Dataforma

Our company has really benefited from implementing Dataforma into our daily operations

Vorteile:

We are just starting to implement the software but have really made use of the scheduling features in our service department.

Nachteile:

I am not a huge fan of the system opening a new browser window with every click but I am getting used to it.

Dataforma Review

Kommentare: It has been a great experience. It has actually streamlined our side (Service) of the business and allows us to invoice quickly and get info to our customers in a timely manner. DF was able to patch into our accounting system which is very helpful.

Vorteile:

I love the convenience of the program. I can pull information within seconds. Also the calendar is great as well. You can do so much through the calendar. The mobile app is easy for our techs to use so we are getting real time information that can be passed to the customer. In addition, we can do inspection reports while the techs are on site and send to the customer and even get approval and start to process of the repairs. I also like that a customer gets the photos and that has made a big difference with our customers. They typically don't go on the roof and to send photos to them helps them to see what work was performed and that builds trust with the customers.

Nachteile:

I believe the biggest con would be the new changes. Some of the changes make our part of what we use in the system more difficult. I wish there would of been a little more time spent on the training with some of the changes. The "employee" portion seems to be the most difficult since we aren't using DF to do payroll, there are extra steps now. Something else that is a "con" is the credit memo process. They show up as "paid in full" and that can be difficult to follow. It would be nice if they showed up as a credit memo.

Will Make Your Office Paperless

Kommentare: Overall I am thankful for Dataforma, it has taken our business to a paperless office and we are running more efficiently. I would like to make the potential buyer aware that it's not a finished product and there are bugs and glitches that I am still waiting for them to fix for us. The customer experience is inconsistent, sometimes really good and helpful while other times it's very difficult to get the help you need.

Vorteile:

I love Dataforma because it allowed us to move to a paperless office, gone are the days of file folders! I also love the software because it works in a logical way, and has the potential to help your office run more efficiently. One cool feature is that Dataforma allows you to have custom templates made to meet your specific need, this feature has had the biggest impact for us.

Nachteile:

There a few things to mention when it comes to the cons. One of the biggest aspects of Dataforma that I do not like is the Timecard feature. There's no way for our employees to see their hours for the week, and overall the employee experience is lacking when it comes to keeping track of timecard hours-this holds us back from becoming completely paperless .One of the reasons for this is that Dataforma is in transition right now and there are some glitches and bugs, which hold the product back in a big way. To go along with this, they recently raised their fees, charging a per user fee which if we would have kept our current users, our price would have doubled. So this has been a big setback for us. Dataforma is not a polished or finished product, thus the high price really is not justified at this point.

No Comparison - Best Overall

Kommentare: I have worked with DataForma in varying capacities since 2007. I have also worked with other "online based" contractor systems and hands-down DataForma is the easiest, all-inclusive, best value system I have used. DataForma is built for roofing contractors and when used it just cannot be beat. The functionality is amazing, and the continued growth and development keeps up with technology and the demands of roofing contractors. The complete history kept in easy access.

Vorteile:

The way DataForma links everything together is amazing. To be able to know one solid piece of information and search other relationships back from that point to find what you need is amazing!! But then that does not say enough about document storage, ease of access and use, and the 1-point location for finding everything you need at your fingertips.

Nachteile:

There are a few things that could use some tweaking. The Leads module - while we use it as a good tool it would be great to be able to transition a lead to a Work Order without having to re-enter the information. It would also be nice when using the search function to be able to click on the headings and sort by that heading.

Flexible and robust functionality with great support.

Kommentare: We started using Dataforma a little over three years ago when we were informed about it during a trade conference. This was a large shift for us and as a roofing company, our end users were not technically proficient to begin with. We immediately noticed how supportive their staff was in making sure we transitioned to the software as smoothly as possible; they even had a company representative visit our offices to help train our staff. The software is fairly robust and there are a number of fields that can be populated in order to retrieve detailed information for reporting and reference as needed. Once familiar with the basics, we were able to speak directly with the Dataforma developers to have custom templates produced for data experts and reporting needs. The stability of the system has been absolutely consistent as they have redundant servers in multiple states. Over time we have been excited to find new ways to improve our operations, scheduling, accounting and basic CRM needs by becoming more familiar with the software and communicating with a helpful and readily available support staff. We now attend biannual super user conferences where the system administrators and various users from different companies can confer directly with the Dataforma design team. The events are very helpful in that we also confer with other users to find new ways to better use and adapt the software to our ever-changing needs.

