Marissa Kaiser holds the title of Process Improvement Specialist at Buffington Homes — a role she jokes really just means “special projects.” In practice, it makes her available to every department, helping each one solve problems and keeping a cross-departmental view of how the company operates.

That perspective became critical when Buffington decided to overhaul every core system at once. Drafting, estimating, purchasing, and sales were all disconnected, and much of their work - lot specifics, drafting, takeoffs - was outsourced. It was slow, expensive, and frustrating.

“We were outsourcing so much, plan development, lot specifics, takeoffs. Everything was disconnected.”  - Marissa Kaiser

For Marissa, the mandate was clear: Buffington wanted to grow without growing their headcount. In her words, the goal was simple: “grow with the same but happier people.”

Betting on Higharc

At first, Buffington was preparing to move forward with a different solution. The team liked its simplicity and the low learning curve compared to their existing system. On paper, it looked like the safe, straightforward choice.

But just before making the final call, someone on the team suggested taking a look at Higharc. What started as a late addition to the evaluation process quickly shifted the entire conversation.

“At the last minute, one of our team members brought Higharc to our attention. It wasn’t even on our radar at first.” — Marissa Kaiser

The demo made the decision clear. Unlike other options, which would have kept Buffington tied to outsourcing and manual workflows, Higharc promised something bigger: a way to bring product development, drafting, takeoffs, and option management fully in-house.

“How could we not move forward?” — Marissa Kaiser

For Marissa, it wasn’t just about swapping one system for another. It was about transforming how Buffington operated. With Higharc, they wouldn’t just reduce costs or shorten timelines; they would finally have a single source of truth for every department, from design to sales, estimating, and construction.

Higharc wasn’t simply another software vendor. It was a chance to reimagine how Buffington built homes.

Changing Everything, All at Once

When Buffington signed on with Higharc, they didn’t even have a drafter. That didn’t stop Marissa. She coordinated the rollout with seven plans: Higharc implementing two, and a new drafter creating the other five, while learning Higharc Studio.

Since then, they’ve rolled out more than 25 additional plans, including townhomes. What used to take weeks with outside firms now happens in-house faster, with control and confidence.

At the same time, Marissa helped redefine the sales experience. Before Higharc, Buffington’s sales process was clunky and disconnected. Buyers were shown 2D elevations and PDFs with options listed off to the side. If someone wanted to add a third bedroom or see a porch layout, they had to visualize it in their head or wait weeks for an updated plan from an outside drafter. That lag not only slowed down sales but also delayed permitting and construction.

With Higharc Showroom, everything changed. Today, consultants guide buyers through selections in 3D during the sales appointment. As soon as decisions are made, the system generates both a buyer-facing brochure and a permit-ready plan set. Those documents can be sent directly to vendors and permitting — the same day.

“It immediately took three weeks off our soft cycle.” — Marissa Kaiser

What used to take nearly a month of back-and-forth with external partners now happens in minutes. Buffington eliminated weeks of waiting time, reduced the risk of human error, and gave buyers instant clarity on their choices.

Connecting the Dots Across Teams

Marissa’s role has always been about connecting people. Higharc gave her the system to make it easier.

Takeoffs that used to be redrawn by hand are now exported directly from Higharc Procure into Buffington’s ERP. Field managers, once reliant on static plan sets, now scan QR codes to open the model in 3D on site. Sales, estimating, purchasing, and construction, once passing around PDFs, now share one digital source of truth.

“Before Higharc, we were always emailing PDFs and walking down the hall to ask questions. Now the info lives in the system.”  - Marissa Kaiser

The Results

For Marissa, the results show up everywhere:

• Weeks removed from their cycle time
• Tens of thousands saved per plan in development costs
• No reliance on external vendors
• More confident buyers who leave knowing exactly what they purchased
• A team that can handle more homes without adding more people

“Higharc does the manual work for us so our people can focus on other things.”  - Marissa Kaiser

Why It Matters

Marissa doesn’t sugarcoat it: Higharc is an investment. She knows that cost is often the first question other builders ask when they call her for advice. And she doesn’t try to spin it — she tells them the truth.

“I usually just acknowledge that it’s expensive. But for us, outsourcing made it even more expensive.” — Marissa Kaiser

Before Higharc, Buffington could spend up to $90,000 developing a single plan, only to sell it a handful of times. Add in the ongoing costs of outsourcing drafting, lot specifics, and takeoffs, and the old way of working was both costly and risky. Higharc didn’t just replace those expenses — it eliminated them, while giving Buffington full control of their data.

But for Marissa, the real return isn’t just in dollars saved. It’s in how the system changes the way she and her colleagues work. Instead of firefighting errors or chasing down missing information, she can focus on higher-value projects that move the company forward.

And when challenges do come up, she doesn’t feel like she’s on her own.

“Higharc treats your business like it’s their own. That’s rare. They help us solve problems, not just log tickets.” — Marissa Kaiser

That sense of partnership has been as valuable as the software itself. Higharc gives Buffington the confidence to take on bold changes — and gives Marissa the support she needs to keep the whole operation running smoothly.

Marissa’s Takeaway

The change was hard, she admits. But for Marissa, ripping off the band-aid was worth it. Today, Buffington Homes is building faster, smarter, and with more confidence, not by adding people, but by giving their team the right tools.

And for her, as the person responsible for ensuring the whole machine runs smoothly, it has transformed what “process improvement” actually looks like.