Tag: <span>Technology</span>

Tag: Technology

Seven Ways to Use Big Data in Roofing

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By Ken Kelly, Kelly Roofing.

The biggest buzz word in technology today is “Big Data.”  You may not realize it, but you already have big data on your business.  It’s nothing more than a collection of records.  It can be a collection list, list of past customers, accounting numbers, time sheets or any list with similar fields.

The key to big data is how it is used.  Most people who have access to it are too far removed from business operations to utilize it constructively and use the results to improve their processes, grow sales, increase customer satisfaction and expand the bottom line.  Since you are on the front line, learning insights through validation will provide immediate ideas and help with implementation.

Here are seven ways you can use it immediately.

1 – Hiring Sales People

Entering the busy season your sales team starts running into issues keeping up with all the leads the company is receiving.  Your immediate reaction would be to hire another salesperson.  But, that’s a $100,000.00 investment and burned leads during the new salesperson’s training period.  There has to be another option.  Look to Bid Data for help to quantify options.  Calculate how many leads come from each zip code and balance them out among the sales team.  By quantitatively keeping salespeople in relative areas with balanced demand you will gain efficiency, cut costs, put off hiring another salesperson and keep response times down.

2 – Ad Spend

Is your advertising money really being used in the best way possible?  Are you sure?  How do you know?  Bid Data takes the guess work out of the equation.  Start by tracking all leads that come into the company by asking customers how they heard about you.  Next, take the breakdown and compare it two ways.  One, cost of advertising by sales volume.  Two, cost of advertising by margin.  You now have the information you need to start saving costs immediately by pulling money from programs that only deliver “Blue Sky,” general brand sentiment, and put it in vehicles that deliver real jobs with higher margins.

3 – Picking the Best Supplier

Strong relationships and good pricing are not the only criteria for picking a good supplier.  Consider letting big data help.  How much is your supplier costing you?  It’s an interesting question for sure.  Look to the data and answer these questions: How many times does the supplier not deliver on time leaving your crew stuck on the job without materials to work with?  How much have you overpaid for because deliveries were short?  Are you getting the payment term discounts they touted, or is the 2% back only on a few items?  These are all questions bid data can answer.  My suggestion is to arm yourself with the numbers and facts, then shop the market with the knowledge.

4 – Happy Customers

Are your customers happy with your service?  How do you know?  Is your team really delivering a great customer experience?  My suggestion is to start gathering data, so you have data to support it.  Add points to each answer and use the score to gauge the customer’s true impression of your company.  This valuable information will help steer your business in the right direction using facts, not feelings.

5 – Gamification

This is an up and coming concept and is starting to gain real traction.  Gamification is the art of assigning points to activities to quantify performance.  A few examples are:

  • When entering a lead into your CRM system, give points for the number of fields filled in and weigh the more important fields, like the customer’s email address, more heavily to encourage good phone skills.
  • Grant points, based on job size, for completing early or coming in under budget. Tie this to a bonus structure give to the operations team responsible for the project.

6 – Controlling Costs

We already discussed your supplier’s, sales lead’s and advertising’s effect on the bottom line.  Let’s look at a few more examples.

  • Fuel: Replacing vehicles with a more fuel-efficient variant may offset the vehicle payment and lower maintenance costs.
  • Insurance: Comparing loss ratios and marketing your company to carriers may help gain entry into an aggressive dividend return program.
  • Labor: By analyzing hours worked to dollars produced you can apply Prado’s 80/20 rule and eliminate the bottom 20% of your non-productive employees, non-profitable systems and non-performing crews.

7 – BI (Business Intelligence)

BI is the method of turning raw data into actionable strategy.  Remember, “You cannot manage what you cannot measure.”  There are many software programs that can help automate and chart BI.  Or, it could be done by hand via looking through the data manually.  These are the two most important parts of BI:

  • KPI (Key Performance Indicators: These are a set of goals that are set and then used to gauge accomplishments.
  • Predictive Analytics: This is the use of past historical performance to plan for the future.

