Five Key Technologies for Roofing Contractors

Five Key Technologies for Roofing Contractors

by Heidi J. Ellsworth

In today’s world where efficiency and precision take precedence, we want to share through a series of blogs, Five Key Technologies for Roofing Contractors, that are a key component when it comes to doing business within the contracting community. Technology comes in many shapes and sizes but leading contractors are realizing that if they are not progressive in their use of technology they are going to be left behind.  Through a series of posts we will look at several technologies many with additional content on the RoofersCoffeeShop.com site.

Technology is not just software, it is using services and software that help increase productivity for the company and employees.  Looking at several types of technology is important but whether you are a small or large roofing contractor, residential or commercial, it is essential to incorporate technology into your processes and culture.  In fact, roofing contractors are finding that they can get more done, faster by using technology.

New technologies are introduced literally every day many of them here on the RoofersCoffeeShop.com.  Understanding what is beneficial for your business and more importantly the best technology for the size of your business is critical.  As you look at the many great technology companies advertising on the coffee shop be sure to keep these five key technologies for roofing contractors in mind.  They can make a difference in keeping your business profitable, agile and the right size.

Customer Relations Management

There are several CRM systems with many of them integrated with project management software.  But first you may be asking what is a CRM?  It is a Customer Relationship Management System and it could be Microsoft Outlook, an Excel file or a higher level software.  In the roofing world, there are many contractor CRM software systems that help manage customers and often are connected to project management and/or accounting software.

Questions to ask when looking for a CRM system include how the program works for residential vs. commercial business or ideally will it handle both.  There are companies that are very focused on residential projects and tracking canvassing and sales processes or overall leads.  That is very important but if you are looking for something that also tracks customer’s data along with project management that may be a different system.

There are programs that offer customer portals where you can share data, photos, job progress, inspections and invoices with customers at their convenience.  This type of CRM can be used for initial customer contact and sales with the scalability to store all of the customer’s projects as they grow with the company.  This type of program is usually used more with commercial business. It is also a great tool to use if you are focused HOA work.

Whichever CRM you use, the key is to maintain a strong, up-to-date customer database that becomes not only a historical view of our customers and projects but also a strong database for future sales and marketing.  By using a CRM software instead of Excel or a Rolodex, customer contact can be automated including notes, past correspondence, property data, material preferences and/or potential future projects.

There are many great technology companies on the RoofersCoffeeShop.com so be sure to check them out.  It will make a difference!  For more questions you can ask about software, visit 5 Key Questions.