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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Constellation HomeBuilder Systems

    Score3.5 out of 10
    N/AA provider of software and services in the building industry, Constellation HomeBuilder Systems has two goals: to empower builders with information to drive business objectives and to simplify the process of building homes and condos.

    $199

    per year per user

    Slack

    Score9 out of 10
    N/ASlack is a group messaging or team collaboration app that aims to simplify communication for businesses. Features include open discussions, private groups, and direct messaging, as well as deep contextual search and message archiving, and file sharing. Slack integrates with a number of other tools, such as MailChimp, Dropbox, and Google Drive. Slack was acquired by Salesforce in December 2020. The product is free to use, and also has paid plans with more features and greater controls. The…

    $8.75

    per month per user

    Pricing
    Constellation HomeBuilder SystemsSlack
    Editions & Modules
    No answers on this topic
    Free
    $0
    Pro
    $7.25*
    per month per user
    Business+
    $12.50*
    per month per user
    Enterprise
    Contact Sales
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    Constellation HomeBuilder SystemsSlack
    Free Trial
    NoYes
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoYes
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    YesNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeRequiredNo setup fee
    Additional Details—*Per active user, per month, when paying once a year. Pro is $8.75 USD per active user when paying month to month. Business+ is $15.00 USD per active user when paying month to month.
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    Constellation HomeBuilder SystemsSlack
    Considered Both Products
    Constellation HomeBuilder Systems
    No answer on this topic
    Salesforce
    No answer on this topic
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    No answers on this topic
    97%
    Would buy again
    503 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    No answers on this topic
    99%
    Delivers good value for the price
    426 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    No answers on this topic
    98%
    Happy with the feature set
    510 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    No answers on this topic
    98%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    295 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    No answers on this topic
    99%
    Implementation went as expected
    330 Answers
    Features
    Constellation HomeBuilder SystemsSlack
    Reporting & Analytics
    Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of Constellation HomeBuilder Systems and Slack
    Feature
    Constellation HomeBuilder Systems
    8.5
    1 Ratings
    10% above category average
    Slack
    -
    Ratings
    Dashboards9.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Standard reports9.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Custom reports7.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Data exportability9.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Construction Project & Field Management
    Comparison of Construction Project & Field Management features of Constellation HomeBuilder Systems and Slack
    Feature
    Constellation HomeBuilder Systems
    9.0
    1 Ratings
    16% above category average
    Slack
    -
    Ratings
    Issue tracking & punchlists9.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Photo documentation9.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Document sharing9.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    RFI tools9.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Collaboration & approvals10.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Mobile app7.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Specifications9.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Change orders10.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Estimating
    Comparison of Estimating features of Constellation HomeBuilder Systems and Slack
    Feature
    Constellation HomeBuilder Systems
    9.0
    1 Ratings
    17% above category average
    Slack
    -
    Ratings
    Takeoff tools10.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Job costing9.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Cost databases8.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Cost calculator9.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Bid creation9.01 Ratings00 Ratings
    Project Management
    Comparison of Project Management features of Constellation HomeBuilder Systems and Slack
    Feature
    Constellation HomeBuilder Systems
    -
    Ratings
    Slack
    7.9
    628 Ratings
    2% above category average
    Task Management00 Ratings7.6430 Ratings
    Gantt Charts00 Ratings6.961 Ratings
    Scheduling00 Ratings7.8363 Ratings
    Workflow Automation00 Ratings8.0396 Ratings
    Mobile Access00 Ratings9.4601 Ratings
    Search00 Ratings8.2608 Ratings
    Visual planning tools00 Ratings7.3275 Ratings
    Communication
    Comparison of Communication features of Constellation HomeBuilder Systems and Slack
    Feature
    Constellation HomeBuilder Systems
    -
    Ratings
    Slack
    8.7
    636 Ratings
    9% above category average
    Chat00 Ratings9.6635 Ratings
    Notifications00 Ratings8.7632 Ratings
