Keeping up with technological growth

By Emma Peterson. 

In today’s digital world, two decades is a lifetime ago and the tools of the trade have changed. Industry experts weigh in on the importance of keeping up with the latest technologies. 

In this episode of Roofing Road Trips®, Karen Edwards spoke to Kris Kieffer of ABC Supply about the ways in which technologies have advanced and the importance of integrating these new tools into your business operations. Kris is the director of ABC Supply’s business platforms and customer technology. He shared, “We are responsible for building and designing the customer-facing solutions that we put out into the market.” 

Overall, Kris has worked at ABC Supply for over 20 years now, having previously worked as a branch manager before he moved into his current position. Being out in the field meant he had a front-row seat as technology began to revolutionize the way the industry operates. He explained, “A while back, contractors were using pen and paper, home-based computer systems where you would go out and you may use that technology to set your day and then you go out and you do your work, then you come back and you interact with that technology, but it wasn't part of your process, it was an afterthought.”  

But, in today’s digital age, contractors need to make tech a part of their process in order to stay competitive. Kris explained, “I saw firsthand the challenges that our customers were facing due to a lack of technology or lack of access to information and how it really hindered them doing their daily work.”  

Helping customers overcome these challenges is what Kris’ team works on, with projects like the myABCsupply platform. This platform is a great example of the integration of technology into daily business practices. The platform allows users to access their history of orders with ABC Supply and see details about each, as Kris explained, “You can see what material was delivered, when it was delivered, proof of delivery photos. So, what happened on that job site? What time did ABC Supply get there? When did we start loading your roof? When was that completed?” In addition to the ability to track supply orders, the platform has a suite of tools that allow customers to get measurement reports and enroll in rewards programs that help them save time and money. 

Read the transcript or Listen to the episode to get more information about integrating technology into your roofing operations.