Category: <span>2018</span>

Category: 2018

Cotney Construction Law Supports the Roofing Technology Think Tank Through Donated Services

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The firm provided more than $20,000 in pro bono legal services to support and advance the roofing industry.

Roofing Technology Think Tank (RT3), a group of progressive roofing professionals focused on technology solutions for the roofing industry announced that Cotney Construction Law, a leading national law firm for the construction industry, specialty trades, and OSHA defense, donated over $20,000 in pro bono legal services to help launch RT3 in 2017.

“We are truly humbled by the support and commitment of Cotney Construction Law to help establish RT3,” said co-founder Dale Tyler. “Trent Cotney’s support of this industry initiative and our organization demonstrates that both he and his firm are forward-thinking industry leaders that recognize the need for innovative technology solutions in roofing.”

“This donation of services is our investment in the future of the roofing industry,” said Trent Cotney, Principal of Cotney Construction Law. “Without implementing and embracing technology, we aren’t going to retain and attract the talent needed to advance the industry. We were honored to donate our services to help RT3 form and move forward.”

 

About Roofing Technology Think Tank (RT3)

Roofing Technology Think Tank (RT3) strives to find innovative technology solutions to be used within the roofing industry. RT3 provides insights from progressive thought leaders both inside and outside the roofing industry along with practical resources for implementing potential solutions successfully. The organization will encourage and enable contractors to embrace technology as they seek to grow their businesses. With a commitment to disseminate technology advancement information, RT3 will help build the professionalism and appeal of the roofing industry. www.rt3thinktank.test.

 

About Cotney Construction Law, LLP

Cotney Construction Law, LLP is a construction law firm that provides national representation for general, roofing, HVAC and specialty contractors.  Experienced in the representation of businesses and professionals in construction disputes and transactions throughout the nation and with a proven track record in the state of Florida, Cotney is a well-known advisor and legal counsel in the construction industry.  The firm’s practice areas include construction law, litigation, arbitration, contract review & drafting, immigration, employment, OSHA defense, licensing defense, bid protests, lien law, bond law and alternative dispute resolution.  The firm has Florida offices in Tampa, Orlando, Tallahassee, Jacksonville, and Ft. Lauderdale, as well as locations in Nashville, Houston, Grand Rapids, and Mobile, Alabama.  For more information, visit www.cotneycl.com.

3 Ways Drones Are Used on Construction Worksites

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Drones are quickly becoming the preeminent solution for delivering aerial imagery for construction projects.

As regulations ease and technology continues to improve, the use of drones for monitoring and reporting on construction projects is steadily increasing. Here are just 3 of the most popular ways drones can be used on construction worksites.

Progress Reports

Rome wasn’t built in a day…and neither were any major land development projects. There are various checkpoints throughout the construction process, which in most cases can take months (if not years).  Leveraging a drone for an aerial progress report allows for real-time updates, so project owners can save time and manage worksites more efficiently.

Inspections

Using drones to complete full-scale inspections significantly reduces the risk factor for workers. Rather than a worksite manager conducting a time-consuming and somewhat hazardous inspection, a drone operator can capture a birds-eye view of the entire area safely & within a much shorter timeframe.

Analytics

Drones can assist in providing accurate estimates, generating cut and fill maps, modifying plans to meet on-the-ground conditions and more …all in a matter of clicks. The availability of rich analytics gives customers a more accurate understanding of their worksite.

This article first appeared on the Drone Base blog and can be viewed here.

The 19 Biggest Venture Deals of 2017 (and early 2018)

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Dovetailing off of Built World’s Top 27 Venture Players report, they have put together the 19 largest AEC and real estate venture rounds of the past year. There were plenty of surprises.

Perhaps first and foremost is that the list kicks off with a $4.4 billion solo investment, which is fairly indicative of the sheer scale of funding entering the built industry. Over the past couple of years, Built Worlds has seen an increasing number of venture funds turning their focus to AEC and real estate tech. And they expect this momentum to continue, at least while construction industry spending is reaching all-time records ($1.26 trillion in November 2017 as reported by U.S. Census Bureau).

Allow this report to act as a weather vane. Which tech companies have serious wind in their sails and are ready to deliver big in 2018? From WeWork to Blokable, these are the young companies making the biggest waves.