Note: This article was first published in Roofing Contractor magazine and the full version can be viewed here.

Photo credit: Roofingcontractor.com

Technology Could Help Attract Younger Generation to Construction Industry

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Although construction sometimes has been viewed as one of the last industries to embrace technology, many companies are taking steps to implement useful technology on job sites. And as the industry evolves, it will have to embrace more innovation to attract millennials and those even younger, according to www.forconstructionpros.com.

Some emerging technology construction companies could incorporate on job sites include drones, artificial intelligence, augmented reality/virtual reality, smartphone apps, tablets and wearables.

“Millennials have grown up attached to technology,” says Chad Hollingsworth, co-founder and CEO of Triax Technologies, Norwalk, Conn. “Job sites today are so far removed from what millennials have come to expect in their daily lives. They expect new solutions to do their job better, to get rid of manual processes.”

One challenge is closing the gap between more seasoned construction professionals, who might be more hesitant to leverage new systems, and younger, more tech-savvy individuals, who might not have as much experience with traditional construction methods.

“Older generations look to millennials for how to incorporate the tech into the job site,” says Paul Gomori, application engineering manager for JCA Electronics, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

Additionally, the attitude and outlook millennials have toward life and careers can help entice them to work in the construction industry.

“Millennials want to add value, make an impact and find meaning in what they’re doing,” Hollingsworth says. “This carries over to their professional lives.”

But attracting millennials in the face of a labor shortage is not the only advantage to having more technology on job sites. Newer devices and methods can improve efficiency and productivity and produce tangible results.

“The right construction technology can centralize information and communication, improve safety, and reduce the amount of time spent on non-value-added tasks,” Hollingsworth says. “It is something that (workers) can use to develop their skills, streamline daily tasks and ultimately become better at their jobs.

Note: This article first appeared on the NRCA website and can be viewed here.

3 Ways Roofing Software Creates a Seamless Experience for Your Sales Teams

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By: Nate Stein, AccuLynx

As industry technology continues to advance, so does the ability of your sales teams to integrate their selling process with software platforms specifically designed to improve their efficiency.

 

As a roofing company, you rely on the expertise and organization of your teams in the field to generate, track and close new business every season. These teams are constantly on the move, handling massive amounts of paperwork, phone calls and tracking progress through the pipeline. Some roofing businesses may struggle to keep all of these moving parts organized and accessible for accounting and management back in the office. However, as industry technology continues to advance, so does the ability of your sales teams to integrate their selling process with software platforms specifically designed to improve their efficiency.

Unlike in the past, roofing sales teams no longer need to flood filing cabinets with seemingly never-ending loose-leaf paper and copies. Instead, emerging roofing business software platforms can completely change how your salespeople handle the documentation for customers and jobs in progress. By implementing a CRM into your roofing business, you can streamline the selling experience for your roofing sales teams and create urgency for the buyer.

Create Familiarity with Your Customer (and Never Lose Their Information Again)

Everyone remembers the not-so-good ol’ days when you went diving through seas of filing cabinets in order to locate that one phone number belonging to the prospect who you spoke with last week. After taking forever to locate the paper, you give the customer a call back, only to mess their name up during the call because you cannot read the handwriting of the salesperson who jotted down notes during the initial conversation. Now, not only did you waste time locating files, but you also lost a customer by not referring to them by the correct name, making them feel less than valued.

With roofing business software, you can combine the benefits of an ERP and a CRM platform to simplify your roofing sales management. Ditch that messy filing cabinet and replace it with software that allows you to electronically input all customer information and track them from prospect to invoice. Instead of wasting time sifting through physical files, soar through electronic files at lightning speed to locate customer information. Easily search in your CRM by client name, date, salesperson, address, etc.

