Company Specific Setup

Important Questions to Ask

Decisions you make using the attached questionnaire will determine the path to follow during the rest of your HomeBuilder implementation:

• Will you want to schedule tasks in HomeBuilder, or do you leave this with the site super?
  • No scheduling – fill in on HomeBuilder setup the default Workflow Template and Workflow Template Task.
• Will you want The Color Chart?
  • The system depends on the Full Color Chart if you want the budget to actual for costs and guided selection for the Décor designer with the purchaser.
    • You need to setup a huge catalogue.
    • Push the Items to the Models.
    • Vendor contracts.
• A simple Color Chart is sufficient if you allow the décor designer to select from a limited list and manually enter the price and also enter the cost if you want.
  • Just create simple items e.g., Carpet Upgrades.
  • Push the Items to the Models.
  • After releasing the Lot Selection Package, go to Package Work Planning and enter the Choice Planning Lines for vendor.
• Phase Color Selections: How does the "Populate" Action Button work?
  • For each Item, there is a list of House Areas.
  • For each Item, there is an Item Category.
  • For each Item, I can flag the Item as a Color Chart Item.
  • For the Phase, there are Models attached to them.
  • Under each model, there is also a list of House Areas.
  • After the populate go into the Phase Color Selections:
  • Can select if it is mandatory or not.
  • For each Item Category/House Area add at least one item to Selection Options; more if you like and set default if you want.
• Do you want after-sales service?
  • Setup new items with designation after-sales.
  • Deficiency Types for the Pre-Delivery Inspection (PDI) – assign the relevant item.
  • Create the Checklist items for the PDI.
  • Attach Deficiency Types to Checklist items.
  • Attach Checklist Items to House Areas.

Preparing Operations

Above we dealt with implementation topics that had to be completed in a sequence and without skipping steps. The following Help Files discuss your operations which must be configured depending on your preferences and needs.

• Construction Catalogue,i.e.: various categories of Constrcution Items. Essential setup is already present in your company.
• Projects, Phases, Models and Lots - this section explains the structure of the operations of the system. The basic setup is there, you need to verify it and understand your options and how to use the system.

You need to setup each of these entities- listed above- and all the associated information (tables) to be able to use the HomeBuilder system. They are the core of your operations on which rest your:

• Budgets and Costs providing you with the ability to control the costs and manage your reporting.
• Site Planning and Operations explaining Construction Workflows, Construction Tasks, Planning (Planning lines, i.e. Budgeted Costs) and Scheduling (who does what when).
• Purchasing and managing your vendors and accounts payable.
• Lot Payments and Closing section covering main revenue administration.
• Selling Covers side / ad hoc revenue issues.
• Upgrades and Extras explains the options regarding Selection Packages: Standard Choices (Color Chart) and options available for an additional fee (Upgrades and Extras).
• After-Sales and Warranty explains managing your after sales relationships and warranty responsibilities.
• Reporting and Regulatory section lists specific, ready-to-go reports that rely directly on HomeBuilder Data structure and provide construction industry-specific reports: operational and financial.
• Add-Ons section describes Add- Ons / Extensions of the essential HomeBuilder software that are available for every Localization (every country HomeBuilder is available in).
• Localizations are additional functionalities available for certain geographic areas, e.g.: Canada.
• Release Notes are detailed documents describing our efforts to:
  • Improve the existing functionality.
  • Add new functionality.
  • Address uncovered bug issues.
  • Provide updates that make HomeBuilder software work smoothly with the new Business Central releases.