Tag: <span>Technology</span>

Tag: Technology

RT3 has strong presence at 2020 International Roofing Expo®

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By Karen L. Edwards.

The International Roofing Expo (IRE) is the roofing industry’s largest educational conference and exposition. RT3 members took advantage of the opportunity to share their knowledge and educate others while also learning at the same time.

The week started on Sunday, February 2 with National Women in Roofing Day. The opening Turbo Talks featured RT3 board member Anna Anderson, speaking about what RT3 is and sharing a glimpse of the technologies that are currently being used in the industry as well as what is coming.

On Monday, February 3, nearly 50 RT3 members met at the Omni Hotel and were shuttled to fellow member KPost Roofing & Waterproofing headquarters for a technology tour. KPost partners Steve Little, Keith Post and Jayne Williams opened their operations and shared the technologies that they have implemented and the difference that it has made for their company’s productivity and efficiency.

Following the operations tour, RT3 members saw a live demonstration of the Mini Macaden, which automates the installation of modified bitumen membrane, reducing the number of crew needed and increasing the speed and quality of the installation while dramatically reducing the amount of propane used. Steve shared that they learned about the automated machine after losing a phase two project bid to a Canadian contractor that came in $700,000 lower. Knowing the requirements of the project, the KPost team was baffled as to how they could have bid so low. To find out the answer, Steve’s team visited the jobsite to see how they were doing the work. That’s when they saw the Mini Macaden in use.

After touring the KPost Roofing & Waterproofing campus, RT3 members visited and toured Globe Life Field, the new home of the Texas Rangers that features a retractable roof. Steve and his project team shared the details of the roof installation and the challenges of installing the PVC membrane on the curved roof.

Tuesday, February 3 started off with the RT3 Contractor Technology panel featuring Ken Kelly, Steve Little, Michelle Boykin, Josey Parks and moderator Heidi Ellsworth. The well-attended session covered how each of these contractors is using technology in their everyday business, including augmented reality, virtual reality, artificial intelligence and more. The goal was to educate contractors and share their experiences to help others consider and implement the valuable technologies that are elevating the roofing industry.

The conversation continues weekly on social media and through the SmartBrief e-newsletter. Follow us on Twitter (@RT3_ThinkTank) and join our Roofing Technology Innovators group on Facebook.

High-rise reroof project finds success with technology

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By Karen L. Edwards.

Technology ensured the tapered polyiso system was accurate, kept the project on budget and provided daily progress photos for the owner.

The Regatta at Vanderbilt Beach provides a carefree lifestyle to the owners and residents of the luxury condominium community located in Naples, Florida. Just 700-feet from the white sands of the Gulf Coast, the units offer beautiful views of Vanderbilt Bay and are ideally situated for taking in breathtaking sunsets.

Owners want to enjoy the warm weather of southwest Florida as well as the amenities offered by the community. They don’t want to have to worry about whether the roof will protect their homes and what system is the best solution for the building.

That condo association turned to RT3 member Target Roofing & Sheet Metal for help. One of the Regatta’s high-rise condominiums needed it’s 15,000-square-foot roof replaced. Rast Bryant, sales manager at Target Roofing & Sheet Metal explained that they decided to install a complete GAF roofing system using GAF EnergyGuard PolyISO, Liberty SBS Base Ply, GAF Ruberoid Mid Ply and Ruberoid HW Plus Granule Fire Rated Cap Sheet.

The project had some unique challenges. The flashing on the existing roof extended 34 inches up the wall and the entire old system needed to be torn off, including nearly two feet of lightweight insulating concrete that would be replaced with an insulation system that provided better R-value and drained correctly.

Once they reached the deck, it was time for the EnergyGuard PolyISO to be installed. Rast said that putting together the layers of insulation was similar to putting a puzzle together since the pieces had to be tapered to the existing drainage system to ensure it is promoting positive drainage. “Technology wise, we used a computer software called The Edge Estimating Software to help us design a taper package that is not only the most cost effective but was designed to create the proper flow to the drainage systems,” Rast explained.