    Discussions00 Ratings9.2620 Ratings
    Surveys00 Ratings8.1413 Ratings
    Internal knowledgebase00 Ratings7.8412 Ratings
    Integrates with GoToMeeting00 Ratings8.9110 Ratings
    Integrates with Gmail and Google Hangouts00 Ratings8.7182 Ratings
    Integrates with Outlook00 Ratings8.9120 Ratings
    File Sharing & Management
    Comparison of File Sharing & Management features of Constellation HomeBuilder Systems and Slack
    Feature
    Constellation HomeBuilder Systems
    -
    Ratings
    Slack
    8.4
    603 Ratings
    4% above category average
    Versioning00 Ratings8.2326 Ratings
    Video files00 Ratings8.2541 Ratings
    Audio files00 Ratings8.4527 Ratings
    Document collaboration00 Ratings7.9429 Ratings
    Access control00 Ratings8.3411 Ratings
    Advanced security features00 Ratings8.3362 Ratings
    Integrates with Google Drive00 Ratings9.0211 Ratings
    Device sync00 Ratings9.0455 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    Constellation HomeBuilder SystemsSlack
    Small Businesses
    CMiC Construction Platform
    Score7.5 out of 10
    Flock
    Score9.5 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    Autodesk Build
    Score8.6 out of 10
    Troop Messenger
    Score9.8 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Revit
    Score8.9 out of 10
    Cisco Business Edition 7000 (discontinued)
    Score9 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    Constellation HomeBuilder SystemsSlack
    Likelihood to Recommend
    9.0
    (2 ratings)
    9.1
    (639 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (25 ratings)
    Usability
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    9.0
    (255 ratings)
    Availability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (2 ratings)
    Performance
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (2 ratings)
    Support Rating
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (68 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.9
    (5 ratings)
    Configurability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (2 ratings)
    Contract Terms and Pricing Model
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    Ease of integration
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.7
    (2 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    Professional Services
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    Vendor post-sale
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    Vendor pre-sale
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    Constellation HomeBuilder SystemsSlack
    Likelihood to Recommend
    Constellation HomeBuilder Systems
    NEWSTAR and its ecosystem are well-suited for any
    homebuilder looking to manage end-to-end operations with software they can rely
    on. It is a powerful tool supported by many modern integrations to benefit the
    entire homebuilding business. It would be less applicable for businesses like trades or commercial builders
    Read full review
    Salesforce
    Slack is ideal for Scrum and agile teams that need continuous communication during sprint planning, daily stand-ups, backlog refinement, testing, and retrospectives. Slack is well-suited for maintaining team knowledge through searchable conversations and dedicated channels, where experienced team members help onboard new QA analysts.
    Read full review
    Pros
    Constellation HomeBuilder Systems
    • BuildTopia excels at contract management. Every part of the contract process is able to be managed electronically from initial signing to closing, and can even handle more special cases like contingencies.
    • BuildTopia manages all of our construction efforts well. All of our floorplans are pre-build in the system, so all we have to do is go in an build out the construction schedule from a pre-made template, and make any alterations from there.
    • The selections process is always a headache, but BuildTopia makes it pretty painless. Everything is loaded right in to the system while making selections with the client, and more detailed things, like non-standard options, are easy to load in and process.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Salesforce
    • Customer issues: Threads feature allows us to group a particular issue in a single thread and discuss within that thread. I can use the thread link to embed in JIRA ticket for tracking progress in JIRA (which is our details engineering tracking system).
    • Ability to add folder to Slack channel helps keep important information, documents easily accessible. e.g., we use this to keep a "ramp up" folder that can be used by any new joiner.
    • Global search is effective when I forget which group a particular message was in.
    Read full review
    Cons
    Constellation HomeBuilder Systems
    • Requests for platform enhancements, while easy to submit and get approved, are slow to be turned around...often a year or more passes before they're implemented.
    • BuiltTopia, while good for sales and construction, is missing one large thing...a CRM component. The system allows you to manage clients and prospects, but options for email marketing and other CRM-related efforts are lacking.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Salesforce
    • Would love a better integration with GitHub. For example, notifications when your PR is updated, when review is requested, @-mention in comments, etc.
    • Improved "Later" tab, for example the ability to create to-do lists or making the "Later" tab into a more powerful to-do list (annotate items with notes)