Want additional insight on these deals? You can download the full PDF report with additional analysis at the bottom of the article.

Note: This article first appeared on BuiltWorld’s website and can be viewed here.

Marketing Technology Tools for Contractors – Part 2

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By Heidi J. Ellsworth, HJE Consulting.

For residential and commercial roofing contractors, there is an ongoing need to not only attract customers but to sustain them over long periods of time.  Marketing automation provides contractors with a way to nurture leads and customer to ensure their business stays top of mind.

There are multiple buzzwords in the marketing world and currently one of the biggest is Marketing Automation.  The question many are asking is “What is it?”  Marketing Automation Times, http://marketingautomationtimes.com, an online publication states that marketing automation is a subset of customer relationship management (CRM) that focuses on the definition, scheduling, segmentation and tracking of marketing campaigns. The use of marketing automation makes processes that would otherwise have been performed manually much more efficient and makes new processes possible.

That definition is just the tip of the iceberg.  Yes, it is about automating processes such as email, blog, and web tracking but it is also about building relationships with customers and potential customers that change the dynamic from chasing leads to attracting leads.

For residential and commercial roofing contractors, there is an ongoing need to not only attract customers but to sustain them over long periods of time.  Whether it is homeowners or building owners, they need to be nurtured to stay top of mind when customers have roofing needs or referral opportunities.  A strong, up-to-date list of customers maintained through software automation is critical.  Contact information including emails that are sitting in filing cabinets and not in an up-to-date CRM are useless.

Once a CRM program is in place and information, past and present has been loaded it is time to begin thinking about marketing automation.  What needs to be communicated to customers?  What are the profiles of customers, i.e. residential, exteriors, commercial?  If both residential and commercial services are provided by the roofing company it is important to segment the customers.  For example, a commercial-oriented newsletter needs to go to building owners and will most likely be wasted on a homeowner.  It could even be labeled spam by that homeowner, hurting communication efforts.  In reviewing the communications plan, it becomes increasingly important to make sure the company is sharing information the customer cares about.

 

Social Media

The groundwork is crucial before starting any marketing automation project.  One popular tool for communications is social media.  Different social media works best for specific audiences.  Facebook has a stronger following amongst homeowners while LinkedIn is preferred by business.  Remembering that a building owner most likely is also a homeowner creates dual opportunities for exposure at both the home and business.

There are cloud-based software systems available such as Hootsuite where all social media can be controlled from one dashboard.  This type of automation is being used by businesses, non-profits and large enterprises to manage messaging and timing.  Time management is important when managing social media.  With one dashboard, multiple social mediums can receive company messaging, cutting down on the time that it would take to update each medium separately.

 

Marketing Automation Software

Online companies such as HubSpot, Marketo or Act-On are just a few of the companies that offer a full software solution for tracking activity on websites, sending emails and linking it all with social media.  In looking at this type of technology, be sure the company is ready for new processes and increased lead generation.  There is a learning curve to connect the CRM to the marketing automation system and understand how to correlate the content that is being sent out through email, social media or web to sales efforts.  Leads will increase with this type of marketing so it is important to put time and resources in place to handle the return.

There are agencies who offer marketing automation services.  Again, make time to vet their services and ensure they understand the roofing business.  Often marketing organizations outside of the construction industry do not understand the difference in marketing between homeowners and building owners, residential or commercial.  In talking to other contractors, associations or vendors, contractors can get recommendations for good service providers that have delivered results for other companies.

Marketing automation is a strong software tool to communicate with customers electronically.  But, it is just one part of building good relationships through sales and marketing.  Some companies have allowed technology to swing the pendulum too far away from personal relationships.  Marketing electronically is about staying top of mind but it is only a small part of building strong relationships of trust with customers.  Combining electronic communication with person-to-person communications can create exceptional customer satisfaction, referrals and highly sustainable business for roofing companies.  Using marketing automation as one of the tools in a marketing program and linking it to the overall goals and strategies is the winning combination.

 

Customer Portals

For current customers, it is important to continually delight them by creating exceptional customer experiences.  Leading contractors are using CRM programs that offer customer portals where they 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 along with the ability to track customers over time while storing all projects and related data.