Once insulation was adhered to one another and to the deck, crews installed the first ply of the modified bitumen sheet. Once the cap sheet was torched down, granules were placed over the areas of bleed out to ensure optimal performance.

Target Roofing & Sheet Metal used technology to assist throughout the project. “We used our project management software to track the project as it progressed. This platform created daily progress photo reports for us to send to our customers, tracked our materials and labor to ensure we stayed on budget, and helped us determine what percentage of completion we were at in order to adjust our overall company project schedules accordingly,” said Rast. “This platform also tracks product and labor warranties, annual maintenance scheduling and more for post-job follow up.”

Watch a video recap of the project from start to finish.

RT3 plans activities around the 2020 International Roofing Expo

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Activities include a rooftop technology tour and a contractor technology educational panel.

Roofing Technology Think Tank (RT3), a group of progressive roofing professionals focused on technology solutions for the roofing industry, announced activities scheduled for the International Roofing Expo (IRE) 2020.

Dallas, Texas-based RT3 member KPost Roofing & Waterproofing will host members of RT3 at their corporate headquarters. The meetup will allow members to tour the facility of the official roofing partner of the Dallas Cowboys where they will learn about the types of technology that KPost uses in their operations.

RT3 will also host an educational panel on Tuesday, February 4 at 7:45 a.m. The session is titled Contractor to Contractor: Technology Innovation Panel and features five contractors sharing their successes and challenges with implementing technology into sales and marketing, operations, back office, health and safety and recruiting.

The panel will be moderated by RT3 member Heidi Ellsworth, Partner at RoofersCoffeeShop® and attendees will be able to:

  • Evaluate what technologies progressive contractors are using to help their business.
  • Identify what challenges came with implementation of technology and how they overcame it.
  • Evaluate how technology can make their business more efficient, streamlined and more profitable.
  • Meet other contractors who you can reach out to after the presentation for support and guidance in selecting technologies to implement in your business.

The panel participants include RT3 contractor members Steve Little, President of KPOST Roofing and Waterproofing; Ken Kelly, President of Kelly Roofing; Gregg Wallick, Best Roofing; Michelle Boykin, COO of Rackley Roofing; and Josey Parks, CEO of J Wales Enterprises.

“The contractors on the panel are completely honest and open about how technology has impacted their businesses and what it took to get where they are today,” stated Karen Edwards, RT3 Director. “They are leading the way in using technology and want to educate and encourage other contractors to join them for the overall advancement of the roofing industry. They will discuss augmented reality, robotics, artificial intelligence, software stacks and more – all technologies that they are using daily in their own businesses.”

Stay up to date with all RT3 news and events by signing up for the RT3 SmartBrief Newsletter at www.rt3thinktank.com.

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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. Learn more at www.rt3thinktank.com.

The important questions to ask when selecting roofing software

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By Heidi Ellsworth, RCS Partner.

The question is – are you asking the right questions about potential roofing software?  Every day contractors encounter companies selling the next best thing to grow their roofing business. Sure, it can sound great, but it’s so easy to get lost in the minutiae of choosing a software and end up going down several trails that really do not pay dividends for the big picture – a stronger, more profitable company. The right software can relieve many of your pain points, like labor tracking, productivity, diversification, job profitability and more.  But, you need to ask the right questions to ensure you choose the right product.

As roofing companies are looking for the right software there are many questions to consider. Here are 7 tips and questions to help:

1. Labor Tracking
You will want your roofing software to include labor tracking features. This will not only help with getting invoices out faster, but it will assist you with having a clearer understanding of your job ROIs.
Question – Does the software track labor?

2. Customer Data
There are several Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems and many of them integrate with project management software. Some systems offer customer portals where you can share data, photos, job progress, inspections and invoices with customers at their convenience.
Question – Does the software offer a customer portal?

3. Mobile and Table Use
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. Smart phones allow contractors to be in touch with their customers immediately – giving them a clear edge when it comes to customer service.
Question – Does the software work on all mobile and desktop platforms?

