6 tools that can elevate your roofing business

By JP McAllister, AccuLynx. 

Transform your operations and boost efficiency with the right software. 

From sales to project management, the right software can be a game-changer. Explore our comprehensive guide on the essential features of roofing software here at AccuLynx and find out how to choose the best tools to meet your needs. Whether it's enhancing customer relationships, optimizing estimates or ensuring seamless integration with existing systems, we've got you covered. Read on to learn more about these considerations and get answers to common questions contractors ask when evaluating roofing software. 

1 - Features for roofing contractors 

Determine what specific problems you’d like your software to help you solve. For example, is your sales team struggling with creating accurate estimates resulting in lower job profitability? To combat this, you’ll want to make sure your roofing software integrates with your preferred material suppliers. This way, you have easy access to material pricing as you build your estimates. Or maybe you want to automate manual administrative tasks to ensure important processes are followed and prevent job delays. In this case, you’ll want roofing software with automation tools. 

Once you’ve identified what problems you need to solve, you can create a list of must-have roofing software features. This may include: 

• Customer Relationship Management (CRM) 
• Estimating/quoting, & proposal building 
• eSignatures 
• Labor scheduling 
• Production and job management 
• Material ordering & aerial measurement ordering 
• Payment processing and financing 
• Invoicing & job costing 
• Communication tools like texting 
• Reporting & dashboards 
• Mobile application 

Many roofing contractors use a number of software applications to get the features they need. However, this may not be cost effective in the long run. It also makes it harder to keep track of data when it lives in multiple locations. 

An all-in-one business management system like AccuLynx has features designed specifically for roofing contractors. It keeps all of your company’s information easily accessible and eliminates the need to enter it in multiple places. 

 2 - Who will use the software 

When evaluating roofing software, you should consider which employees and/or departments will need access. Sales reps, production managers, office admins and owners will have different needs for software. 

For example: software that enables a salesperson to create an estimate on the fly may be crucial. Or scheduling tools might be a “must-have” for a project manager so they can seamlessly schedule projects and notify crews. Office admins benefit from having financial features so they can accurately track project costs and commissions. Therefore, it’s important to understand what capabilities will make everyone’s job easier. 

Roofing software needs to be functional across the organization so it can improve the way your entire company works. Discussing these benefits with your team and getting their buy-in on business goals are important components of encouraging software adoption. Switching to new technology takes time and effort, and understanding how the software will help them work more effectively will motivate team members to put in that effort. When you set goals for software usage and create a vision for how your business will grow as a result, using roofing software becomes a shared project that helps everyone at your business reap the rewards. 

Pro tip: Roofing software like AccuLynx includes all of the CRM/sales, production, financial and business management features roofing companies need so everyone in the business has tools to help them work smarter. 

3 - Ease of use and implementation 

A common concern roofing contractors have is whether their employees will use the software they invest in. Unless the software you choose to manage your business is easy to use and implement, your teams may struggle to incorporate it into their day-to-day work. Even the tech-savviest employee can waste valuable time figuring out how to use a cumbersome or outdated platform. Selecting an intuitive system means that your teams will require less training in order to use it, and you’ll be able to start benefiting from roofing software more quickly. The easier the software you select is to use, the more likely your teams will be to use it. 

One of the most challenging parts of using a new tool or system for your roofing business is transitioning away from old habits. Your current processes and technology usage are familiar and automatic to your teams, and it will take some time for them to adjust to new ways of doing things. By being an early, enthusiastic adopter of the software, you can help it become second nature to the rest of the business. Modeling the software usage you want to see will provide clarity to your teams about how to make the software part of their everyday work. When teams see you using the software in a consistent way, it gives them an example that’s easy to follow as they start using the software themselves. 

To make your software investment worth it, find one that is intuitive and fits seamlessly with the way you already work. A platform that is easier to use, like AccuLynx, will encourage your team to approach it with an open mind. 

