Roofing software veteran makes bold push into project management

By Jesse Sanchez. 

After 22 years in the game, this company sets its sights on simplifying job site chaos, one feature at a time. 

In the noisy halls of the International Roofing Expo (IRE), where industry veterans and startups collide, one familiar name returned with a sharper edge this year. Brian Cook, senior vice president of Dataforma, kicked off the expo’s Coffee Shop Sound Stage interviews by laying out the company’s next big move: bringing full-service project management into the hands of commercial roofing contractors. “Originally, it was for managing the service department,” Brian said of the company’s software roots, “but now we've morphed into CRM and project management as well.” That evolution, 22 years in the making, marks a significant shift for the Pennsylvania-based platform that started as a tool for a single roofing company and grew into a system now used by thousands of contractors across the U.S. and Canada. 

What’s new this year? A stronger focus on replacing the patchwork of apps roofing companies rely on. Brian explained, “Instead of buying another app to track time or do safety reports, now our contractors are eliminating multiple other apps or maybe not having to pay more money to their accounting system.” Brian’s excitement was clear, but so was his honesty. “They say, ‘What took you so long?’” he admitted, reflecting on the feedback he’s come to expect and welcome from clients. It's that feedback, he said, that fuels the company’s development roadmap.  

The expanded functionality is designed to meet contractors where they are, especially in the field. “We don't want them to have to log into three or four different programs,” he said. “Just do it right here.” With an in-house training team and live phone support, something Brian calls a rarity in today’s software world, Dataforma is positioning itself as both high-tech and high-touch. Transitioning from another system? Brian assured, “We can transfer that over so you don’t lose it.” 

Watch the full interview to get the inside story on how DataForma plans to simplify the future of roofing project management!