With your data securely stored in the cloud, you will never lose a customer’s information. In addition, you no longer need to worry about offending your prospect by mispronouncing their name. When you originally speak with customer “Stephen,” you can jot down in your notes that his name is pronounced as “Steven,” and not “Stefan.” Now, when you call Stephen back, you

Leverage an Existing Relationship and Build Trust

Suppose your customer wants to see references or previously completed work. Roofing business software can give you the ability to search in your system for addresses near your customer, or similar style roofs you have completed. You can then send the prospect before and after photos of similar projects to show them that you put pride and effort into your roofing projects.

A CRM can ensure that you consistently give your customer up-to-date, correct information. Say you called a prospect a few weeks back and offered them a special deal on a roof repair. When you get back to them now, you want to make sure that you don’t forget what your original offer was, so that you do not frustrate your customer with incorrect, misleading information.

Track All Correspondence

With a CRM roofing software, your sales team can track all contact with your clients. Whether it is negotiating a deal, offering a discount, or just making a cold call, your sales team can take note of anything they wish, and won’t have to worry about it getting lost. Sales managers can oversee all projects, including which salesperson is dealing with which customer, and wherein the process the project is. With a bird’s eye view of the entire customer pipeline, from prospect to invoice, your teams can take complete control of the entire roofing business workflow.

By giving your sales teams the assets they need to produce more comprehensive, and organized processes, your business has the ability to increase sales, build trust, and make the customer acquisition process more intimate. Modernize your roofing job management with easy to use software that allows you to grow, while at the same time making the lives of you and your sales teams a whole lot easier.

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

How technology is changing what it means to be successful in the roofing industry

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By Nate Stein, AccuLynx.

The roofing industry is changing right before our eyes; advancements in new technologies, building trends towards sustainable materials, more safety regulations, and the way we communicate with our leads and customers have all evolved from a simple paper to pencil business model. As these new models continue to invade and improve the roofing and contracting industries, business owners now have a greater stake when it comes early adoption and practical application of new tools and technology as they come on the market.

Using Technology to Help Manage Your Business Workflows

As a roofing business owner, you are constantly tracking new leads through your sales teams on a daily basis, and that volume is directly related to new business you manage every year. While the potential to complete more jobs is exciting, keeping track of all your projects can be a headache – not only for managers, but for office staff as well. Scavenging through your rolodex, cell phone or filing cabinet is a time-wasting activity that doesn’t actively help you be more organized. Investing in business management software specifically built for contractors like a CRM (customer relationship management) or ERP (enterprise resource planning) can streamline your customer acquisition and retainment process, while also allowing you to manage all of your finances and document management for your roofing business.

With a cloud-based data system, you eliminate the possibility of ever losing a customer’s information, while gaining unlimited access to the files and documentation your field staff need on a daily basis. Various departments in your business no longer need to refer to different databases, with out of date or conflicting information. All information is stored in one, centralized location, ensuring everyone has the same, accurate data.

ERPs give you the ability to manage the “business” side to your business, with integrations to procure supplies from your local branches, enter data and manage commissions, supplements and financial tracking with QuickBooks, and create estimates, contracts, and other necessary paperwork for jobs with the click of a button.

Business management has come a long way from Excel and carbon copies – roofers that take advantage of software have seen impressive returns on their ROI.

“It’s valuable to look not only at how quickly the company will gain back the initial investment in terms of cost-savings, but also at the number of man-hours the estimating team will save. When software reduces the number of hours spent estimating a project, it frees up time to bid and win more projects—which can multiply revenue many times over. [source] “

Take Flight with Drones & Aerial Roofing Measurements

Gravity no longer limits your abilities as a roofer. With aerial measurements and drone image capturing, you as a roofer have the option to expand your estimating and ordering capabilities through improvements in the way you approach any roof. Companies such as EagleView and SkyMeasure simplify the measuring of roofs. Instead of having your field staff climb on top of roofs all day and manually measure slopes and areas, you can place an order for an aerial roof measurement, automatically populate estimates and produce more accurate paperwork to homeowners and material suppliers.

