Q6: Does the Software Company Offer Knowledgeable Support Teams, Training and Service?

By Karen L. Edwards, RCS Editor.

Support can make or break a software platform. 

Our friends at the Estimating Edge know software and they know roofing companies. They recently developed an e-book that helps roofing contractors ask the right questions when it is time to choose software for their businesses. Over the next few months, we are answering one of the questions from their e-book that should help you when deciding what software is right for your business.  

With all the options that are on the market, not every product is going to be the right fit for your roofing business. The sixth question to ask is, “Does the software company offer knowledgeable support teams, training and service?” Read on for why this is an important question.   

Following the commitment of the company to the construction industry, is also the commitment to hire knowledgeable sales and technical representatives, product managers and software engineers knowledgeable in what roofing employees need to understand in order to find success with the software. That means software representatives that have experience in the roofing industry and relate to the pain or success of the software implementation. 

One of the most important questions is does the software company offer a proven onboarding and training process. Many companies have seen epic failures due to poor onboarding and training. As discussed earlier, it is not just learning the software, but it may also include a substantial change in culture, workflow and processes for employees and the contracting company as a whole. 

Trainers must have experience with roofing contractors and the people who work in the industry. Without good experience, it can be like oil and vinegar, it is too easy to feel separated from the trainer due to not understanding terms, phrases and technical jargon. Employees become alienated and confused and the onboarding begins to disintegrate. By asking ahead of time about the onboarding and the history of the trainers, the discussion can take place ahead of time instead of when it is a real problem. 

If you’re curious about the other questions you should be asking and don’t want to wait for the next article,  download the full e-book here.