4. Cloud-based Access
Today, it’s all about communication.  Progressive contractors can operate and communicate with customers and employees from anywhere, anytime. This is only possible with cloud-based solutions. Every step of the process is at the fingertips of management, crews and the sales team. The ability to communicate across numerous, if not all employees, allows for strong communications that correlates into a great customer experience.
Question – Is it cloud-based and available to all employees, anywhere, on any device?

5. Aerial Measurements
Aerial technology has been in place since 2008 and it just keeps getting better. Gathering roof measurements traditionally was a time-consuming process prone to mistakes such as mathematical errors or simple human error, but has now become a quick, easy and reliable technology.
Question – Does the software integrate or include aerial measurement technology?

6. Estimating
Advancements in estimating software, as well as the introduction of cloud-based access, enables strong estimating technology for virtually any size roofing contractor. Not every solution will fit every business right out of the box so it’s important to understand your company’s needs, how the technology fits into your existing processes and what new efficiencies can be realized through the implementation of an estimating tool.
Question – Does the estimating software fit the business needs?

7. Implementation
The most important thing you can do before purchasing any new technology is to take the time to do your research. Talk to other contractors you find through roofing associations or networks and see what has worked for them. You can also look at online reviews and utilize free trials to try out and get a full understanding of the options that are out there and how they are implemented.
Question – How will this work for the company/employees and how easy will it be to implement?

Jobba Trade Technologies and many other technology companies are also members of Roofing Technology Think Tank (RT3), an organization, which RCS is a part of, that helps roofing contractors understand  important questions to ask about technology.

Stay up to date on the latest roofing industry trends when you sign up for the RT3 Smart Brief e-newsletter. 

Source: RoofersCoffeeShop.

How to help your crew adopt a roofing app

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By Kathryn Brill, AccuLynx.

You’ve read about the benefits that new technology like roofing apps can bring to your business. So you’ve decided your team should get on board and start using technology to deliver more efficient and streamlined service. You’re excited to start reaping the benefits of the roofing app you’ve selected—but the process is just beginning.

Roofing apps like the AccuLynx Crew App save many roofers time and money. Not only do they help crews deliver better and more efficient service, these apps integrate with your project management software to help your production teams stay organized. But one of the most difficult parts of new technology adoption is getting the rest of your team on board. Whenever businesses use a technology for the first time, it can be challenging to get buy-in from the entire team. In particular, getting your crews to use a new app often takes time.

How can you help your crew adopt their new roofing app and ensure they’re using it effectively? Here are some techniques to help you—and your crew—out.

Make it Easy to Use

Successful technology adoption starts before you purchase a subscription. When you’re evaluating a software or an app for your crews, think about how they’ll be using it, and what barriers might hinder their successful usage. Whether or not you select a technology for your team should be influenced by how well you think the rest of your staff could use it.

This is true for all software, but it’s especially true for anything your crews might work with. Will the app function correctly out in the field, or will they be stuck waiting for a buggy app to load? Is it simple to use or does it require a lot of training? Is it easy to find the things they’ll need, like job instructions or directions to the site?

Before you pull the trigger on new technology, take a moment to walk through it from the point of view of a crew member. The easiest app to adopt will be the one that is intuitive and straightforward to use, and that contains all the elements your crews need to support their work.

Be Mindful of Language Barriers

Many crews communicate more effectively in Spanish, not English. Some may not speak much English, if any. In order for these crews to utilize a roofing app, this has to be kept in mind. An app that assumes the user is a fluent, native English speaker is not going to be a helpful app for your crew to use. In fact, it likely won’t get much usage at all.

Fortunately, some new roofing technology is able to help you overcome these language barriers and communicate with your crews. For instance, the AccuLynx Crew App has a Spanish-English translation function that enables bilingual usage of the app. Data in English can be translated into Spanish in the app for your crews, and anything they enter in Spanish can be translated to English. With features like these, your crew will be able to comfortably use an app, no matter their English fluency.

Train Your Leaders

Your crew leaders and foremen are your allies in implementing any new tools. If you have these leaders on board, it’ll be easier to get the rest of the crews using the technology. They’re a bridge between you and your crews, so use them strategically to help with roofing app adoption in the field.