Customer portals create an excellent user experience for customers.  Innovative, web-based software systems are utilizing relational database programs to efficiently help contractors manage everything from project data, work order/invoicing processes and most importantly customer communication and document storage.

Many facility managers are asking for this type of communication.  It offers a 24/7 ability to see what is happening with service, maintenance, and reroofing projects.  Maintenance portals play a significant role for facility managers, allowing them to see exactly what is happening on their roofs.  Understanding that very few managers will have the opportunity to walk all their roofs, portals provide a view of the roof that inspires confidence through ongoing communications, documentation and visual review.  Data storage and the ability to upload unlimited photos or video to the portal is essential in providing real-time documentation for customers.

Portals are also used for more than review.  Facility managers can report a service request through the portal and track the status of the work.  Email alerts can be used to help to keep all parties aware of updates or repair requirements.  As noted earlier, the future is in the speed of delivery using mobile solutions.  Mobile devices on the roof provide expedited communication, the ability to send succinct inspection reports and easy service reporting when linked with the right CRM.

By utilizing custom inspection checklists, roof service teams can quickly communicate roof issues or concerns along with the progress of the repairs.  Custom inspection reports include photos from the roof that correlate with early imagery or even satellite imagery to create a visual timeline for the facility manager.  All of this is shared through the online portal providing an easy way to distribute information to management, purchasing agents or building supervisors.  It creates an ongoing customer experience that leads to referrals and long-term relationships.

There is a strong opportunity for residential contractors to offer the same portals to homeowners.  By making home repair information available 24/7 to homeowners they can be active with the contractor and their home improvements.  Implementing technology that retains all data on a property over time provides an excellent means of retaining homeowner business with ongoing repairs, yearly inspections and potential upgrades.

 

Take the Time

The most important part of incorporating any technology is to take the time to evaluate.  Talk to other contractors through roofing associations or networks and see what has worked for them.  Look at online reviews and utilize free trials to try out and understand the technology.  There is a large commitment in time whenever there is a change or adoption of new technology, so be sure it matches the goals of the company.

Also, be aware that many types of software adoption will have a cultural effect on the company.  Processes will need to be updated, personnel trained and data uploaded.  It is not easy to change software, so create a relationship with the software provider upfront, and develop a high degree of comfort and confidence when initiating the new technology and processes with employees.

It is worth the time to find the right systems to not only grow your company but improve productivity and profitability.

Marketing Technology Tools for Contractors – Part 1

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By Heidi J. Ellsworth, HJE Consulting.

 

In today’s world where efficiency and precision take precedence, technology is 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.

 

Technology is not just software, it is using services and cloud-based solutions to help increase productivity for the company and employees.  Exploring multiple types of technology and evaluating their effectiveness for a roofing company, no matter the size or type can play an important part in the growth of a business.  In this technological age, it is essential to incorporate technology into the business’ processes and culture.  In fact, contractors are finding that they can get more done, faster by using technology while staying ahead of the competition.

New technologies and applications are introduced literally every day.  Understanding what is beneficial for a roofing business and more importantly, the best technology for the size of the business is critical for success.  Here are a few important sales and marketing technologies that can make a difference in growing sales and profitability in 2017.

 

Websites

The number one, most important marketing technology is a website.  It needs to provide enough information about the company so potential customers will act by requesting estimates or additional information for projects.   A customer wants to feel confident in the vendor’s experience and professionalism.  By validating the company’s expertise concerning high-quality work, long-term service and excellent responsiveness along with strong knowledge of the latest products and technologies, customers will be enticed to respond.  This can all happen on a website.  The quality of information will speak to the customers long before they pick up the phone.

A website should be dynamic, meaning that the content is fresh and always up to date.  It should feature a section or blog on the site that provides short articles and information that customers will find interesting.  Press releases and other news should be shared regularly on the site.  A good website will have a prominent button or link on every page that a visitor can click on to request an estimate.  Ask them to complete a form that captures their contact information (name, address, phone, and email) but also use the opportunity to try to gather some basic qualifying information.