    • More powerful integrations, e.g. Google Calendar could render a calendar view within Slack, rather than sending the daily schedule
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    Constellation HomeBuilder Systems
    No answers on this topic
    Salesforce
    To be more transparent, I give 10 because Slack serves our collaboration needs. It provide us a good platform for team communication relaying important update within the company, it has even mobile app where you can install in your phone to monitor any updates within that team that needs your immediate attention and intervention.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Usability
    Constellation HomeBuilder Systems
    The implementations for Constellation’s products are
    very well-organized and help make the learning curve as simple as can be.
    NEWSTAR is an incredibly powerful platform and the integrations we are using
    are modern and easy to adopt.
    Read full review
    Salesforce
    Slack has good usability. Devs that are not familiar with the platform are able to jump into conversations and start sharing code and links within just minutes. Non developers are also able to understand the layout such as the Project Managers that are keeping the projects on track. We have not seen any tickets where employees are having trouble understanding Slack.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Reliability and Availability
    Constellation HomeBuilder Systems
    No answers on this topic
    Salesforce
    Yes, the app works 24/7. I don't even recall having any period that we could not use since the implementation. Even the maintenance periods are barely noticeable and our work is not impacted by it when it happens.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Performance
    Constellation HomeBuilder Systems
    No answers on this topic
    Salesforce
    Slack is a soft app, we don't have many issues with it. I recall one or two people complaining about something during our usage period, but I didn't have a bad experience. When the app is slow, usually the problem is with my computer or my internet. The app works just fine.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Support Rating
    Constellation HomeBuilder Systems
    No answers on this topic
    Salesforce
    Whenever I've had to troubleshoot an issue with Slack (which, to be honest, has not happened very often), their online documentation has been easy to locate, easy to understand, and effective in resolving my issue. Slack's ever-growing popularity also means that there's a large community of practice out there that can be depended upon.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Implementation Rating
    Constellation HomeBuilder Systems
    No answers on this topic
    Salesforce
    I was not part of the implementation team, but I recall being 100% happy and excited to learn and use a new tool. I'm still am to be honest.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Alternatives Considered
    Constellation HomeBuilder Systems
    No answers on this topic
    Salesforce
    I like Slack better than ClickUp, because I would spend 30-60 minutes a day updating my ClickUp tasks. The way ClickUp was used was very micromanaging. I billed by the hour, so I was willing to put in the time to alert the boss what tasks I was working on.
    One of my jobs used Hive - I mostly just ran it in the background in case anyone messaged me. I did not use it often.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Return on Investment
    Constellation HomeBuilder Systems
    • Overall, our company has saved money by being able to shut down all the various platforms we were using for different departments and transition to just BuildTopia.
    • Company efforts are more efficient, with all pertinent information being in one place and able to be viewed by everyone as needed.
    • Efforts of the sales team are better able to be managed and reviewed from afar whereas we only had physical paper trails before.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Salesforce
    • Slack has been incredibly helpful in connecting various tech apps and ecosystems, creating a more streamlined and responsive process.
    • Slack has made it significantly easier to communicate with our team members across multiple time zones, creating a more engaging environment for our all-remote team.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    ScreenShots

    Constellation HomeBuilder Systems Screenshots

    Screenshot of BuildTopia, which is an integrated cloud-based construction project management software tailormade for the needs of residential home builders and construction managers — bringing all tasks, processes, and workflow together into a single homebuilding hub.Screenshot of Homeowner Central's interactive homeowner and builder portals. These help engage, stay in sync, and communicate with homeowners while reducing service request management costs.Screenshot of the SalesXpress dashboard. Part of the NEWSTAR ecosystem, SalesXpress streamlines and digitizes the complete new home sales and design experience. Whether online or offline, It enables users to deliver sales and design experiences that are seamless, data-led, and digitally-managedScreenshot of CustomerInsight, which empowers homebuilders to reduce costs, inspire loyalty, and win referrals with comprehensive homebuyer surveys and analytics.