Get crew leaders up to speed on the new app and teach them the ins and outs of using it. But go beyond just the training basics. Walk them through how to troubleshoot the app for a crew member that’s having difficulty working with it. Make sure they’re equipped to answer questions about why, how and when the crews are using this new technology. You’ll have a smoother transition when you give leaders the tools they need to assist in implementation.

Create a Culture of Consistency

One of the biggest barriers to technology use is internal expectations. Is the whole office using the software in the same way? Is there a clear sense from leadership as to what the technology is for and which old processes it’s replacing? When are crew members expected to be up to speed on these changes?

If you want your team to adopt a new roofing app, you’ll have to stay consistent and clear. Use the technology yourself the way you want it to be used by the rest of your team. For example, if you used to communicate job instructions through text messages, but you want crew members to use the app to view instructions, make sure you stop texting notes about the job and start adding them to the job files within the app. When you tell your team to use a new process, but you continue to do business the way you always have, teams are left scrambling, wondering what you actually expect of them. Consistent internal usage of your new technology will go a long way towards adoption of that technology by your entire team, from leadership to office staff to crew members.

Make the Benefits Clear

Why did you want to switch to a new technology in the first place? The reason is usually some pain point that has been plaguing your business. Maybe job details have been falling through the cracks, or it’s been difficult to reschedule your crews when weather hits. Maybe you’ve been having trouble documenting all the work done on a job site in one place. Whatever the case, this isn’t just another piece of technology—it’s a possible solution to an issue that’s made work more difficult.

Onboarding your crews to a roofing app is easier when you focus on the benefits of the new technology. These crews are likely experiencing the same pain points you are, and this tool will make their lives easier, not just yours. Adopting a new technology can be an annoying process—it’s hard to make a change from something you’ve done for a while, even if there are flaws in the old system. By framing the change in terms of what it helps and why it’s important, crews will take ownership of this technology usage and be more willing to make the switch.

Ultimately, technology only works to benefit your business if the entire organization is on board. Since roofing crews change all the time and often have little contact with the rest of the business, it can be especially difficult to help them adopt a new technology. But with a few strategies—and selection of a roofing app that is intuitive to use—you’ll be able to make the transition much smoother. And you’ll see the benefits go beyond your crews and extend to the entire office.

Stay up to date on the latest roofing industry trends when you sign up for the RT3 Smart Brief e-newsletter. 

Source: AccuLynx

3 ways to eliminate mistakes that cost you

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By RT3 member Jobba Trade Technolgies.

Elmer’s glue to seal your TPO? I don’t think so… so why use the wrong tools to manage your business?

Surprisingly, many contractors still rely on time-consuming manual procedures and antiquated systems that are inefficient and fraught with potential for human error. Misspellings, wrong addresses, wrong amounts – not only can these errors frustrate your customers, they can end up costing you big time.

1. Guarantee You’re on the Right Roof

It’s happened to everyone – when you have a big customer with hundreds of properties or a smaller customer with a large shopping center, it’s easy for your crew to mix up addresses or roof sections. Having the aerial image, roof section drawing, and correct address together in one place is the only way to ensure they’ll get it right.

2. Ensure Your Invoices are Always Correct

Do you have one program for quoting and a separate program for invoicing? If so, that could mean two (or more) people are manually entering data in two places, leaving huge opportunity for error. Fortunately, you can significantly reduce or even eliminate the potential for error by incorporating an integration or automated synchronization between the two programs.

3. Remember to Follow-Up

You’ve spent hours quoting a job and probably hours acquiring a new lead. All of that goes to waste without a follow-up procedure in place! If you don’t use roofing software, consider using a spreadsheet to track follow-ups or even an online calendar with automated reminders.

For roofers using technology in their businesses, the ability to drastically reduce the opportunity for human error is just one of the many benefits they enjoy for better managing their businesses.

Stay up to date on the latest roofing industry trends when you sign up for the RT3 Smart Brief e-newsletter. 

Source: Jobba Trade Technologies

Be the roofer your customers are looking for online

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By Michelle Mittleman.