4 - Roofing software integrations 

The best roofing software solutions integrate with the industry’s top players. Look for specific integrations with: 

• Material suppliers like Beacon, SRS and ABC where you’ll get real-time pricing, product availability and the ability to place orders right from your software 
• Aerial measurement providers like EagleView and GAF QuickMeasure where you can order accurate roof measurements that automatically appear in your software job file within minutes 
• Lead applications like Angi, Spotio and Sales Rabbit that automatically sync your qualified leads to your roofing software 
• Accounting platforms like QuickBooks and Sage Intacct that automatically sync financial data with your software so you can easily track your revenue and expenses 
• Photo software like CompanyCam to take pictures and share documents that automatically sync to your job file 
• And more! 

Integrations streamline processes, eliminate double-data entry and keep everything in one, easily accessible place in your roofing software. 

Pro tip: Choose roofing software like AccuLynx that easily connects with popular roofing apps if you don’t want to hire a developer to help with the setup. 

5 - Reliable customer support 

Incorporating new job management software or switching services can be burdensome. Making sure the software company you choose has onboarding training and ongoing support will set you up for success. 

Many solutions charge for support or only offer ticket-based customer service that can leave you waiting days for help you need right away. Be sure to choose roofing software that offers live phone, email and webinar support. 

And even if you don’t have time to sit through full-length training sessions, software that offers support in other ways with instructional videos, articles or step-by-step guides could be beneficial. Selecting a software with excellent customer support will help get your teams trained and working right away and prevent gaps in work if problems arise. 

 6 - Mobile app access 

Since you and your teams may be spending a majority of your time in the field, roofing software that has a mobile app should be another factor to consider when evaluating your options. 

Look for software that is readily available whether you’re in the truck, on a job site, or canvassing areas so you remain productive and efficient. If you have your software in the palm of your hand, you can: 

• Capture, edit, upload and share unlimited photos 
• Add leads 
• Review job activity, tasks and notifications 
• Access documents and job files 

Pro tip: Be sure the software you choose is reliable and compatible with multiple devices. AccuLynx provides 24/7 access to your job information and allows you to take your office with you to any location. 

Common questions roofers ask before choosing roofing software 

If you’re thinking about implementing roofing software, you probably have a lot of questions. It’s important to get these CRM answers before you make a purchasing decision and implement roofing software. At AccuLynx, we talk to many roofers as they explore our software and evaluate whether it would work for their business. During this process, we often hear similar questions about the software. Here are just a few of the questions that roofers are asking—and our answers. 

Why do I need roofing software when I already have other tools? 

Roofing software isn’t just another tool—think of it as the ultimate tool that puts the rest into context. With roofing software like AccuLynx, all the information about your business is centralized, organized, and stored in one place to make it easily accessible. You don’t have to switch between multiple programs to do things like place orders, schedule material deliveries, and create invoices when you use an all-in-one software. 

Can small businesses use roofing software? 

Yes! Roofing software is for businesses of all sizes. Companies with as few as 3 employees can find as much benefit in roofing software as a company with over 100 employees. With software like AccuLynx, the tools in the platform are adaptable, helping all businesses get the most out of their investment. 

Is roofing software really worth the money? 

The right roofing software will set you up for success to grow your business. Roofers find that the higher profit potential and the time they save by streamlining their processes makes the cost of software more than worth it. While some software options are more expensive than others, you’ll get what you pay for. AccuLynx users, on average, increase total job profits by 32% after one year and save 9 hours per user each week. 

Will this software help achieve my business goals? 

Whether your goal is to expand your business or just to keep your company more organized, you want a program that will help you achieve your goals in a more efficient manner. In your first year using the software, be sure to report if you’re meeting your goals so you can confirm that your software is contributing. 

See why AccuLynx is the #1 all-in-one software for roofing companies 

AccuLynx stands out as the industry’s #1 all-in-one roofing software. Thousands of contractors rely on AccuLynx’s user-friendly interface and comprehensive features to efficiently manage their businesses. When comparing software options, AccuLynx offers everything you need in a single, convenient platform. 

Original article source: AccuLynx