Finding a good website developer can be challenging but there are several options.  Everything from do-it-yourself, to leasing a website, to finding a knowledgeable internet marketing agency are available.  Before hiring a company to update or develop a website, take the time to look at other websites and note what is impressive.  Often the name of the company that developed the site is noted at the bottom of the homepage.  By pulling information together ahead of meeting with developers, it will save time and money when working with a new web development company.  Lastly, look internally first.  Often there are employees who can create websites or work on marketing projects who are already on the payroll.

 

Smart Devices

It does not seem possible to survive in today’s world without a smart device and that is especially true when it comes to business.  Smartphones allow contractors to be in touch immediately with their customers giving them the edge when it comes to customer service.  The agility of utilizing smartphones makes sense for communication with other employees while providing the overall benefit of informed customers.

It is important to use phones in a way that works with customers, so knowing their preferences concerning email, text or phone usage is beneficial for creating enhanced communications.  As part of the sales process, ask how the customer would prefer to receive their project communications.  A critical part of utilizing technology is understanding how customers want to interact with that technology.

Smartphones and or tablets make day-to-day business easier on the road, hopefully eliminating some of the late-night work.  Asking vendors, such as manufacturers and distributors, about their technology offerings and especially finding out which apps make working with them easier helps both businesses.  To be able to order materials, reports or services through the phone or tablet can lead to efficiency and time savings.

In deciding which smart device to use, take the time to coordinate the company’s phones, tablets, and computer system with cloud-based software in a way that all devices can speak to each other.  This creates an easy, efficient means of transferring data and documents while also documenting customer discussions.

 

Customer Relationship Management

There are several Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems designed for roofing professionals.  CRM systems have evolved significantly over the years from server-based systems such as ACT to simple contact management solutions such as Microsoft Outlook or Excel to cloud-based, enterprise-level software like Salesforce.  In the roofing world, there are many contractor CRM software systems that help manage customers.  They are often also 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. Ideally, will it handle both.  There are companies that are very focused on residential projects with functionalities that track canvassing, sales and overall leads.  Commercial roofing software may focus more on inspections, service, and maintenance and may feature a customer portal that allows property owners to access service records and to request maintenance online.  Depending on the business model of the roofing company, residential, commercial or both, the CRM needs to fit the business.  As roofing companies continue to grow and gain sophistication, an important element for any CRM systems is the ability to track customer’s overall data and retain that data for long-term use.

No matter the CRM chosen, the key is to maintain a strong, up-to-date customer database that becomes not only a historical view of customers and projects but also a strong database for future sales and marketing.  By using a CRM software instead of an Excel document or a Rolodex, customer contact can be automated and shared including notes, past correspondence, property data, material preferences and/or potential future projects.

Roofing Technology Think Tank (RT3) Chooses Leadership

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RT3 has secured the services of veteran industry marketing communications professional Karen Edwards to advance the efforts of the organization.

Roofing Technology Think Tank (RT3), a group of progressive roofing professionals focused on technology solutions for the roofing industry announced that it has chosen Karen Edwards as its communications and engagement leader.

In this role, Edwards will lead the RT3 membership in engagement activities that drive the group’s technology research, evaluation, testing and thought leadership to continue to promote the adoption of technology into the roofing industry. She will also manage all of RT3’s communication efforts, ensuring that the group’s message and efforts surrounding the adoption of technology are effectively shared with contractors, manufacturers, distributors and industry media.

“RT3 is very excited to work with Karen on moving the RT3 initiative forward and taking it to the next level,” said RT3 co-founder Dale Tyler. “Her background in the roofing industry combined with her understanding of how to introduce new technologies into the industry from her time spent as a marketing leader at EagleView bring the perfect skill set to RT3.”

Edwards has been a marketing professional for more than 25 years and has focused the past 15 years on marketing for the technology and construction industries. She led the contractor marketing program during her tenure at Carlisle SynTec and oversaw the marketing behind the company’s secondary brands including Versico, EcoStar, Insulfoam, Carlisle Coatings and Waterproofing and Carlisle Residential before moving on to lead marketing efforts at EagleView Technologies. As president and owner of Casimir Group, Edwards provides strategic marketing consulting for roofing manufacturers and contractors, she is also the editor for RoofersCoffeeShop.com and leads Marcomm activities for the Property Drone Consortium.

