Scott Keith
Jobba Trade Technologies
RC: Please describe the state of the roofing industry right now and what tech’s role is within the space.
SK: Despite the consistent demand, the roofing industry faces challenges, such as labor and material shortages. Another big challenge for the industry is the rising costs of building materials. Interestingly, so much technology has flooded the market in such a short amount of time, almost in response to the issues.
As an industry, we need to take the time to understand what each piece of tech does for an individual company, whether it be roofing materials or the business management solutions that help run a company. We find that with every new piece of tech created to solve a problem, one major problem has been forming - technology not working or talking with one another. The disparate systems are actually less efficient — the exact opposite of what technology was supposed to be helping in the first place.
RC: How does Jobba fit into that discussion?
SK: Jobba Trade Technologies offers an all-in-one, cloud-based roofing software with tools, features, and integrations designed to help grow roofing companies. By offering tools within our platform and integrations, we can create a business management solution that reduces the need for more applications, which reduces double-entry mistakes and the need to open multiple applications to run your business - eliminating 3rd party applications. Jobba provides critical insights for better business decision-making. We are the leaders in connecting the roofing network and industry ecosystem.
RC: With so many technology choices in the marketplace, how do roofers best assess the ROI?
SK: I would suggest solving for the big picture, not just buying for 1 person or department. Often we see companies with several software solutions that do not complement each other or work together. All these apps add to the complexity but don't produce system-wide benefits. This is why the majority of solutions don't reach their potential. When you work with a technology provider, asking and answering questions about your company is critical. What processes are currently working or not? What areas need improvement? What are our company goals?
RC: What areas of tech are growing within the roofing sphere?
SK: In recent years, the marketplace has shifted towards tools that require fewer in-person touchpoints. This is clear in the widespread adoption that we’ve seen of digital roof measurement and proposals. These tools enable roofers to streamline sales and provide consumers with the fast, digitized experience they desire.
RC: Where do you believe technology makes the most significant impact in roofing?
SK: Technology can enhance business management and communication processes in roofing projects. The right technology that includes analytics will help you make timely, informed decisions that affect your bottom line and ROI. We need to ensure the data is standardized and related to all applications a company uses to ensure the end-to-end results are delivering great benefits.
RC: Complete this sentence and then explain: Roofers may regret not immediately _____________ regarding technology.
SK: The 2 biggest regrets roofers will experience a few years from now are avoiding all technology and adopting too many applications. If roofers avoid all technology, they will work twice as hard to manage their business and meet property manager KPIs as peers of similar size, especially as subcontracting grows. Companies that quickly started adopting multiple technologies, growing from 1 application to 20 or more, are spending too much managing every application, which results in a mess of manual workflows between these apps.
RC: What makes you feel optimistic about using and adopting technology in roofing?
SK: There is so much to be optimistic about regarding tech in the roofing industry. The potential of technology to enhance efficiency, improve safety, provide accurate data, engage customers, promote sustainability, and boost marketing efforts is highly promising and even already happening. As the roofing industry embraces and adopts these technologies, it can experience significant advancements and stay at the forefront of innovation, benefiting roofers and their customers. Jobba is continuously working within the industry to improve our clients' processes and businesses and the industry as a whole. Whether we're supporting innovation or more sustainable practices, improving the industry with technology will benefit everyone -- from contractors to service providers to building owners and homeowners.
RC: What will the roofing tech landscape look like in five or 10 years? Will we recognize the industry?
SK: The roofing tech landscape will be unrecognizable. Some advances in the next 5 to 10 years could include sustainable and energy-efficient roofing, advancements in smart roofing systems, augmented and virtual reality, enhanced safety measures, and digitalization and collaboration.
These advances that once seemed “new” or “different” will soon be more on trend and the norm within the roofing industry. We may not know exactly what to expect, but we are excited to see the roofing industry embrace technology and become more efficient than ever.
