Like many builders, TRI Pointe Group, a family of premium home builders based in Irvine, California, offers seemingly countless options for home buyers to choose from via its Design Studios. Recognizing how the process can sometimes overwhelm home buyers, TRI Pointe implemented several technologies that make it easier to browse, compare, price, and make product selections.
One such technology is an options portal, where buyers can see what’s included in their home as well as personal choice upgrades. Buyers access the portal from home and, similar to browsing for a car online, research what’s included, see and save images and descriptions, and view side-by-side comparisons. The customer can create a personal wish list to be better prepared for their Design Studio visit.
Additionally, TRI Pointe uses Interior Logic’s proprietary technology for flooring selections in several of its markets. Home buyers can see each area where flooring will be installed, view diagrams of how flooring will look in each room, and get real-time pricing.
For the design team, these features help buyers choose products with greater confidence—which means more peace of mind and increased satisfaction. In addition, the tool saves time by eliminating the need to send diagrams out for custom pricing.
“Interior Logic Group’s proprietary technology is great for home buyers because it provides pricing on site and sets clear expectations. The Online Design Studio portal helps set clear expectations on available choices so customers are not trying to decipher and interpret what options are available,” says Sherri Drew, Vice President of Design Studios for TRI Pointe. “It’s also important for our design team to be able to finalize paperwork in a timely way and be sure we are ordering within the time frame available.”
What’s more, the tools help TRI Pointe’s design sales team add a personal touch to client meetings by having the right samples ready to go and preparing ahead of time to answer specific questions.
For buyers earlier in the process, educational touchscreens in the Design Studios provide detailed information on product offerings and quick access to manufacturer portals that educate customers on products offered in the Design Studio.
The final resource is a manufacturer video wall. Set up much like the wall of TVs you might see at a department store, these video feeds show loops of products and processes for insights into how materials are made, product quality, and more.
“With all of the technology these days, people have information at their fingertips; we weren’t providing customers that experience—we were pulling out price books and asking them to decide the same day,” says Drew. “Now they can sit in the comfort of their own home and make decisions while truly getting a look at what’s to come.”
The technologies are also improving team operations. The product portal works with the builder’s enterprise resource planning system, so options that convert to a sale integrate into the system and automatically create purchase orders, which eliminates repetitive hand-entering that takes time and can lead to errors.
This also gives TRI Pointe access to helpful analytics, such as when customers log on, how much time they’re taking to browse options, if items are added to a wish list but not purchased, and much more. And these insights, Drew says, are helping TRI Pointe boost revenue.
“People have expectations that we have these types of tools. Customers expect it with technology today,” Drew says. “Two years ago, we didn’t have these tools in place. It was a missed opportunity that we are now pleased to offer to our customers.”
To learn more about using Interior Logic Group’s technology solutions for your customers, visit: https://interiorlogicgroup.com/.