AUSTIN, Texas – September 29, 2004 – New Home Technologies announced the successful summit of new home builders and product manufacturers to launch the Envision options management product suite. Envision is designed to “greatly improve the way the new home industry markets products to homebuyers,” said Tim Costello, CEO of New Home Technologies, at the Envision Summit held in Austin, TX September 28th and 29th.
Over 300 leaders of the homebuilding industry attended the two-day Summit, working together to prepare to launch an options management solution that has the power to overcome traditional barriers to effective options marketing, including complex data management and integration issues, and the limitations of selling options in physical design centers.
“Selling and managing options over the Internet using a central data collection hub that integrates seamlessly into each builder’s Website is the ideal solution,” said Mr. Costello. “The efforts of Envision’s early adopters will benefit the entire industry.”
Leading homebuilders, like Beazer Homes, are onboard to take full advantage of Envision as quickly as possible, said Ian McCarthy, CEO, Beazer Homes USA. “We’ve made a commitment to sell options through Envision for all our homes.”
“We found that 93 percent of our customers will shop for options online when given a choice, and selling options online increases sales by over 10 percent,” said Greg Witherow, Envision Project Manager for Lennar Corporation IS. “The barrier to widespread option sales online has been the inability to deliver robust, fully integrated content management. This is exactly what Envision delivers.”
“We’ve experienced phenomenal growth through our design studios, achieving $580 million in option sales annually,” said Lisa Kalmbach, Senior VP Studios, KB Home. “We are anxious to build on our success using Envision.”
Homebuilders said they are encouraged by the manufacturers’ enthusiasm. According to Jonathan Smoke, CIO, Beazer Homes USA: “It feels like 1999 – people in our industry are excited about the Internet again. There’s a real sense that we’re on the verge of something big – that Envision is the true killer app we’ve been waiting for.”
“Through Envision, both builders and manufacturers have found a way to breakthrough the barriers and integrate the options process,” said Melissa Morman, COO, New Home Technologies.
“Five years from today, we’ll be asking ourselves how we did business without it,” said Tom Halford, GM Field Sales at Whirlpool Corporation. “Today we have to ready ourselves for the future or we’ll slowly implode. Envision will enable new electronic business opportunities in our industry that we can’t even see today.”
Envision is not just about sales growth. “Even if we didn’t increase our options sales, but we increased customer satisfaction, convenience, and loyalty by giving them a better options-buying experience and new home products they love, that is all the ROI we need,” said Karen Mendelsohn, VP Sales & Marketing, Masco Corporation.
Envision will launch in a phased approach beginning in October 2004, when manufacturers will start populating a central repository with their data. Builders will then begin launching their consumer-facing applications, which are integrated into their existing Web sites, allowing consumers to research and select their new home options online. Individual homebuyers will have their own personalized experience, containing just the options available in their new homes.
Envision Participants
Homebuilders and product manufacturers participating in Envision include: Beazer Homes USA, Capital Pacific Holdings, Centex Corporation, David Weekley Homes, KB Home, Lennar Corporation, McGuyer Homebuilders, Morrison Homes, Toll Brothers, Village Homes, Georgia-Pacific, Honeywell, Masco, Overhead Door, Owens Corning, Progress Lighting, Square D, Therma-Tru, Weyerhaeuser, Whirlpool Corporation, and York International.
About Builder Homesite and New Home Technologies
Founded in 2000, Builder Homesite is owned by a consortium of 35 of the nation’s leading homebuilders. The consortium’s flagship product is the consumer Website www.newhomesource.com. In 2004, Builder Homesite and 12 product manufacturers launched a second consortium, New Home Technologies, to create products and services to benefit the entire homebuilding industry. The Envision options management product suite is the first offering from New Home Technologies.
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