Technology adoption begins before implementation

By Jesse Sanchez. 

Learn why successful technology decisions in commercial roofing depend on aligning leadership, operations and field execution from the outset. 

For commercial roofing contractors, the decision to adopt new technology rarely starts with software. It starts with a more fundamental question: whether a system can support how the business actually operates and whether the team is ready to evolve alongside it. In this episode of Roofing Road Trips®, Heidi J. Ellsworth examined that challenge with Brad Sutter of Sutter Roofing and Aaron Weinstein of Terial, discussing how technology adoption should be seen as an operational commitment rather than a transactional purchase. 

That distinction reflects a broader reality across the industry. Contractors continue to pursue better visibility, tighter communication and more predictable performance, yet those outcomes are not delivered by technology alone. They depend on how clearly a company defines its operational gaps, how aligned its leadership is around change and how effectively a platform integrates work across the office and the field. Aaron explained, “There is a widening gap and there has been a widening gap between industries and their access to technology.” 

Brad described that process as one shaped by experience. Drawing on years of industry roundtables and peer discussions, he noted that contractors often expect new systems to solve problems automatically. In practice, implementation tends to surface deeper issues, inconsistencies in process, gaps in standardization and inefficiencies that had previously gone unaddressed. Brad noted, “People just don't understand that they are going to have to make changes in their process, in their company, sometimes in their personnel to better align their company with the technology platform that they're using.” 

That same focus on operational fit guided Aaron’s approach to building Terial. Rather than applying a generalized software model, he outlined a platform designed around the specific demands of commercial roofing, where field execution and office coordination must remain closely connected. Aaron explained, “Everything lives and dies in the field. So, our software will live or die with field adoption.” From inspections and estimating to production reporting and project closeout, the system is structured to manage the full life cycle of work, reinforcing continuity rather than fragmentation. 

Equally important, the conversation demonstrates that implementation begins well before onboarding. Sutter Roofing’s transition involved early engagement from leadership across departments, deliberate identification of workflow gaps and the development of internal champions to guide adoption. Brad explained, “You have to be willing and understand that you're going to have to make changes at your company and some of the way you operate to better fit into the tech or to better implement and to fit onto the technology platform.” That level of preparation allowed the company to move from training to active use with clarity and momentum, reducing disruption while accelerating familiarity across the team. 

The result is a broader takeaway for contractors evaluating new systems. Technology can enable growth, but only when paired with organizational readiness and shared accountability. For commercial roofing companies, the most effective outcomes come when software decisions are treated as long-term operational strategies, structured, collaborative and built to support how the business actually works. 

Listen to the entire podcast to learn more about technology implementation in commercial roofing!