dun Today is attending the International Builders Show to gain exposure and grow its client base of builders, home warranty companies and service professionals. The company is proud to be able to showcase this first-of- its-kind digital binder solution that assists builders to be able to deliver a next-generation customer experience. The digital experience for builders opti- mizes workflow so they can focus on faster home closes and reduce the num- ber of good-will warranty claims. The program has cloud-based storage, which makes it a strong mobile app not only for builders but also for subcontractors, homeowners and service professionals. For more information, stop by booth #SU1225, go to www.duntoday.com or call 919.802.1077. Uniqueness Sells to the Gift Shopper By Lorrie Baumann Jennifer Boake, Senior Buyer for Abbott, is a self-confessed giftware junkie. "We're really involved in what's going on in both the Canadian and U.S. mar- ket," she said. She's been with the company for 33 years and loves her job. She spends a lot of time in shops, at trade shows, researching online and flipping through magazines, observing and looking for inspiration and then bringing those ideas back to the company's design team to start to create new items and ranges. Then she goes to work finding factories to make them and following up to make sure that the products are right before they're shipped to Canada. "We are con- stantly trend-spotting, constantly looking for inspiration to bring new product to market," she said. "You have to be nim- ble. The Internet has changed the way people shop, and that's continuing to change.... We have to be flexible and lis- ten to customers about what they want to buy and how they want to do business and react to that." The Abbott Collection comprises about 4,000 items at any given time, curated by Boake and company President David Abbott, son of the company's founder, Ben Abbott, to make the collec- tion a one-stop shop full of unique items to attract customers into small, independ- ent gift and home décor shops. "For us, it's very difficult to get those dollars from the customer, as we are all competing for the same dollar," she said. "For our cus- tomers to attract consumers to their store, they need to have great products, with great window displays." The days when a gift shop could get along by specializing in ceramic and glass collectibles is long over, and these days, gift store owners have expanded their horizons to include fragrances, jewelry, candles and more, Boake said. "You name it – they're carrying everything," she said. "We've followed along that same line. Now we buy everything – anything that we think is salable in a kitchen/gift/decor store – we're all over it." Today, it's essential for a gift retailer to stay on top of trends and to rotate in new items constantly to ensure that shop- pers will find something new every time they visit the store. To help that along, Abbott Collection launches 1,200 to 1,500 new items a year, so that at least 30 percent of the collection is new at any given time. "Customers are not reorder- ing whatever sold well last year," Boake said. "You can sell less than half the sec- ond year of a product – unless it's a really hot, gimmicky item." To keep the new and unique items flowing in, Abbott designs its own prod- ucts, commissioning new products from designers as well as buying them on the open market, Boake said. "People are willing to pay a little more for well- designed and unique product – as long as the price is still fair. There are a lot of people who don't have a lot of cash," she said. "They'll spend a little more for something they haven't seen before – $20 or so isn't something that they have a problem spending." Even when they're feeling cash- strapped, consumers still need to buy gifts for special occasions, and the giftware mar- ket remains strong even when the economy dips into recession. "It is true, in a lot of ways, that people will always need a gift, but the definition of gift has changed," Boake said. "Multiple categories of product are now considered giftware." She's currently excited about stain- less steel double-walled wine tumblers, reusable straws and a Swedish dishcloth made of cellulose fiber that takes the place of 15 rolls of paper towels. "Eco- friendly stuff is very hot right now," she said. "People are trying to do their best, and they're trying to buy products that make them feel good and like they are doing their part for the environment."