Reframe Systems Builds Homes 2.5x Faster with Tulip

Reframe Systems is at the forefront of revolutionizing home construction with its advanced prefabrication techniques. Reframe is redefining home building by delivering high-quality, sustainable homes more efficiently than traditional methods. By combining advanced robotics, prefabrication techniques, and data-driven manufacturing, Reframe is shifting away from the inefficiencies of traditional construction toward a smarter, more agile approach. However, to bring this ambitious transformation to life, they needed more than just cutting-edge machinery—Reframe needed a digital backbone to connect design, production, and people in real time.

Traditional home construction is riddled with inefficiencies, ranging from manual processes and material waste to slow iteration cycles and disjointed communication. On top of that, companies must navigate complex legal and regulatory hurdles, including permitting delays and compliance requirements, which can further impede progress. Reframe takes a fundamentally different approach. By treating homebuilding as a precision manufacturing process, they create high-performance, prefabricated homes that are faster to build, easier to customize, and more sustainable than those built through conventional methods. But to deliver on this model at scale, Reframe needed a system that could tightly integrate design and production, reduce errors, and support real-time collaboration while also providing the traceability and control needed to navigate a complex regulatory landscape.

That’s where Tulip came in. Tulip’s frontline operations platform provided the flexibility and depth Reframe required to digitize their factory floor, integrate complex workflows, and bridge the gap between digital design and physical production.

A core part of Reframe’s approach lies in how it differs from traditional construction methods. Their process is faster, more flexible, and significantly more sustainable. From day one, Reframe has partnered with Tulip to build a factory environment that supports and scales this vision. Their journey began with digitizing work instructions. Instead of static documents or binders filled with diagrams, Reframe created dynamic, visual apps in Tulip to guide operators through each step of the assembly process.

Over time, this evolved into an integrated a wide reaching digital ecosystem. For example, a single Triple Decker project comprises more than 3,500 work instructions and over 800 custom views. Each app is carefully designed to match the task at hand, from wall panel construction to plumbing installation, ensuring that operators have the exact information they need, precisely when they need it.

Tulip pulls Onshape images from Reframe’s CAD system, enabling operators to view annotated CAD images directly within their workflows. These images are detailed, preconfigured models that include precise cutouts for plumbing and electrical components. As a result, operators know exactly where fixtures should go, eliminating guesswork and reducing the likelihood of mistakes. This level of precision doesn’t just improve quality; it also minimizes material waste. When a wall panel is selected in the Tulip app, the system instantly pulls the relevant design data and generates an accurate cut list. What used to require multiple manual steps now happens automatically, streamlining preparation, reducing errors, and accelerating production.

With Tulip guiding every step of the process, Reframe has redefined both how homes are built and who can build them. Clear, visual, and interactive digital instructions allow new and apprentice-level workers to quickly become proficient without requiring years of specialized training. Reframe’s system addresses skilled labor shortages and creates pathways for a new generation of builders to participate in a high-tech, high-impact manufacturing environment.

One of the most transformative benefits Tulip brought to Reframe is speed—not only in production but in how information moves across teams. Operators can flag items for rework and access reference materials directly within the Tulip apps, helping ensure accountability and quality at every step. With Slack embedded directly in the apps, operators can ask questions, raise concerns, or request support in real time – without switching tools or disrupting workflow.

These features don’t just make collaboration easier — they make it immediate. Production updates, questions, and feedback are posted directly to a dedicated Slack channel, creating a real-time feedback loop across functions. In one case, a designer spotted an issue from a Slack update, made a change in the design file, and pushed it live through Tulip. Nine minutes after the issue was first identified, updated digital work instructions were guiding operators on the floor. In traditional construction, that level of responsiveness could take days, even weeks.

This tight feedback loop has made Reframe extraordinarily agile. Whether adjusting dimensions, swapping materials, or testing new design ideas, the team can implement and validate changes rapidly, without slowing down production. As Trevor Zou, a Software Engineer at Reframe, put it, “One of the things that makes Tulip great for us is how easy it is to iterate quickly.”

Digital transformation at Reframe isn’t confined to software. The company has tightly integrated Tulip with a range of hardware to ensure physical processes are tracked and optimized. Zebra label printers, for example, are triggered directly through Tulip to generate labels for wall panels and components. This ensures that everything is correctly identified, routed, and tracked throughout the build process.

QR code scanning is embedded into the apps as well, allowing operators to quickly scan and access the relevant data for different parts. It’s not just about traceability. It’s about connecting physical items on the floor with their digital counterparts. In effect, the factory becomes a living, responsive environment where data and action are constantly aligned.

Reframe’s digital approach extends beyond the walls of their facility. Once components are manufactured in their Microfactories, they’re transported and assembled on-site. Even here, Tulip plays a critical role. The same apps used in the factory are available on mobile devices, allowing crews in the field to access digital guidance during installation. Whether aligning a panel or connecting utilities, the instructions are clear, consistent, and tailored to the job. This mobile-first approach ensures that quality and precision don’t drop off after the product leaves the factory.

By integrating their production process with Tulip, they’ve been able to compress timelines dramatically. While traditional house building can take 6-18 months, Reframe can accomplish in just 3-4 months of factory production followed by 1 month of on-site assembly. Waste is down. Errors are reduced. Teams are empowered.

And just as importantly, the system is built for change. Reframe isn’t locked into rigid templates or fixed workflows. They can evolve their processes as their designs evolve. They can scale operations without sacrificing quality.

Reframe Systems is doing more than building houses; they are building a new paradigm for construction. By embracing Tulip’s platform, they have digitized their operations, integrated their design and production workflows, and empowered their workforce with real-time guidance. In an industry often resistant to change, Reframe is showing what’s possible when modern manufacturing principles meet the world of construction. The future of homebuilding doesn’t look like the past, and thanks to Reframe, it doesn’t have to.