SoftPro
Company: SoftPro, Raleigh, NC
Company Description: SoftPro is the leading provider of closing and title automation software in the nation, with over 50,000 users nationwide. Our products are designed to increase volume and revenue by reducing the time it takes to do closings. We were recently ranked #1 in Ease of Use, Reliablity, Overall Customer Satisfaction, and we were rated the Most Widely Used Closing and Title Software Solution.
Nomination Category: Products & Product Management Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Product Development/Management Department of the Year
Nomination Title: Developing Better Products and a Better Product Development Department
1. Tell the story about what this nominated organization/department achieved since January 1 2009 (up to 500 words). Focus on specific accomplishments, and relate these accomplishments to past performance or industry norms. Be sure to mention obstacles overcome, innovations or discoveries made, and outcomes:
For SoftPro’s Product Development Team, 2009 was perhaps the most challenging
year in the history of the company. With new regulations passed down from the
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and only a year’s advance
notice, SoftPro’s product development team had to swing into action to make
sure that their approximately 50,000 existing SoftPro users as well as new
customers had software compliant with HUD’s regulatory changes. In less than 11
months, the team went to market with fully HUD-compliant software for all three
of SoftPro’s software platforms. Not only did SoftPro’s Product Development
Team release three major updates to address HUD’s compliance requirements, but
they also developed and released a brand new product called SoftPro 360.
SoftPro was the first software provider to offer an intuitive, user-friendly
solution for the new, complex, standardized HUD-1 and closing forms now
required by the Department of Housing and Urban Development under the Real
Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) Final Rule. Along with getting three
compliant editions of its software out the door, SoftPro was instrumental in
educating its customers on the new requirements.
“We worked around the clock to make it easy for our customers to comply with
the new RESPA regulations,” explained Joyce Weiland, President of
SoftPro. “Beyond developing an easy-to-use software solution, we provided our
customers with training that helped them better understand the RESPA Final Rule
and how it changed the way the industry handles HUD Settlement Statements.”
To develop and bring to market an entirely new product in the same year would
seem impossible in software development circles. But that is exactly what
SoftPro’s Product Development Team accomplished in 2009 with the release of
SoftPro 360. A Web-based service portal, SoftPro 360 makes ordering closing,
title and escrow services dramatically faster, easier and more affordable for
its customers. With a customer base of more than 50,000 users, SoftPro can
often leverage preferred pricing for many closing and title products and
services on behalf of its customers.
“SoftPro™ 360 provides a bridge from our real estate closing and title software
to vendors who provide title and closing services,” said Joyce Weiland,
SoftPro™’s chief operating officer. “SoftPro™ 360 eliminates the need for paper
order forms, dual entry, faxes, e-mails and phone calls — and significantly
reduces the potential for errors associated with manual ordering of products
and services.”
Margaret Bryce, Vice President of Research & Development for SoftPro,
attributes her team’s accomplishments to the dedication of its team members. “I
am so proud of the collective determination and commitment our team displayed
throughout 2009,” said Bryce. “Our team logged enormous hours with a spirit of
complete camaraderie to ensure that our customers had the tools they needed to
be in compliance with HUD’s newest requirements. To develop and release an
entirely new product, SoftPro 360, in the same year is amazing.”
2. List hyperlinks to any online news stories, press releases, or other documents that support the claims made in the section above. IMPORTANT: Begin each link with http://, and enclose each link in square brackets; for example, [http://www.youraddress.com]:
http://www.softprocorp.com/newhud/
http://www.sourceoftitle.com/article.aspx?uniq=5998
http://www.softprocorp.com/PDF/ProNews/3q2009news.pdf
http://www.softprocorp.com/PDF/ProNews/4q2009news.pdf
3. Provide a brief (up to 100 words) biography about the leader(s) of the nominated organization/department:
Margaret Bryce is Vice President of Research & Development for SoftPro. She
joined SoftPro in 1999 as part of the Management Team directing and overseeing
all product development. Margaret led the development team in expanding
SoftPro's product offerings to include an Enterprise version, which led to
SoftPro's growth in multi-office customers. Under Margaret's leadership, the
Research and Development Department integrates enhancements and releases of all
SoftPro products. Prior to joining SoftPro, she held software development
management positions in the pharmaceutical and health care industries. Margaret
has over 20 years experience in software development, quality assurance and
support.