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Construction Marketplace Wednesday, January 11, 2017 4 2 IDEAS FOR INCREASED PROFITABILITY Now is a very important time in home building. Volume and pricing are up, but labor is tight and costs are up. Here are some ideas builders should consider. Business Intelligence: Information for Profitable Actions What if you had a system that turns infor- mation into profit? Business Intelligence systems are designed to answer impor- tant questions automatically and effort- lessly from existing data that lies within the systems used to run day-to-day oper- ations. Gain access to the data contained in any system and integrate details to turn them into actionable intelligence. This makes you agile and informed and can help with questions, such as: Are you missing selling opportunities? Where do your buyers come from? Where are the opportunities to generate more leads? What marketing events should we do more or less of? Where are the opportunities to generate more revenue from the customers we have? Where are the opportunities to close homes faster and to get projects back on track? Business Intelligence systems will allow relevant information to be visible on-demand. Your unique data and busi- ness information can be secured on the cloud, guaranteeing access and reliability. This impor- tant data provides key indicators of your busi- ness in real time. Rebate Management Have you ever wondered if you are receiving rebates in all categories avail- able? Or if that supplier even paid you last quarter? You can generate impor- tant savings both in time and costs by participating in rebate and incentive programs. Benchmark your current rebate and incentive programs to find the best rebates available in a given cat- egory, and work to achieve those levels. Consider what your current suppliers have to offer, and also periodically review new suppliers. You will gain a closer relationship with your suppliers and build a better home. Look for a firm that can supply this informa- tion and perform these services. Conclusion The only way to obtain a different result is to do things differently. Good sys- tems are no longer difficult, cumber- some, non-integrated and expensive. As you move forward, avoid the temptation to hire more people to increase profit. Automate and outsource wherever pos- sible. For more information, visit Builder Sourcing Corporation at booth #W5188. WHIRLPOOL ANNOUNCES 3-YEAR AGREEMENT WITH CENTURY COMMUNITIES U.S homebuilder Century Communities has signed an exclusive agreement with Whirlpool Corporation to equip new homes with Whirlpool ® , KitchenAid ® and Jenn-Air ® brand appliances. The three-year contract between the Colorado-based homebuilder and the manufacturer of major home appliances became effective Aug. 1, 2016. Century Communities delivers sin- gle-family homes, townhomes and flats to locations in Colorado, Georgia, Nevada, Texas and Utah. Founded in 2002, Century Communities is also the parent company of Jimmy Jacobs Homes and Grand View Builders. "Century Communities shares our passion for excellence and commitment to high-quality products, which makes this an ideal relationship," said Bob Bergeth, General Manager of Contract Builder Sales at Whirlpool Corporation. "Century Communities' mission is to deliver a home with lasting value and quality and we're proud of the vital role our appli- ances will play in fulfilling that promise." "Our homes set the bar for construc- tion and craftsmanship, which makes Whirlpool Corporation appliances a natu- ral fit for Century Communities," said Mark Adcock, Vice President of National Construction Services and National Purchasing for Century Communities. "Quality is the heartbeat of what we do, and we know the same holds true for Whirlpool Corporation, which provides homeowners with everything they would expect in kitchen and laundry appliances." KIMBERLY-CLARK BLOCK-IT HOUSE WRAP: SUPERIOR WEATHERIZATION YOU CAN TRUST Performance You Can Count On Designed for use on homes and light com- mercial building structures under five sto- ries, BLOCK-IT* House Wrap is UV-sta- bilized for up to 180 days, and when installed according to manufacturer's directions, it meets the requirements of the following industry standard tests: ASTM E2273 Drainage Test; ICC-ES AC38 Water Resistive Barrier; ASTM E2178 Air Permeance of Building Materials; and ASTM 84 Class A Flame Spread Index and Smoke Developed Index. (Kimberly-Clark BLOCK-IT House Wrap is combustible and should not be placed near an open flame or sources of ignition. Contact on