The Roofing Industry Must Keep Up With Ever-Evolving Technology

By John Kenney, Cotney Consulting Group.

How the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated technological advancement in business and what roofing contractors need to do to keep up.

History has shown us that those who do not adapt to their evolving environment become extinct. Technology, and the constant change it promotes, is the evolutionary factor in business. Year 2020 and COVID-19 have changed technology, the world and our industry. Shockingly, a large amount of roofing businesses do not implement technology into their organizations. This concerning conclusion was found after conducting a survey across the construction industry. To contractors, the word technology may have negative connotations, however, these technological systems have become a commodity and are so cost-effective that the return on investment is seen quickly. So, the main opponent the roofing industry faces is a resistance to change. Taking up technology as the force behind the advancement in business is the path we must take if we want to continue growing and not fall through the cracks of time.

Contractors should be looking at the advantages of using technology, and the list is endless. One of the more apparent benefits is efficiency. Technology helps a business understand its market, determine their most profitable projects, predict future sales and learn how to match the best estimator/sales/operations or service tech team for maximum profit and customer satisfaction.

Productivity changes how you do business. Using technology, you will be able to track where time is spent and streamline your work processes. Utilizing new technology will make your team more efficient, allowing them to focus on tasks that matter and can bring sales in the door. For example, think about how much time your team needs to input data like timecards, bids, business contacts and draft reports. These are all items that can be automated with the use of technology. Utilizing simple technology tools will show a vast increase in your teams' productivity.

Stay ahead of the competition! The construction industry seems to have new competitors at every turn. It is vital for your organization to stay in front of your customers, and also stay current with the latest trends in roofing. You are utilizing technology to find new leads before your competitors do.

2020 has brought new challenges to our industry, and working remotely has been an unavoidable way of the world since COVID-19 was thrust upon us. Many businesses in construction were not prepared to have remote employees. Companies are now forced to enhance their technology to allow your team to work remotely and to do it in a manner to keep your information secure. Overall, having a technological system where your team can work from anywhere is essential.

Social media and marketing will, without a doubt, change your business and how consumers see you. Facebook is the perfect place to represent your business. It is entirely free to make a business page! By giving your company a social media presence, you will generate more business. Posting pictures and videos of projects will provide clients with a portfolio of your company's performance; this will enhance your company's credibility. By having a Facebook, you can always stay connected with your clients and have a line of 24-hour communication.

To get an idea of how technology is being implemented in the roofing industry, we interviewed with the 2019 Roofing Technology Think Tank (RT3) Innovator of the Year award-winning company, Rackley Roofing. We spoke to Michelle Boykin, COO, who has been with the company for ten years.

We asked Michelle why she thinks there are so many roofing companies that still don't use any technology. Boykin: "It's easy to get stuck in the ‘we've always done it this way’ mentality. Roofing is already behind the game in technology, so many companies are still old school. The problem with this is that these companies will get left behind, while those who have adopted and adapted to new technologies will have a better chance of succeeding."

Rackley Roofing is one of the most technologically advanced roofing companies in the industry. Rackley Roofing uses CRM, field data capture and invoicing to ensure prompt billing for its customers. They also utilize an ASSP Virtual Reality Fall Protection for their employees; this is to educate their team in a creative, hands-on way. Their company vehicles are all equipped with GPS and fleet video systems. They use a messaging platform for internal communications, and they also use Zoom for meetings, which was a great asset when working remotely throughout the past few months.

The Rackley Roofing team is always thinking of new innovative ways to use technology to help their employees learn and grow! They recently introduced Microsoft Holollens with Remote Assist (Virtual Reality) into their business, which has allowed them to educate their office staff on roof inspection, something that once was only available by going on each roof with their employees.

At the end of the day, no matter how technologically advanced your company is, Cotney Consulting Group wants your company to save time and make money by running efficiently. With our services, we can show you how you can utilize technology with the right tools and allow your business to have access to a broader audience in a short time period. This means that a company can grow its client network faster and service more clients all at one time.

To learn more about how to implement technology into your business, contact John Kenney at Cotney Consulting Group.

Learn more about Cotney Consulting Group in their RoofersCoffeeShop® Directory.

Original article source: Cotney Consulting Group