When a homeowner needs a roofing contractor, the first place they look is online. They hunt through all the search results, investigating each company’s credentials, reviews posted by previous customers, and the services provided by different companies. Make sure you are the most reliable and qualified company they find in their search by following these tips below.

Reviews and Recommendations

One of the biggest things homeowners look for when searching online for a roofing contractor is reviews and recommendations from previous customers. These reviews might be on your own website or on a site like Yelp,  or Angi. Regardless of where they are posted, they can mean the difference between gaining or losing a potential customer. Homeowners scan reviews to see how many stars people give you, what things you did well, and what things upset your customers. Bad reviews will turn customers away in a heartbeat, while good ones can boost you above the competition.

In order to use these reviews and recommendations to your advantage, encourage customers to leave reviews after you complete a job and be sure to respond to the comments. If you know you did a job very well, make sure you ask your customer to leave a recommendation. Angry customers will readily post a review, but sometimes a content customer will not think twice about it. Kindly reminding them that their feedback would be appreciated can do wonders.

Responding to comments can help show new customers you are involved with your clients and that your company actively works to improve your service. Commenting on a bad review to clarify any issues the client experienced and show how you resolved the issue shows homeowners you truly care about what your clients think and that you are willing to go the extra mile to ensure their satisfaction.

Credentials

Another component homeowners are looking for online is your credentials. Homeowners want the most qualified companies working on their house and credentials are proof you know what you are doing. Make sure these credentials are posted clearly on your website, so that homeowners are sure to see them while they are researching. Credentials homeowners might be looking for are state and federal licensing, as well as professional trade organizations you belong to. If you have employees with specific certifications be sure to include those as well, because homeowners may be looking for contractors who specialize in a particular brand or product. Making your credentials easy to find is sure to set you apart from the competition, as homeowners can immediately tell you are a qualified company.

Warranties

Make sure the warranties you offer appear somewhere on your website. For example, if you provide a year-based warranty on particular roof type and materials, tell that on your website. Roofing repairs can be very expensive and customers want to know their investment is insured in the event that something goes wrong. Make it easy for the customer to see their money is well spent and safe.

Services

One of the easiest ways to set yourself above other roofing contractors online is to make sure all of the services you provide are listed on your website. Homeowners know that you do roofing installations and repairs, but do you install skylights? Is your company specifically trained in a certain product line they are interested in? Can you install siding and gutters? Homeowners are not roofing experts, so they do not know all of the jobs that fall under the roofing contractor umbrella. Make it obvious to them what kind of jobs you do by clearly posting it on your website. Your site will be a relief compared to others they look at because they can find exactly what they are looking for. They will know that you are the answer to their roofing problem without having to do additional research, placing you first on their list of contractors to call.

The internet is a powerful research tool and homeowners will certainly be using it to look up roofing contractor companies. Make sure you are the company that customers are looking for online by encouraging previous customers to leave reviews and then responding to them, including your credentials and warranties on your website, and clearly listing the services you provide. All of these components will make your company more appealing to customers than the competition and reassure them that you are the perfect choice for their roofing needs.

Get the latest roofing industry news and information delivered to your inbox when you sign up for the RT3 Smart Brief.

Source: AccuLynx

Florida contractor invests heavily in technology and departmentalization to boost customer service and production

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As two major roofing contractors were shut down this year by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Central Florida roofing contractor, Calloway Roofing LLC believes there are just too many instances where a good contractor can fail because they lack the business systems and organizational infrastructure necessary to properly manage their day-to-day operations.

Drew Calloway, 40, came across Brandon Gaille’s statistics on roofing industry complaints where the Better Business Bureau cites more than 50% of all complaints were filed for unsatisfactory workmanship and another 25% for the inability of the homeowner to reach the contractor. These stats are troubling as Drew believes that the roofing industry needs to embrace technology and adopt automation systems that can help bridge and improve the communications gap with customers.