either surface with chemicals including coatings, cleaning agents or otherwise can affect the performance of Kimberly-Clark BLOCK-IT House Wrap.) Made and Guaranteed by a Name You Can Trust Kimberly-Clark leads the world in essen- tials for a better life. That's why billions of people around the world choose its prod- ucts to make a positive difference in their lives. Its leading brands are sold in more than 175 countries, and nearly one-quarter of the world's population purchases its products every day. With more than 140 years in business, Kimberly-Clark is a company you can trust to provide the solu- tions you need. Its expertise in nonwoven, breathable materials is unmatched. It has been on the leading edge of nonwovens technologies since its founding. Now, Kimberly-Clark is leveraging its nonwo- vens expertise with an innovative line of building materials. Its core BLOCK-IT product line is made in the U.S.A. with patented technologies and car- ries a 10-Year Limited Product Only Warranty, for protection you can trust. Kimberly-Clark BLOCK-IT House Wrap is available in the following roll sizes: 3 feet by 100 feet; 5 feet by 100 feet; 9 feet by 75 feet; 9 feet by 150 feet; 10 feet by 100 feet; and 10 feet by 150 feet. Don't just wrap it. BLOCK-IT with Kimberly- Clark BLOCK-IT House Wrap. Visit Kimberly-Clark at booth #S2047. For more information, call 844.BLOCK.IT or go to www.block-it.com. Trademarks of Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. or its affiliates. WHY DISCOVERY DREAM HOMES USES ARCHICAD Toronto-based Discovery Dream Homes creates custom log and timber frame homes using ARCHICAD. Discovery Dream Homes relies heavily on creating 3D presentations in ARCHICAD and sharing them via the award-winning presentation app, BIMx. "We use BIMx for every project we do. It has had a profound impact on our presentation style from the moment it was introduced to us," explained Director of Design for Discovery Dream Homes, Shawn Hunter. "When people are trying to decide whether to hire us or not, BIMx tips the scales in our favor every time." Before BIMx, Discovery Dream Homes used 3D renderings and different applications to cobble together a unified overview of each home. Now, BIMx and ARCHICAD are a big part of the selling process. "Implementing high tech in our workflow shows that we've adopted for- ward thinking. Our factory where we manufacture all the homes we build is completely automated. ARCHICAD models and the information they contain about each and every home we design feed the data the machines need to oper- ate and seamlessly translates it via an IFC file," said Hunter. Timber elements from the model – exported from ARCHICAD through IFC – supply the saw cutter with accurate measurements. The house actually gets produced because of the 3D model, from the conceptual plan all the way to the final product. The team can generate a home's first concept for presentation to a potential homeowner within two weeks or less. As clients are on tight deadlines, needing to get per- mits and foundations in place ahead of changes in weather, this speedy turnaround proves valuable. ARCHICAD facilitates the editing and evolution of the design from there as well. "Some presentations are done online – others right in our board room. We go through the model room by room, allowing the client to change window size, move walls, change kitchen layouts. A one-and-a-half-hour meeting can result in an approved design and get us to the blueprint and engineering phase right away," said Hunter. Client interaction at this phase of the design process helps Discovery Dream Homes keep to a tight production sched- ule. ARCHICAD generates some materi- al quantities and produces construction documents for its engineer, who uses the BIMx to figure out what he needs to do. In cases where the home is situated on remote mountainous or steep and rocky terrain, Discovery Dream Homes uses topical site plans and elevations in ARCHICAD to get a realis- tic view of the home, adding Google Earth to provide an even clearer picture. Each model has all interiors includ- ed, as well as furnishings, down to pic- tures on the walls. Sun Studies help clients see how the changes in light impact the home's look as well. The detail in ARCHICAD models is just not possible to achieve in any other program – certainly not 2D – so this aspect of the software is extremely valuable. To learn more, receive information on how to download a trial version of the software for free and get a demonstration of BIMx with VR via Google Cardboard, visit GRAPHISOFT at booth #W5241.