A tech stack is a set of technological tools used by a business. Tech stacks can be optimized for a specific purpose—like marketing or customer service—but you can also create tech stacks that help you manage your business.
Every business needs a tech stack of some kind, and your roofing company is no exception. You’ll need several different types of tools to drive results for your business. But what tools are those? What are the best types of software for roofing companies?
That’s just the question we’re here to answer. Keep reading to learn more about the tools to include in your roofing tech stack.
6 core components of a roofing tech stack
Every company’s tech stack looks different. Across different businesses—even just between roofing businesses—you’ll find a variety of tools. That said, there are several types of tools we can recommend for roofing businesses, including:
- Customer relationship management (CRM) software
- Project management software
- Estimating and bidding software
- Accounting and financial management software
- Design and visualization software
- Field service management software
Keep reading to learn more about each one!
1. CRM software
CRM software is a type of tool that helps you gather, store, organize, and analyze customer data. You’ll acquire plenty of customer data through your marketing, sales, and customer service activities, but the key is using that data to improve your processes. CRM software helps you do that.
Aside from storing data, a CRM can help you analyze it by segmenting data and generating reports. Furthermore, many CRMs offer sales automation features, automatically performing day-to-day tasks like sending out emails. That makes it one of the most important types of roofing company software.
Some of the best CRMs available include:
- Nutshell
- HubSpot
- Salesforce
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2. Project management software
Another tool you’ll want in your roofing tech stack is project management software. This tool does what it says on the tin: It helps you organize and track various projects within your business. You’ll want to use this tool for teams across your business.
For example, if you have a web design team, they could use project management software to track which pages are currently being worked on, who’s working on which pages, and when those pages are due to be completed. Similarly, your content marketing team could use the same software to track blog posts and articles in progress.
Some of the best project management software options include:
3. Estimating and bidding software
As a roofing company, you often get new jobs by bidding on them. To do that, you must provide estimates to your potential clients, but sometimes those estimates can be tricky to calculate. That’s why you need some estimating and bidding software in your roofing tech stack.
This tool allows you to input some basic information about the project at hand and it will then generate an estimate for how much the project will cost, making it quicker and easier for you to bid on projects and get new jobs for your company.
Some of the best estimating and bidding software on the market includes:
- RoofSnap
- AccuLynx
- FCS Roofing Software
4. Accounting and financial management software
Another key piece of software for roofing companies is accounting and financial management software. The purpose of this tool is simple—it helps you keep up with information like:
- Budget
- Recurring payments
- Payroll
- Tax payments
- And more!
Essentially, it’s software for helping you track your overall finances. Using accounting and financial management software is far easier than trying to track everything through spreadsheets or handwritten ledgers!
Some of the best accounting tools on the market include:
- QuickBooks
- FreshBooks
- Xero
5. Design and visualization software
Design and visualization software creates 3D models of physical spaces. Construction companies commonly use this type of software, but it’s also useful for roofing companies. It helps you easily visualize the roofs you plan to build before you put them together in real life.
The advantage of these tools is that they can help you identify any issues or changes before you create a roof under the hot sun. You can map out the roof in your design tool and show it to the client, and then you can update it based on any feedback they provide.
Some of the best design and visualization tools for roofers include:
- Cedreo
- SolidBuilder
- Roof Wizard
6. Field service management software
Finally, an essential type of roofing company software is field service management software. This type of tool helps you keep track of your field service efforts, easily managing what’s happening at various field locations. It can assist you with:
- Work order management
- Service scheduling
- Inventory management
- And more!
It can be easy to lose track of what’s going on with your crew as you send workers out to various locations and assign different tasks for each project. This software can help you keep everything organized.
Some of the best field service management software options include:
- Housecall Pro
- FieldEdge
- Workiz
Building your tech stack and evaluating your ROI
As you build your tech stack, don’t choose tools haphazardly. Take the time to read reviews, consider prices, and look over the features each tool offers.
Sometimes, you can find software tools that perform one or more of the above functions. If you’re happy with their performance, they can be a great way to cut down on the number of tools you’re using. Ultimately, one of the goals of your tech stack is to avoid having multiple tools that can do the same job.
It’s also important to make sure that your tools are compatible with one another where needed. For example, your CRM will need to draw data from other tools, so you’ll want to make sure it can integrate with any platforms that generate useful customer data.
Overall, your tech stack should resemble a good toolbox. You want the toolbox to include everything you might need—a hammer, a wrench, a saw—but you don’t want to add unnecessary weight by throwing in multiples of anything. You don’t need two different sets of needle nose pliers, for instance.
In the same way, you want your tech stack to have all the software you might need but you don’t want to have, say, two CRMs—you’d just be paying an extra subscription for no reason.
By the way, your tech stack isn’t fixed in place once you get all the tools you need. You should constantly be looking at the return on investment (ROI) that your stack generates and assessing how well your tools work together. You may end up switching out tools or changing the structure of your stack over time to optimize for efficiency and revenue.
Nutshell is the perfect CRM software for all your roofing company needs
Having the right tech stack is vital to your company’s growth. If you go back to the beginning of this list, you’ll see that that starts with acquiring the right CRM.
If you’re looking for a CRM that’s affordable, packed with useful features, and designed for small- to medium-sized businesses like yours, look no further than Nutshell. Our CRM offers advanced data categorization, sales analysis, and reporting features. It also comes with the help of our top-tier customer support team.
Not sure if Nutshell is right for your roofing company? Just check out our 14-day free trial today!