Case studies
The house building industry sells shells well and fills them badly: buyers choose handles, tiles and kitchen finishes from small, sometimes minimal lists, then replace the fixtures soon after moving in. A Doncaster house builder asked me to work out how and what could be done about it. I designed the configurator requirements, ran a global supplier search down to a shortlist of 5 and two finalists, managed a proof of concept, then the full programme: 20 house types, every room configurable, 35,000+ options linked to business logic and ordering. Cross sales rose 55%.
The house building industry has historically been adept at "selling shells" but curiously, not so clever at filling them. New house buyers move into their homes having selected handles, tiles, kitchen finishes and the rest from small, sometimes minimal lists. Instances are high of new owners replacing all the fixtures, including doors, soon after moving in.
So satisfaction with the final product was dampened, and a profit opportunity missed.
A Doncaster-based house builder had developed a brand based on high quality design, practical affordability and good build quality. Now they needed ways to enhance the personalisation experience, and they asked me to research how and what could be done.
The embryonic idea started with cost and benefit analysis, and setting parameters and objectives.
Detail of the full configurator requirements and ordering process was developed, with the outcome being a request for proposal document. Identifying suitable suppliers and auditing their skills produced the shortlist.
Suppliers' responses to the RFP were analysed on a range of criteria, with an appointment made following contract review. The proof of concept project then launched. One house type was developed in 3D, along with a limited set of product options, to prove the process works. Testing the POC with a live audience generated practical and positive feedback.
The project moved on to developing a suite of more house types and, more importantly, the addition of a huge range of customisable options, 35,000+ of them. Other extensions included developing business logic and the full ordering process.
The client were in the throes of developing new offices and created a configurator suite, featuring a fully interactive touchscreen wall for using the configurator, alongside samples and ideas for surfaces and finishes.
My own work across that ran to:
Cross sales rose 55%. The tool behind that carried 35,000+ customisable options across 20 house types, with an ordering suite for the client's customers.
A market nobody has built for yet is a requirements problem before it is a technology problem. The proof of concept existed to answer one question, whether a whole house could be configured photo-realistically in a browser with no lag, and answering it cheaply on one house type is what made the full 20 defensible. The uncertainties were listed before the supplier was chosen, not discovered afterwards.
Running a selection like this is an agency review. On checking a supplier before you commit, see the importance of digital due diligence.
Because one question had to be answered before the money went in: whether a whole house could be configured with photo quality imagery in real time in a browser, with no lag. One house type in 3D with a limited set of options answered it, and testing with a live audience gave practical feedback before the full programme started.
On requirements rather than on a demo. The full configurator requirements and ordering process were written first, then turned into an RFP, then suitable suppliers were identified and their skills audited to make a shortlist of 5. Two finalists were interviewed, one in Belfast and one in Kiev.
Screen size. The configurator was built to be usable across desktop, laptop and tablet, and mobile was excluded deliberately rather than left to degrade badly. Page speed on the main website was a stated constraint too.
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