Drones are also continuing to alter the roofing landscape. Equipped with 4K cameras, personal and professional roofing drones can fly over homes and capture detailed pictures of problem spots, which your sales team can then show to your leads in order to better visualize and explain issues and communicate with homeowners. Better yet, these drones can also be used to snap pictures of potential hazardous spots on roofs, so your crews can be well informed and prepare before they set a single foot on a roof again.

Direct Connections and Integrations with Material Suppliers

How have you been ordering your shingles, nails, and gutter coil up until now? Well, just like most every other roofer out there, you probably picked up the phone, made a call to the sales rep at your local branch, chatted for a few minutes, and then went on to ordering supplies for your roofing project. The all-too-classic happens, when you ordered black shingles, but you received brown ones, and those 1” nails you ordered ended up arriving as 1 ¼” nails.

While mistakes happen, it is annoying and unnecessary in today’s technologically advanced roofing world. Now, you can place orders with your local vendors online. New software tools allow you to browse different products that your supplier offers with real-time prices. From GAF Timberline Shingles to endless house wraps and sealants, you can order anything you need for all your roofing jobs. Real time pricing ensures you get up to date prices, so you can build accurate estimates. With supplier-direct ordering, you won’t receive those brown shingles and 1 ¼” nails you never ordered, and you can show your prospect an accurate estimate of what the project will cost.

The roofing industry is changing – processes that were once tedious, annoying, and time-consuming have been streamlined and automated by software and technology that help your business operate more efficiently across all of your teams. Embracing the dynamic changes happening today may seem overwhelming and impossible to keep up but provide limitless potential as you continue to scale and grow your business.

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

Technology and the customer experience

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By Heidi J. Ellsworth.

 

Consumers are demanding a customer experience that uses technology.  How your company embraces technology will make a big difference in your marketing opportunities for the future.  Amazon, iTunes and Google services are used by consumers everyday no matter which industry you are working in.  So why would roofing customers not look for technological solutions when they are looking for roofing services?

It is becoming more apparent, that the selling model is changing.  The days of demanding that the husband and wife both be present for a sales call is changing.  In fact, in the very near future some of the sales calls may only be online.  Consumers are finding your company in all different ways and demanding a different customer experience that uses technology.   Through referrals, social media and the Google searches, they are taking the time to educate themselves on roofing and the companies that provide roofing services.  It is a changing dynamic.

 

So, how do you adapt to this ever-changing reality?  I say, common sense.  If anything, the explosion of the use of technology is pushing the need for common sense more than ever.  But the basis of common sense is understanding your audience.  Take the time to understand how they are looking for roofing services and what their expectations entail.  It cannot be all technology, we know the importance of relationships but we also cannot live in the unrealistic world of “how it used to be.”  Sales and marketing needs to promote your entire business and needs to highlight how the company is delivering amazing service.  Technology must be a big part of the service process.  If the culture of your company and the business processes are not current with recent technology, customers will know.

 

Now is the time to evaluate how your company is incorporating technology and whether it is making for a better customer and employee experience.  Both groups need to be happy and we all realize that it will not be easy.  Taking the time to educate both customers and employees is crucial when it comes to adapting technology or when making significant changes.  As you review the following buyer behaviors, understand that by embracing technology for the ease of your customers and betterment of the employee experience, you are doing some of the best marketing you can for an improved customer experience for your business.

 

  1. Consumers are doing their research

The day and age of consumers being clueless about roofing is for the most part over.  Don’t get me wrong, there are many consumers who do not research before buying and hope for the best.  But as information continues to not only be obtainable but promoted, consumers are becoming more educated.  In fact, it is your manufacturers who are reaching out to the end user, whether it be residential or commercial, and working on not just advertising to them but educating them on what they deem as the best roofing solution.  You need to be ready for the educated consumer and have your sales team and production team prepared to work with them.

