Press Release
January 12, 2005
Grayson Homes Implements BlackBerry Wireless Communications System In Its Nationally Awarded Quality Assurance Program
Ellicott City, Maryland and Waterloo, ON - Grayson Homes, recipient of the 2005 National Housing Quality (NHQ) Gold Award, today announced that the implementation of a wireless management system has proven to be an important element in the company’s nationally recognized quality assurance program. The award is a reflection of how its wireless management system has helped Grayson Homes inspect homes quickly and accurately, increasing its level of customer satisfaction and quality craftsmanship.
The system operates on the BlackBerry® wireless platform from Research In Motion (RIM) (Nasdaq: RIMM; TSX: RIM) and uses BlackBerry Enterprise Server™ to deploy a wireless reporting system that offers wireless tracking and project management capabilities. Construction Quality Manager® is an out-of-the-box solution created by ATSG for BlackBerry. This robust interactive wireless solution enhances a field supervisor’s ability to track, manage and resolve construction defects in the field from their BlackBerry handheld. It also provides a database and management reporting system that provides Grayson Homes with a comprehensive view of its business. The application uses the Flowfinity Solutions Platform to provide the handheld input screens, queries and deliver updates to server information. Flowfinity Solutions Platform technology is useful for extending an existing application to BlackBerry wireless devices. It’s based on existing industry standards and enables application developers to leverage their existing tools for creating BlackBerry applications.
"We were looking for a way to use technology to help our supervisors do their jobs more efficiently," said Ron Swecker, Director of Home Building at Grayson Homes. "Working with Advanced Technologies Support Group (ATSG), a company with a great knowledge of construction applications and processes, we were able to capture our requirements with a customized solution specifically for the construction industry. We benefit from the all-in-one functionality of BlackBerry - we have a handheld with e-mail, calendaring, phone, Web browsing and a quality management system in one device, which has made us more efficient and responsive to our customers."
Prior to implementing BlackBerry, Grayson Homes had a paper-based quality control system that relied on cell phones and faxes for communications, as well as a simple database that needed clerical support to input reports. Today, BlackBerry has become indispensable. The new system has reduced paperwork, phone calls and the manual input of reports, increased field supervisory efficiency, improved trade contractor effectiveness and also served as a testament to Grayson Homes’ commitment to superior quality assurance.
"At one time supervisors were hesitant to use email because it meant they were chained to their desks, but now with BlackBerry, email and their calendars can go with them when they visit houses," said Swecker. "And the ability to capture critical data, sift through it easily and access information as required to make improvements in construction quality and customer satisfaction is key to our competitive position in the marketplace."
Using the Mobile Data Service feature of BlackBerry Enterprise Server, construction information is wirelessly pushed to the handheld any time the central database is changed. As the construction supervisor enters data on the BlackBerry handheld, updates are sent wirelessly to the central server where the database is updated. When supervisors are in a remote area out of wireless coverage, they can use Construction Quality Manager to capture and update project status. All updates are automatically sent to the server as soon as the user returns to an area with wireless coverage.
BlackBerry Mobile Data Service is uniquely designed to provide ISVs and in-house corporate developers with an environment that supports corporate data access and interaction capabilities beyond email. With BlackBerry Mobile Data Service, customers can leverage their existing, approved BlackBerry architecture and security model to deploy reliable, secure, end-to-end applications without any additional infrastructure to learn or support.
"Many of our corporate customers, like Grayson Homes, are successfully leveraging BlackBerry Mobile Data Service to go beyond wireless email and provide employees with additional mobile applications that enhance workflow in the field," said Mark Guibert, Vice President, Corporate Marketing at Research In Motion. "Grayson Homes’ collaboration with ATSG and Flowfinity on the development and deployment of a mobile application tailored to their organization’s needs provides an excellent example of the power and flexibility of the BlackBerry wireless platform."
Grayson Homes’ commitment to quality has garnered the company high customer satisfaction rankings - 96 percent of its customers say they would either refer the company to a friend, or would choose Grayson again when buying another home. The firm manages an extensive survey mechanism for buyers during construction and after closing, links employees’ compensation to customer satisfaction, and hosts monthly trainings conducted by trade contractors at sales and production meetings.
The National Housing Quality Awards are open to all U.S. residential construction companies. Panels of experts who evaluate the role that customer-focused quality plays in construction, business management, sales, design, and warranty service judge the entries.
About Grayson Homes
For 29 years, Grayson Homes has been building homes and communities of enduring value… providing customers, employees and trades with experiences that exceed expectations and improve quality of life. Its success is directly attributable to the work ethic and expertise of its craftsmen, the quality of materials used, and the prime land chosen. All of these aspects combine to provide award-winning homes distinction for Grayson clients. Today, nearly 3,000 families throughout the Baltimore/Washington region come home to Grayson. For more information visit www.GraysonHomes.com.
About Research In Motion (RIM)
Research In Motion is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of innovative wireless solutions for the worldwide mobile communications market. Through the development of integrated hardware, software and services that support multiple wireless network standards, RIM provides platforms and solutions for seamless access to time-sensitive information including email, phone, SMS messaging, Internet and intranet-based applications. RIM technology also enables a broad array of third party developers and manufacturers to enhance their products and services with wireless connectivity to data. RIM’s portfolio of award-winning products, services and embedded technologies are used by thousands of organizations around the world and include the BlackBerry* wireless platform, the RIM Wireless Handheld™ product line, software development tools, radio-modems and software/hardware licensing agreements. Founded in 1984 and based in Waterloo, Ontario, RIM operates offices in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. RIM is listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market (Nasdaq: RIMM) and the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: RIM). For more information, visit www.rim.com or www.blackberry.com.
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