Melissa Friesen didn’t start out running multiple departments. When she joined Crystal Creek Homes over a decade ago, she was a Selections Consultant helping buyers choose flooring, finishes, and lighting for their dream homes. It was personal work, client-facing, high-touch, and full of detail.

But as she stepped into management roles post-COVID, that perspective widened. She began leading design. Then drafting and then estimating. Before long, Melissa found herself in a position most builders struggle to fill: someone who could see how every part of pre-construction fits together and where things start to break down.

She saw firsthand that selections, design, and estimating were deeply connected, but the tools they used made them feel like separate processes.

That misalignment was costing Crystal Creek more than time. It led to inconsistencies, field issues, and difficult conversations with clients when sales promises didn’t align with what could be built.

Melissa knew they needed more than a new drafting tool. They needed a better system to bring everything together.

The Breaking Point

Crystal Creek had invested in Revit, hoping it would streamline design. But over time, the complexity and cost outweighed the benefits. AutoCAD provided more speed, but the lack of 3D visualization led to errors.

They had been working on a beautiful custom home with a sloped rear roofline, elegant on paper, but hiding a problem. During framing, the team discovered the roof cut directly into the ensuite shower, leaving only three feet of usable space.

“We had to redesign the roof, reorder trusses, delay the schedule, costing us thousands of dollars. And all because we couldn’t see it ahead of time.” — Melissa Friesen

Without a connected system, it was easy for small details to fall through the cracks; a window added to a plan but missing on an elevation, a stair layout that didn’t translate on site, or an option sold that couldn’t actually be built. Every department was working hard, but in silos. What the team really needed was a way to unify their process across departments.

A Different Way Forward

When Melissa first saw Higharc, it wasn’t just a new drafting tool. It was a chance to unify the entire pre-construction process.

She saw a platform where sales, design, and estimating could all speak the same language, where options were visual, not imagined, where pricing was built in from the start, where construction teams could see the exact stair layout or roofline, before they ever stepped on site.

“Higharc allows our sales team to say, ‘Here, look and see,’ instead of ‘Imagine this with me.” — Melissa Friesen

That mattered deeply to Melissa, who had built her career around setting and meeting client expectations. She wasn’t looking to reduce headcount or replace departments. She wanted to elevate them.

“Instead of having all of the design team focused on production, I can have half of them doing production drawings and the other half focused on new innovative ways for us to build!” — Melissa Friesen

Even estimating, a department that Melissa initially pushed back on managing, started to make sense.

“I didn’t want to touch estimating at first. But once I saw how connected it could be to design through Higharc, it changed everything.” — Melissa Friesen

From Custom to Consistent

Crystal Creek has long been known for flexibility. Every home was a blank slate; even production models were constantly tweaked by drafters trying to improve them. That freedom came at a cost: no consistency, no scale, and a lot of time spent reinventing the wheel.

Higharc helped Melissa draw the line.

Now, options are standardized but still flexible. Models are reusable. Updates can be made once and applied across the board. Clients still get personalization. But Crystal Creek gets efficiency.

“We never built the same house twice. Now we can and still make it feel custom.” — Melissa Friesen

A New Experience for Clients and Teams

Sales appointments are no longer paper-based guessing games. Clients walk in and see their model in 3D, with all available options already baked in. There’s no confusion about stairs, no misaligned elevations, no more “we’ll get back to you.”

“The biggest thing is being able to show clients their home on day one. No surprises. Just confidence.” — Melissa Friesen

Behind the scenes, that same clarity gives estimators the insight they need to price accurately. Designers build from consistent models. Sales teams have clear boundaries and creative freedom. And the handoff to construction is smoother than ever.

The Results

For Melissa, Higharc changed more than tools. It changed how her team operates:

• Fewer errors in the field
• Faster path from prospect to contract
• Options that are visual, priced, and buildable
• Better collaboration across departments
• More time spent improving homes, not fixing mistakes

Why It Matters

Melissa knows not everyone is in a position to run multiple departments. But she also knows that disconnected systems create the same problems everywhere: siloed teams, miscommunication, and a client experience that breaks under pressure.

“There’s a huge opportunity for transparency across departments. With Higharc, everyone can see the same model, even if they’re not a drafter, and know exactly what’s available and buildable from day one.” — Melissa Friesen

For Crystal Creek, Higharc isn’t just a better way to draft. It’s a shared system that aligns teams, shortens the path to contract, and earns buyer trust from the start.

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