Meet the Team: Chris Mierchuk, Implementation Team Lead, MarkSystems

MarkSystems Senior Consultants are not only experts on the software, they also bring their experience in the residential home construction industry to each implementation. In this blog, we feature Chris Mierchuk, Professional Services – Implementation Team Lead with MarkSystems home builder software. We sat down with Chris to learn more about his experience in the home building industry, what makes an implementation successful, and get his advice on what builders need to look for in a new system.

Tell us a little bit about your background. How long have you worked in the new home construction industry?

I graduated with my bachelor's degree in public policy from the College of William & Mary in 2002.

I’ve been working in the building industry since 2005, when I started work for Tascon Group as a Purchasing Manager. During my time there, I was instrumental in their MarkSystems implementation for the builder. When Eagle Construction acquired Tascon Group in 2010, I was hired as an Operational Specialist and tasked with implementing MarkSystems home builder software on a much larger scale.

I joined the MarkSystems consulting team five years later and I’ve been assisting other builders with their implementations!

How have you seen the home building industry change in the last few years?

Builders are trending toward a production style of home building, while still providing variety and choices during the design process. As a result, builders are getting creative and gravitating to packages that give their customers some flexibility, while at the same time keep costs down.

Another shift in the industry has been towards “On Your Lot” building. This is the result of an increase in land cost and a shortage of developed lots.

Since profitability is always a big concern for builders, they are always looking to be more efficient in their processes. More builders are going paperless and accessing systems that let them manage the business remotely.

How many builders have you helped during your time on the MarkSystems team?

In the past five years, I have implemented MarkSystems for and graduated more than 200 builders.

What are some of the most successful implementations you've seen and why do you consider them successful?

Usually, the most successful implementations are the result of making sure that key personnel are trained as well as implementing specific functionality.

I’ve found that starting with sales and incorporating scheduling, approvals, and itemized material takeoffs have the largest impact on the level of success of an implementation.

What’s your advice to builders looking for a new system?

Be open to change. You don’t have to conform to your home builder software, but you must be open to making changes that allow your software to work for you.

What's your favorite feature in MarkSystems?

Option Budget Copy and ITK (Internet Toolkit). The Option Budget Copy allows us to manage large amounts of option data across multiple communities. The ITK is critical to communication from the field to the main office and updating the database for up-to-the-minute reporting.

What's the one word that describes MarkSystems?

Integrated.