Higharc and ECI Software Solutions have released a generally available integration that connects Higharc’s 3D home design and configuration platform with ECI’s MarkSystems ERP for production homebuilders, aiming to cut manual data entry and tighten the link between what is sold and what is built.
The companies announced the launch Nov. 10, saying the jointly developed connection is now available to MarkSystems builders and is already in use at New Home Inc., a Carolinas-based builder that has deployed the integration across its sales and construction operations, according to the announcement.
For many production builders, moving a home from sales to construction requires rekeying pricing, plan configurations and buyer selections across multiple systems and departments. That creates opportunities for discrepancies between sales contracts, purchase orders and what gets built in the field, which can show up as margin erosion, delays and rework.
MarkSystems functions as the system of record for housing production, scheduling and accounting for many small and mid-sized builders. Higharc positions itself as the source of truth for plans, options and the buyer-facing design experience. The integration is designed to let data flow between the two instead of relying on manual handoffs.
“The biggest difference we’re seeing is speed and confidence,” said Matt Riley, owner of New Home Inc., in the announcement. “Our sales team can now sit down with a buyer, configure their home with accurate, up-to-date pricing, and send those selections straight into MarkSystems to write the contract. We’re no longer relying on people to keep information updated in multiple places, where mistakes inevitably happen and we end up absorbing the cost.”
What the integration does
The Higharc–MarkSystems connection is built to close gaps between marketing, sales and operations in a typical production homebuilding workflow. Key capabilities, according to the companies, include:
- Pricing synchronization: Base house, elevation and structural option pricing from MarkSystems can be synchronized into Higharc, reducing duplicate updates and helping keep pricing aligned across systems.
- Buyer-facing configuration: Buyers can personalize homes in Higharc’s interactive 3D configurator, with current pricing from MarkSystems reflected as they make selections.
- Contract generation: Finalized home configurations in Higharc can automatically generate customer and addendum information in MarkSystems for review before contracting, trimming manual steps in contract prep.
- Error and rework reduction: By tying together design, sales and ERP workflows, the integration is intended to reduce mismatches between selections, contracts, purchase orders and field construction.
For builders, this type of connection is aimed at tightening margins and shortening cycle times by eliminating redundant work between sales offices, options studios, purchasing teams and field superintendents. Aligning pricing and configurations across systems can also help reduce surprise variance purchase orders and options that are sold but not built—or built but not paid for.
Why this matters for builders
Production builders have accelerated their adoption of connected ERP, sales and design tools over the past decade, but many still run option pricing, elevations and structural changes through spreadsheets or local databases that do not fully sync with ERP. As build costs and cycle times remain under pressure, misaligned data between sales contracts and job budgets can quickly erode gross margin on a per-lot basis.
By placing Higharc’s 3D, rules-based design engine upstream of MarkSystems and tying the two together, the new integration is trying to turn the plan and option configuration itself into structured data that can feed estimating, purchasing and scheduling. That is a shift from traditional workflows where sales and marketing produce static collateral and construction teams translate that material back into quantities and tasks.
For entry-level and move-up builders running high volumes of similar plans across multiple communities, even small reductions in change orders, option mistakes and rework can compound across hundreds or thousands of closings a year.
How builders can see it
Homebuilders can learn more about the integration during ECI Connect, ECI’s customer conference that begins Nov. 16. Representatives from Higharc and ECI plan to be available at the event to discuss how the connection links home design, buyer selections, pricing and construction operations, according to the announcement.
Builders not attending the event can schedule personalized demonstrations with either company.
Company background
Higharc describes itself as an AI-driven homebuilding platform for design through construction. The company uses 3D spatial data to generate plans, estimates and construction documents, replacing static plan sets with “live” models that respond to design changes with updated drawings, lot-specific estimates and buyer-facing experiences.
ECI Software Solutions, based in Westlake, Texas, provides cloud-based business software for small and mid-sized businesses in manufacturing, building and construction, field service and distribution. Its portfolio includes ERP, CRM, business intelligence, e-commerce and payment tools, and it serves more than 30,000 customers in over 90 countries, according to the company.
