Construction Software for the Spanish Speaking Workforce
August 27, 2009
Spanish-speaking workers make up a large portion of the construction workforce, and it is increasingly important to be able to communicate in both English and Spanish. This will help relay instructions to the workforce, according to the Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008-2009 edition, from the U.S. BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics), www.bls.gov, Washington, D.C. Builders might also want to apply this rule of thumb when using software.
Does your software speak the same language as everyone in your company? The ability to communicate in both English and Spanish is beginning to spill over into the software realm. More and more, construction technology has become available with multilingual features. Many software providers in both the commercial and residential spaces are offering these capabilities.
Most recently, Builders CoPilot, www.builderscopilot.com, Reston, Va., and Be Home Wise, www.behomewise.com, Vienna, Va., announced new Web-based CRM (customer-relationship management) software that is available in Spanish.
According to the companies, builders can enter the data—in Spanish or English—into the CRM software from Builders CoPilot and present the information via the reporting platform.
Builders CoPilot and Be Home Wise created a partnership so information can flow from Be Home Wise’s prospect and buyer tracking system into the CRM system from Builders CoPilot. The Spanish language feature is one of the most recent announcements from the companies.
Homebuilders in Mexico and the United States can use the software. One homebuilder, Impulsa Real Estate, www.impulsarealestate.com, Vallarta, Mexico, is beginning to use the software. The sales office agents speak both English and Spanish, and find they can alternate between the two languages.
Builders CoPilot is not the first residential software provider to offer a Spanish version of its technology. For CAD (computer-aided design), Cadsoft, www.cadsoft.com, Guelph, Ont., offers a Spanish version of its Envisioneer product as a download.
Last year, multilingual features saw a bit of growth in the commercial realm, with multiple technology vendors releasing these capabilities. Now, residential homebuilders should look for similar capabilities in software.