Should You Build or Buy Roofing Software? Top 6 Factors to Consider

By Store Share Access.

Cutting-edge and flexible systems like Store Share Access can be easily customized to meet the specific needs of any business in the roofing industry.

At Store Share Access, sometimes our biggest competitors are not the rival software products, but the internal IT staff and individual software developers. Most often, they’re the ones who advocate the idea of building a system from the ground up instead of buying an already existing fool proof system and customizing it for the client’s needs. What they don’t know is that cutting-edge and flexible systems like Store Share Access (SSA) can be easily customized to meet the specific needs of any business in the roofing industry when it comes to flawless roof asset management.

While we don’t deny that there are always some missing components in an already existing software solution, we make sure to add such missing features at a small cost, or even for free, before the installation. As a result, our customers get a perfect system without having to deal with long time frames, hassle and the exorbitant cost of creating a custom system from scratch.

If you’re still not sure whether you need a new custom system to manage data in your roofing company or you want to enjoy the tremendous benefits of installing a proven system by customizing it to fit your precise needs, our experts have shared some thoughts to help you make an informed decision. Let’s dive right in.

1. The cost

The biggest downside of building a new custom-system is that such projects usually take a lot of time to complete. Even if you have a certain time-frame in your mind, there are high chances that the final product will take longer than expected. When it comes to software development, time is equivalent to money. So, the more time spent in developing a new system, the more will be the cost. The question is - Can your business afford to pay for this extra time? Fortunately, buying an already existing solution can help you avoid all such unnecessary costs.

2. The time

No custom solutions can match the quality, accuracy and performance of a trusted existing system that is used by thousands of users already. The reason is that state-of-the-art systems like SSA take thousands of hours to develop, with new features being added constantly. What’s more, you’ll get regular FREE updates that address the demands of hundreds of users throughout the roofing industry.

Even if your developers say that they can develop a system just like ours and at the same cost, there’s still the time factor you need to consider. However, with SSA, you’ll start saving money immediately. At SSA, we’ve implemented our system hundreds of times. So, our experts know the exact procedure to make it work for your business and its unique needs. In general, it takes less than a day to get our system up and running in any roofing company environment.

3. Low-cost developers are actually more expensive in the long run

The sad part is that many roofing companies learn their lessons the hard way. Even when they manage to find a low-cost developer to build a custom system, more often than not, these cheap developers fail to deliver the promised product on time and within their budget. At other times, developers keep coming back for more money by making false promises of a finished product. In worse cases, developers may simply disappear, leaving the project hanging in mid-air.

Many frustrated clients often say that custom software development often ends with a lawsuit or when the clients run out of money.

However, that’s not the way we work at Store Share Access (SSA). Our unique approach to commercial roofing software solutions makes sure that you won’t have to contact a new vendor ever again in the future. Our clients are so satisfied with our systems that they always contact us to build new products for their growing business.

4. Unrivalled flexibility

We believe that every business, even within the same industry, has unique needs. Every business has some distinct processes and operations that make it competitive and different. That said, more than 90% of the roofing management needs in most businesses are basic and apply to almost every business. These include but are not limited to - data storage, leak reports, document inspections, creating roof work orders, prioritizing roofing tasks, creating proposals, managing warranties, storing photos and drawings and so on. We have made our system extremely flexible to accommodate the remaining 10% unique needs of every roofing business. Every field in the system is highly customizable and is designed for optimal workflow.

5. Customer support

It doesn’t matter if you invest in a pre-written system or custom software, you have to rely on its developers for any support you might need. So, it’s better to invest in a rock-solid product backed by a well-established company. We have been in the business for a long time, and we are also one of the fastest-growing roofing solutions providers in the country.

SSA is our premium system that has become one of the most sought - CRM in a short time and the demand is only going to increase in the foreseeable future. Moreover, our source code is clean and well documented. So, any developer experienced in popular Microsoft platforms can provide troubleshooting or enhancements.

6. Focus on your core competencies

If you’re a skilled roofing professional, you need a system that can help you improve the efficiency of your growing business. However, do you really believe that you should be involved in developing software? If you hire a developer, there are high chances that he/she might not be in the roofing business. So, they have to spend a lot of time getting your system right. This can prove to be too costly and may still not deliver the expected results. Our goal here is to help you avoid all such headaches and expenses in developing a perfect system. With SSA, you can start enjoying all the benefits of a custom solution immediately at a fraction of the cost of developing a custom system.

There you have it - some of the factors you should keep in mind while getting a software solution for your roofing business. To learn more about Store Share Access, please feel free to contact us at 225-326-5902 or fill out the contact form.

Learn more about SSA in their RoofersCoffeeShop® Directory or visit www.ssacapp.com.