 

  1. They are researching your company 
    This statement may seem antiquated, but if you do not have a website, you need one. Consumers are looking for information on your company and it will start with your website.  But, it will not stop there.  They will check social media, reviews and industry information.  This is where being a part of an association can make a large difference.  Showing how your company is involved and validated by the industry is very important.  Make sure your online reputation and resources are up to date and spotless.

 

  1. They are self-qualifying 
    In the past we have talked about qualifying customers. Today, they are self-qualifying.  They are educated enough to look at your website and online resources and understand if you are a good fit.  This is why it is so important to know your customers and understand the audience you want to attract to your business model.  Then, make sure you are sharing the information that will convince the end-user that your company is a good fit.  The traditional way of obtaining 3 bids is dying on the vine due to time.  Consumers want to spend their time online qualifying the right contractor.  It might come down to two but very easily it can come down to that one company that really told the story online.  If the customer experience continues to be great, they will most likely not shop around and pay potentially higher prices for quality work.

 

  1. They want to be educated not sold 
    Time is what it is all about and if the sales process pressures the consumer, they are as likely to back away. They want to be educated so they feel they are making a good decision.  There is also a strong impression within the younger generations that a processed sales procedure is not good.  They see it coming and they rebel against the process.  They want to feel respected which means your sales team taking the time to provide strong, honest information about the roofing process.  As much of that information that can be online ahead of the sale, the better to close the sale.

 

  1. Referrals are golden but reviews are the last word
    Reports show that an overwhelming number of people are influenced by online reviews. That is why the customer experience from the first touch, all the way to the final inspection is so important.  You need that customer to not only write a complimentary review but to be an active advocate or brand ambassador of your company.  They will spread the word about how you are the roofing company to use.  That will not happen if the roofing experience is bad during any part of the experience.  Make sure all of your employees understand how important it is to deliver the highest level of customer service, no matter what their position in the company.

 

We have been seeing the growth of marketing technology in the roofing industry for the past couple of years but get ready for an explosion in 2018.  We are now looking at exponential growth as consumers start to demand the use of technology and like-minded sales processes in the buying process.  As you work on your 2018 marketing plan, be sure to include technology and how you are going to use it as a marketing tool.

 

Note: This article first appeared on RoofersCoffeeShop.com and can be viewed here.

Choosing the right drone solution – a drone buyer’s guide

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Drones and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are quickly shaping up as the built industry’s can’t-live without, next generation of tools. But not every contractor needs a full in-house team of pilots. And not every sub wants to own their own drone. With so many UAV solutions out there — what questions should firms be asking themselves when evaluating the software, hardware, and professional services out there?

BuiltWorld’s talked to 8 of the leading companies in the drone services industry to find out. Here are a few of their tips.

Remember: All pieces must fit together.

When evaluating drone solutions, you’ll quickly find that each company offers something different. Some provide training. Others, consulting and the drones themselves. And others still, software and machine learning.

But don’t forget: “The drone, flight planning software, data processing software, data management and analytics tools, and pilot operations have to all fit together,” says Dick Zhang, Identified Technologies CEO. “If any link in that chain is broken, your data is wrong.”

The Kespry team also pointed out the same issue: “If you decide to piece together your own system of drone, be aware that there can be significant technical challenges in getting parts of the system to talk to each other. If you have multiple providers, understand who you call to solve the different technical issues you may run into.”

Determine the Value

Making a business case will ensure you’ve made the right investment. Dan Cipriari, CEO at Pointivo, asks clients to consider the ways they can monetize the data they capture with the drone: “Can they use photos to conduct inspections? Generate a 3D model to pull into software? Extract measurements for claims or estimations? Once they understand how they want to use the drone, they can make the decision on who to partner with and how to integrate drones into their business processes.”

