<p>Who says homebuilders aren't innovative when it comes to using technology? Certainly not E.M. Rose, www.emrose.net, Branford, Conn., which you can consider a leader when it comes to using technology for residential. This custom builder doesn't just implement technology; it directs technology for the good of its business.</p><p>The company took home a Constructech Vision Award in 2012 for its visionary approach to custom-developed software using IBM Lotus Notes as its platform. The program, called "Project Framework," includes contract management in administration, document management, details of a specific project, information regarding materials owned and rented, risk management, and insurance.</p><p>Rose says this helps raise its knowledge limitations by bringing past experience to future projects, allowing it to benefit from every piece of work. This is key in the high-end custom residential market where in order to be competitive a builder must demonstrate the ability to think creatively, become problem solvers, and above all else, make architects' visions come to life. This is where technology rises to the challenge, helping it handle common tasks, like contracts, samples, communication, and managing documents, in a more streamlined manner. This means more time is spent on actual construction. But perhaps most essential is the technology allows E.M. Rose to gain more face time with its clients. In the business of building, it can be that unique client time that separates the great builders from those that no longer stay in business.</p><p>Perhaps most impressive is the fact company owner Eric Rose himself served as the software architect and teamed with a certified Lotus software developer for project Framework. Using IBM's Domino Designer, which includes the IBM XPages toolset for creating a Web 2.0 experience across different platforms, Rose can develop Project Framework's Internet and mobile capabilities.</p><p><a href="http://www.constructech.com/news/articles/article.aspx?article_id=9823&SECTION=1">Keep reading...</a></p>