Q5: Does the Software Company Have Experience in Commercial Roofing?

By Karen L. Edwards, RCS Editor.

If they don't understand the intracicies of commercial roofing, it's likely not the best fit.

Our friends at the Estimating Edge know software and they know roofing companies. They recently developed an e-book that helps roofing contractors ask the right questions when it is time to choose software for their businesses. Over the next few months, we are answering one of the questions from their e-book that should help you when deciding what software is right for your business.

With all the options that are on the market, not every product is going to be the right fit for your roofing business. The fifth question to ask is, “Does the software company have experience in commercial roofing?” Read on for why this is an important question.  

Many companies see an opportunity to develop software that they think will solve a problem for roofing contractors, but do they really understand the problem. Roofing has its own unique processes and terminology. Many may think it is all the same in construction or in the subtrades but roofing like other trades have specific needs that need to be understood by product managers and software developers.

By asking if the software company has experience in commercial roofing, the contractor will be able to determine the level of education the software company may need to build solutions for roofing specific processes. It is important that the roofing company can talk to product managers that understand terminologies, systems and needs of roofing specific workflows. It is just as critical that the software company also talks the same language when it comes to software technical support.

By working with a company that is committed to roofing it ensures that their product development team also understands the needs and pain. Many companies develop programs where “one size fits all” but that usually does not work. The product managers need to be able to get into the field and work with roofing companies to understand pain points, sometimes finding solutions that employees did not even realize they needed.

This type of contractor-driven development is best found when companies are a part of the industry they work with. Not only with product experts and developers but sales and tech reps that are a part of the roofing industry. Participation in tradeshows, industry associations and vendor collaborations show their commitment to the industry and contracting companies.

If you’re curious about the other questions you should be asking and don’t want to wait for the next article, download the full e-book here.