She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications from Millersville University of Pennsylvania and resides in the York, Pennsylvania area. When not working, she enjoys traveling, relaxing on a beach, partaking in good food and wine, taking long walks and yoga.

About Roofing Technology Think Tank (RT3)
Roofing Technology Think Tank (RT3) strives to find innovative technology solutions to be used within the roofing industry. RT3 provides insights from progressive thought leaders both inside and outside the roofing industry along with practical resources for implementing potential solutions successfully. The organization will encourage and enable contractors to embrace technology as they seek to grow their businesses. With a commitment to disseminate technology advancement information, RT3 will help build the professionalism and appeal of the roofing industry. http://www.rt3thinktank.test.

Drones Helping Building Owners Assess Damage, Prioritize Repairs and Monitor Job Progress

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National Roofing Partners (NRP) has implemented the use of drones as part of its continued commitment to incorporate the latest technologies into its operations.

Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico in the Fall of 2017, leaving the island in the dark and national corporations unable to communicate with their facility managers to determine the extent of damage to their properties. One of NRP’s client, a large national retailer had 12 locations on the island and needed a way to survey the damage to their buildings to prioritize and schedule repairs.

NRP partnered with a drone service and sent teams onto the island to conduct assessments of their client’s properties. By capturing that aerial view NRP was able to show their client the extent of the damage so they were able to evaluate and prioritize repairs. The buildings that had obvious visible damage such as holes in the roof were elevated to the top of the repair list.

Re-roof in progress.

Once repairs were underway on the roofs, NRP delivered weekly progress reports utilizing the aerial drone imagery. NRP Senior National Account Manager Mallory Payne said that the use of drone imagery has provided the client a clear understanding of how the repairs are progressing. “Before using drone imagery, we relied on contractors to send us photos but they were taken on the roof, which isn’t always the best angle for a true understanding of job progress,” explained Payne. “The drone imagery is captured from above and provides a view of the entire roof where is it easy to see exactly what has been completed and what is still left to do.”

The use of the drones in Puerto Rico went so well that Payne says NRP is making it a standard operating procedure. “Previously, we used to send clients progress reports using a drawing of the roof and marking it up with comments as to how the job was progressing,” said Payne. “Now we just send them a link and they can view the photos of the work from any web browser.”

There were some kinks to work out in the beginning since the drone flyers that NRP is working with are not experts in roofing, they are experts in drone operations. Payne worked on developing three different types of flights with specific instruction on what to photograph on each project. Those three types include HVAC equipment flights, aerial overviews with individual roof section images captured and project progress flights.

Re-Roof in progress, almost complete.

Since determining the types of photos needed and developing the three flight types, the drone technology has been a key part of every project.

Top Roofing Technology Trends for 2018

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By: Brad Foster, AccuLynx.

As companies continue to expand within their local markets, the demand for roofing technology to support advances in business management, sustainability, and material trends has increased alongside that growth.

Companies that take advantage of new, cutting-edge roofing technology will be at an advantage as they continue to increase efficiency on the job site, as well as within their organizations through better business management processes.

Drone Technology for Roofers

Drones have taken the world by storm and have become a popular toy for all ages. Their role as a tool for roofing businesses, however, is just starting to emerge. Drones with 4K cameras allow sales teams to take detailed pictures of problem spots and identify safety hazards without having an inspector climb onto the roof, immediately reducing risk before a job begins. These images can be shown to customers to help them visually understand where repairs are needed, as well as to your crew before a job begins to make work more efficient. As drones become more advanced, their potential to be a useful tool increases, and it may be time to evaluate their usefulness to your own company.

 Roofing Safety Innovations

Safety is always a top concern for onsite crews, and steps can and should always be taken to reduce risk on a job. While protocols and careful management can reduce the potential for mistakes, accidents do happen.

Roofing technology trends that have a direct impact on the safety of your field teams can dramatically reduce common risk factors:

  • Companies like Redpoint Positioning are integrating GPS into safety equipment so that they can mark hazards by proximity and warn crew members when they may be approaching a dangerous area.
  • Other companies are putting sensors into safety vests that can detect body temperature and heart rate to tell workers when they’re starting to overheat.
  • Research is also being done to put airbags into the neck of safety vests that expand when a sensor detects a sudden vertical drop. Using computers and sensors built into equipment has the potential to significantly reduce the risk on a jobsite.