BetterView CEO David Lyman suggests trying services before making any capital decisions: “Explore thevarious options for capturing, analyzing, and utilizing data that is compatible with your business and budget. Consider working with a service provider to test the options, even if you think the best long-term solution is an internally owned and operated model.”

Download the complete Drone Buyer’s Guide.

5 Construction Technology Trends to Watch in 2018

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By Karen L. Edwards.

Technology is advancing at a fast pace and each year brings new solutions to the construction table.

Leaders in the industry will be those who embrace the use of technology and pay attention to these emerging technologies.

  1. Virtual and augmented reality

Virtual reality technology allows individuals to “see” what a built environment will look like which is especially useful for proposed new construction projects. Allowing someone to visualize and experience the project can go a long way in building confidence for all involved in the project.

Augmented reality is similar to virtual reality except that the it involves walking through a real 3D environment while viewing additional real-time information about the environment. For example, if a building owner wanted to create a rooftop garden area with various features, augmented reality would bring the roof to life – before the project starts. It will allow that owner to stand on the roof and see what the existing roof would look like with the addition of the garden roof features.

  1. Online Jobsite

New technologies are eliminating the delays in communication that can occur between the job site, the office, the installers and the rest of the project team. Job site connectivity is becoming easier to achieve with the use of connected smartphones and tablets that can send and receive information in real time to everyone involved in a project, including the building owner.

  1. Wearable Technology

There is a new company that offers wearable tags that allow contractors to improve and advance the safety of their workers on the job site. A clip can be attached to workers’ belts that tell you when someone slips, trips, or falls and alerts you to what zone of the job site they are in. They also offer an equipment tag that links to the belt clip to tell you who is operating the equipment and delivers statistics on how the equipment is being used.

  1. Drones

The drone industry is exploding and there are so many uses for drone technology in construction. They can be used to map project sites, report project progress and changes, update clients and inspect damage following severe weather. Companies are popping up every day that offer drone services which means you don’t have to master flying one.

  1. Robotics

Robotics haven’t shown up on the rooftop – yet. But they will. They are already being used to lay bricks – at a pace six times faster than a human. This video of the SAM100 bricklaying robot shows how the technology works faster and eliminates the lifting and bending that can create problems and potential injuries for workers.

Companies in the construction and roofing industries need to get on board the technology train or risk being left far, far behind the rest of the market.

Note: This article first appeared on RoofersCoffeeShop.com’s blog and can be viewed here.

How To Get Workers To Embrace Construction Technology – Part 1

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The construction industry has been slow to catch up with technology but that is starting to change as solutions become even easier to use and implement.

Technology is ever-present in our society and in business. We not only accept the benefits of technology, we expect it. One area of business that has been slow to catch-up with technology is the construction industry. However, even that’s changing with the emergence of project management software and tools and innovations such as drones and augmented reality that are making construction work safer and more efficient.

However, technology in construction has one major barrier. Many of its workers have an aversion to change. Some of it is generational. Some of it is because workers have achieved success through other means. However, to move forward as an industry, we must realize the potential that lies in new technology.

Cotney Construction Law’s Jacksonville lawyers have worked with numerous contractors and construction industry leaders and have seen the benefits of new technology. They also understand the importance of buy-in. That’s why they have put together this two-part guide with tips for getting your team to embrace new technology.

Find champions among employees

There are individuals that people look up to among your workers. Empower them by allowing them to test out new technology first. They will set an example for others that will make buy-in much easier. This will also give you a chance to roll out technology among a smaller group. If there are any issues, they can be resolved with minimal impact.

Training and support

It’s essential that you have a training plan prior to purchasing and implementing new software. This plan should have hands-on and online components. People learn in different ways so you have to accommodate for that. Time must be given for the training as well. This means software must be implemented at a time when your staff isn’t being pulled in a number of directions. In addition to the training, continuous support must be given to ensure that your staff has the ability to ask questions and gain a greater understanding of the software.

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.