This year, Drew took that philosophy and put it into a written commitment and signed a 5-year marketing and back-end business systems contract with Knowledge Transfer LLC that enables the company to focus on installations and communications with their customers within the company’s newly established Inspections, Servicing, Estimating, Production, and Billing departments. Through this departmentalization, the company can prioritize each segment of the process and go a step further and include all roof-related line items that the homeowners may be entitled to—that may otherwise be left out. And as Building Code required roof items now become a part of the scope of work, Calloway Roofing leads the industry by including, as a standard practice, the optional roof materials warranty registration, which can transform a basic roof installation warranty into a 600-month registered lifetime warranty.

Chad McPherson, designated Sales Representative with ABC Supply, says, “Calloway Roofing is doing things we hope to see others follow. It’s certainly a ‘best step’ in the right direction.”

Through the embrace of departmentalization and the powerful company Knowledge Base that followed, Calloway Roofing now mills through the rigorous demands of roof construction while keeping their customers updated and systemically in the loop. A philosophy, adoption rule and direction that all roofing contractors should pursue.

As a resident and family man in Minneola, Florida, Drew says, “When a homeowner gives me their signature, I feel compelled to give them a contract that includes a written guarantee that their roof will be a registered roof installation and that they’ll hear from us regularly and throughout the process.”

About Calloway Roofing
Calloway Roofing LLC is an Orlando, Florida based roofing and building contractor that believes every roof should be a registered roof installation and not optional. Homeowners receive no-obligation storm and roof inspections, followed by full information about the entire process in addition to a free copy of the inspection photographs.

Be sure to sign up for the Smart Brief e-newsletter to get the latest roofing tech news in your inbox.

 

RT3 Members Present on Data and AI at METALCON

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By Karen L. Edwards.

METALCON 2019 took place in Steel City – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and RT3 members were well represented at the show, exhibiting and speaking.  On the first day of the show, RT3 hosted a discussion on the importance of artificial intelligence and utilizing data for contractors.

Bill Wilkins of Pointivo spoke about AI and explained that there are a number of companies that offer AI-assisted approaches to roof evaluations.  His company has been working with another RT3 member to develop a system that will do just that. Bill explained asking a person to try to look at an image and identify drains, equipment, ponding water, areas of membrane splits, etc. can be a very time-consuming process.  Ai is a great opportunity to help augment a younger , more inexperienced work force in identifying rooftop conditions and problem areas.

AI can tell you what it thinks is on the roof and provide a confidence level in its identification. How you help is by looking at what it found and either confirming it or correcting it. Each time you provide confirmation or correction, it will learn from the information and keep getting better at what it does. Bill explained that they feel pretty confident that the tool they are introducing next year will be able to reduce the amount of time spent on evaluations by 80 percent through the use of drones and AI.

Key things for AI to be successful is quality data, quantity of data. Bill shared the example of teaching AI to recognize on AC unit on a roof. Because an AC unit is so large, it might only need to ‘see’ 100 images to be able to accurately identify the AC unit every time. Trying to identify hail damage will be harder, because it’s much smaller in size.  The more data, imagery and confirmations it receives, the smarter and faster it becomes.

Josey Parks of Cognitive Contractor shared how AI and data can be a powerful lead and  sales tool for roofing businesses. Josey explained that if you take the records for 1,000 customers and run them through an AI program it will learn from the data. It will recognize patterns of the first 70 percent (or 700 records). Then it will take the next 300 records and predict their behavior based on what it learned from the first 700 and provide them a score.  Contractors should understand the data that they have in their business and how they can structure it to understand what drives your business and your customers.

Josey explained how when he started in metal roofing, he would keep track on a paper of what neighborhoods he had knocked doors in, then he advanced to using a bike trail app to track the locations where he and his sales team had been. They have advanced today to sending emails and plotting on a map (like Google Earth) the locations of the people who opened the email. This allows the canvassers to have an optimized route to work from.

Taking it one step further with the advancement in technology, Josey explained that he is able to use AI to score and predict his leads to the point that it knows which salesperson is the best one to assign that lead to, based on past performance of the sales person.  It’s important to optimize your business and not waste time and resources assigning the wrong leads to the wrong salesperson.

If you missed their talk at METALCON, you can watch it on our Facebook page under Videos.  Be sure to sign up for the Smart Brief e-newsletter to get the latest roofing tech news in your inbox.