Applying Environmental Efficiency to Roofing Materials

The demand by homeowners for environmental efficiency is becoming increasingly important and its effects on the roofing industry are apparent, especially for material manufacturers. Many shingle manufacturers are creating new eco-friendly products that may appeal to homeowners financially as well as the added home benefit of reducing their carbon footprint. Reflective granules allow for shingles to reflect more of the sun’s heat, lowering air conditioning costs in the summer.

Solar panels can be inserted into roofs, but usually do not offer enough weather protection to be used as a significant building material. Building applied photovoltaics are solar panels built for roofing. They are tough enough to withstand severe weather, are tileable for easy application, and come in different types and colors for both commercial and residential uses. Work still needs to be done before photovoltaic systems will be able to completely replace conventional roofing systems, but as time goes on their potential as a green and financially viable alternative to regular shingles only rises.

Offering homeowners eco-friendly options during roof replacement or repair can help businesses increase market potential compared to other companies who do not offer specialty services.

Marketing Tools for Roofers

Companies are constantly bringing in new leads and completing different jobs, often making it a headache to keep track of the necessary information for each customer. Software for roofing companies with Customer Relationship Management (CRM) capabilities streamline this process. Newer programs are capable of tracking traditional information such as address and contact information, but also allow for searchable tags like geographical location, job timeline, or communication history.

Integration with programs such as Smart Documents and supplier pricing tools allows you to bring your office with you when meeting a customer. All of your necessary paperwork is always with you, and estimates can be constructed and altered for customers in just minutes. The ability to store customer information in a customized database greatly increases organization and ensures the customer is well taken care of.

Managing a roofing company is difficult; you have to keep track of leads and salesmen, scheduling crews, ordering materials, collecting payment, and countless other important details. Using an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software to combine all of these systems into a single dashboard will make this process substantially more efficient. Advanced ERP’s will allow you to track a job from lead to completion while offering tools to aid every step along the way. From cloud-based documentation to online ordering tools to Quickbooks integration, ERP’s offer limitless utility to streamline the entire job process.

New roofing technologies are constantly being invented and are changing the industry all the time. Keep an eye out for new innovative products, tools, and software that can be used to help your company grow.

Note: This article first appeared on the AccuLynx blog and can be viewed here.

How To Get Workers To Embrace Construction Technology – Part 2

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From project management software to cloud technology, innovation is allowing contractors to do more each day.

The emergence of new technology figures prominently in all industries, construction is no different. The construction industry is booming with more work than contractors can handle and not as many resources as needed. This puts a greater onus on efficiency and accuracy. That’s where new technology has been critical.

However, new technology is only as effective as the people charged with the task of using it. Buy-in can be a challenge at times. People have achieved success performing their tasks in certain ways through the years. New technology is daunting and can feel like they are starting over. No one wants to feel that way. That’s why it’s critical to put as much emphasis on getting employees to embrace new technology as it is to implement the technology itself.

Cotney Construction Law’s Jacksonville construction attorneys touched on this by providing a few tips for getting workers to embrace new technology in the first part of this series. Here are more tips for transforming your organization.

Take a poll

The technology will be used by your employees. It’s important to understand their needs. Take a poll to find out what aspects of their job would be enhanced by technology solutions. Let those answers guide your tech investments. This will clear the path to buy-in because your employees will be getting what they want.

Show employees how new technology will affect their jobs

For employees to embrace new technology, it has to be real for them. They have to see it not as a new way to do things or one more thing to learn, but as a way to make their jobs easier. When introducing and training employees on new technology, use examples of how their jobs will be enhanced. Demonstrate benefits. This will greatly enhance buy-in for new tech.

Focus on a few functions

Most of today’s new technology, especially software solutions, have a myriad of functions. However, to someone being introduced to new software, this can be overwhelming. Focus on a few critical functions. Get workers up to speed on those and, when they are ready, introduce more capabilities.

This blog first appeared on Cotney Construction Law’s website and can be viewed here.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for general educational information only. This information does not constitute legal advice, is not intended to constitute legal advice, nor should it be relied upon as legal advice for your specific factual pattern or situation.