As we reflect on 2021, we’re still trying to wrap our heads around the number of game-changing enhancements we made to the BuildBook platform over the last 12 months!
Just eight short months ago, the BuildBook app was wildly different.
And by wildly different, we mean it was quite literally a different product. If you think we’re exaggerating, here’s a snapshot of BuildBook in March 2021…
Notice (quite) a few things missing? Your eyes aren’t deceiving you!
At the end of 2020, we decided to make the very bold move of completely rebuilding the BuildBook platform. And we hit the ground running as soon as the clock struck midnight on 2021 (give or take a few hours).
So, why did we want to take on the challenge of rebuilding our product from the ground up?
Similar to remodeling a home, we needed to tear down some walls and start fresh. The “classic” version of BuildBook, aka the original, was created to help builders and remodelers solve one of their biggest challenges: client miscommunication.
But we wanted to build on that and deliver a solution that would be simple to use, yet powerful enough to give builders what they need to run stress-free projects. We knew there were other obstacles builders faced day-to-day, like keeping project timelines on track, managing the budget, client selections management, and overall collaboration with the team, subs, and clients.
And we were determined to enhance our platform to help builders and remodelers solve all of these problems and more while keeping everything user-friendly with zero training required - because we also know that software is equally as frustrating as disorganized projects.
So we built an all-new platform to do just that.
Everyone is kept up-to-date on progress with a slew of simple-to-use communication tools including Daily Logs, built-in Chat that’s easier than texting, and social media-style comment threads.
Managing project timelines has never been easier with our Gantt chart scheduling and calendar views.
Two of the biggest new features we released to make running projects more efficient were budget tracking and selections management. The client-facing budget keeps them updated in real-time and allows you to easily create change orders, log payments, and track the full project budget.
We know that managing selections are a big pain point for most builders and remodelers, so as we were creating this feature we took it a step further and built multiple views of selections, giving you and your clients the ability to quickly visualize how everything is coming together with Room View.
Clients now have a sleek dashboard to access every project detail that they can access from anywhere.
You also have complete control of what your client can see and access. No more late-night texts and calls from clients wondering where you’re at in the project timeline or why the budget was adjusted - clients simply log in and can see everything in one place.
If we had to guess what one of our most frequently asked questions was this year, it was if there was one place to see all projects.
So we got to work and released a global schedule with a calendar view of all projects in one place, with lots of helpful features like selecting which projects appear, a filter for items shown, and a filter for users assigned to tasks.
We ended 2021 with one of our most exciting new features yet - one that will pave the way for some VERY big future enhancements (did someone say Estimates and Proposals?).
The original Lead Manager in BuildBook was transformed into Opportunities, turning the former lead manager into an even more robust tool where you can track every lead in one place and never miss another sales opportunity.
Now you can (even more) easily move leads through your sales pipeline, set reminders for follow-up, add attachments and notes, assign owners to leads, and see detailed property info for potential projects.
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There’s a LOT more that we’re so excited to say that we accomplished this year, so head over to our release notes and check out all of the ways we made BuildBook even better.
We teamed up with Ring's End, a Connecticut-based lumber and building materials retailer that has been serving independent contractors and small construction businesses in Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New York since 1902, to support independent contractors and small construction businesses by bringing relationships back to the forefront.
Our partnership will give small businesses in the industry more solutions to help grow and manage their businesses with access to personal support, extensive discounts, and other incentives.
We created more awesome FREE resources than we can list here for builders and remodelers to help them manage their businesses from construction calculators and templates to guides on everything from scheduling and budgeting.
Here are just a few of our most downloaded free templates and most-read guides this year:
One thing that hasn’t changed? Our risk-free 10-day trial. No credit card required. Just sign up and spend 10 days getting to know the platform and using the features.
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