Drones: Not Everyone Likes These Eyes in the Skies

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Drone preparing to fly over the city

Everyone, it seems, has an opinion about “Unmanned Aerial Systems,” more popularly known as drones. From hobbyists to cinematographers to hunters to roofers such as National Roofing Partners, the technology, which allows small, unmanned and remotely controlled flying machines to get a bird’s eye view of everything below, is fascinating to users but vexing to privacy and air-safety advocates.

For every drone advocate, there is someone below it who resents the intrusion of these pesky machines. To make matters worse, federal, state and local authorities are confused about their respective roles in managing this new technology because there are no regulations in place at the present time. According to a front-page article in the Wall Street Journal, at least 17 states have “passed laws to restrict how law enforcement and private citizens use the devices – preemptive policies that many drone users say are heavy-handed.”

The federal authority – the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) – says it alone has the right to regulate U.S. skies. However, this has not stopped cities such as Austin, Texas from banning the devices during the annual South by Southwest technology and music event.  Since the 1930’s, planes have been prohibited from flying below 500 feet and this space was relatively free of traffic, save for a kite or model airplane. Now, there are thousands of drones in this airspace; some being used to spy on the neighbors next door and some being used for commercial purposes such as investigating the source of a leak on the roof of a building.

Drones: A New Tool for the Roofing Industry

“Even though the use of drones in the roofing industry is not yet legal and requires specific permission from the FAA, we have heard that there are contractors actively employing this tool,” noted Heidi Ellsworth of EagleView Technologies, a company which specializes in visual analysis of roofs for the insurance and roofing industries. “Once these legal issues are clarified, we see drones as being an excellent tool for gathering video and incorporating imagery into current workflows.

The roofing industry trade organization, The National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA), recently submitted comments to the FAA regarding its proposed regulation that would allow for the commercial use of drones. NRCA generally supports the proposed regulation, which is designed to incorporate the commercial use of small drones (those weighing 55 pounds or less) into the national airspace in a safe manner under a consistent set of rules for all commercial users.

Among other things, the proposed FAA rules would require operators of small drones to be certified, and their flight would be limited to a maximum height of 500 feet. NRCA’s comments contained several suggestions for changes in the proposed rule to maximize the use of small drones for roof inspections. It is expected the FAA will issue a final regulation sometime during the next two years.

Aerial Imagery Provides Much Needed Data on Roofs

Safety and privacy issues aside, the best commercial use of drones for the roofing industry will involve the efficient capture of the aerial imagery. This requires the cameras and processes that enable the high-resolution and geo-coded accuracy, according to Heidi Ellsworth.

“EagleView Technologies, utilizing our patented Pictometry® image technology, continues to focus on image capture and the subsequent data extraction from that imagery,” she noted. “The use of drones holds potential for capturing higher resolution imagery than ever before.”

The company uses its fleet of 85 planes to capture this roof-top imagery across the United States and works with National Roofing Partners. It has also created an industry group to help determine the best practices for the use of drones in the roofing industry.

EagleView has led the formation of the Property Drone Consortium (PDC). This group represents a collaboration among insurance carriers, construction industry leaders and supporting enterprises that have agreed to work together to promote research, development and the establishment of regulations for the use of drone technology across the insurance and construction industries.

As an independent, third-party technology provider and industry innovator in the capture of aerial imagery, EagleView has agreed to provide its research and development expertise to the consortium. “With over twenty years of developing aerial solutions that capture property information, EagleView believes it can utilize patented Pictometry image technologies to further the safe, efficient and scalable use of drone technology for property data collection,” stated Chris Barrow, president, and CEO of EagleView.

There is no doubt drones will eventually be used in the roofing industry. The only questions concern the rules and regulations associated with their use. When this happens, National Roofing Partners will add this technology to its arsenal and customers will reap the benefits of this eye in the sky.

This blog first appeared on National Roofing Partners’ blog and can be viewed here.