Vorteile:

The software is very robust and capable of producing reporting from a variety of perspectives and directions. The software continues to improve as the developers actively seek input from the end users. System stability and support has always been first rate. Great value for the investment.

Nachteile:

Initial learning curve can be a challenge to some but the quality support makes this less of an issue. Looking forward to expanded accounting functionality.

I have been using Dataforma for over 5+ years and still getting use to it.

Kommentare: You are able to log online to the software.

Vorteile:

The thing I like most about the software is that I am able to log into the software online. This is great since I typically work remotely and/or on the field.

Nachteile:

The thing I like least is the layout. Since I am typically work remotely and/or on the field, I need to get info fast and wish I didn't have to click on too many tabs to get my info. It would be nice if there is away to save favorite tabs and get info quickly that way.

Money Maker

Kommentare: Saved time billing work orders. Gained better knowledge of service calls in real time and our customers have access to all of their building service calls and project info at their fingertips.

Vorteile:

If I forget to file a work order it isn't lost. It is in the system and I know that I will be able to bill for it a month or two or even a year after I complete the work.

Nachteile:

The mobile app needs more features. I would like the mobile app to work more like the web browser but more like an app.

Great, but lacking

Kommentare: Dataforma overall has provided a positive impact in our organization. It does take an internal champion to get everyone on board, and as with any software, you get out what you put it.

Vorteile:

The ability to upload information from the field using a mobile device. Having complete building work history available including warranties, previous repairs, projects, and invoices.

Nachteile:

No option for customers to report work through a mobile app. Lacking some of the bells and whistles that competitors offer.

Dataforma for Roofing

Kommentare: We are starting to use more of the features with Dataforma. We like the ease of tracking estimates with the different databases

Vorteile:

Using this software has allowed us to keep our service department running smoothly. It makes looking for contact information and a full history of service dates easily accessible.

Nachteile:

Allowing our customers access to their history does not seem to flow smoothly

We use Dataforma primarily for work orders and billings and collections.

Vorteile:

The software is easy to learn and use. It easily creates billings and tracks collections. Will also track open work orders.

Nachteile:

Until you really understand how to run reports it may seem confusing at first. Once trained on reports and queries it is an easy and useful tool.

We use Dataforma for all of our server needs from work orders to bid calendars and document storage.

Kommentare: The software allows for a streamlined method of access to the files we need on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. It allows for members of our team to access data and information while on the go and away from the office via the server and the mobile app. The compilation of activities and calendars is a great tool to enhance productivity and manipulate communication obstacles to better address the solutions for them. The software is a tremendous tool for coordination with field technicians as well as office staff members.

Vorteile:

DataForma is a great tool for organization of individual jobs/projects/buildings/etc... It compiles all contacts and pertinent documents in one accessible area.

Nachteile:

Sometimes, as with all software for this type of use, it can become bogged down with too much information and things can get lost. Typically they are easy to recover, but it's still possible to lose information.

Dataforma has helped the chaos of our business become more efficient and standardized.

Kommentare: Real time information from our men in the field
Creating and implementing our roof inspection reports - this cut down 80% of the time I used to spend doing this.
Being able to answer to our clients how many times we have been on a job site
Having access to all documents relating to a building at my fingertips
We are currently utilizing the webinar videos for a new hire and I am so very thankful for those as I am not the best at training
Capturing and following leads from cradle to grave

Vorteile:

It is not only a big filing cabinet but we are able to see everything in real time. It is also very helpful to see the progress each person makes through a sale. We have been able to capitalize on many more opportunities.

Nachteile:

The one difficulty we have had which is also a blessing in a way is that there are numerous ways to do one thing. I have had to create a system for everyone in our office to follow by due to the numerous amount of different ways to enter something in.

Provides efficient tracking of our service calls.

Kommentare: It review was easy to navigate through.

Vorteile:

The software does a great job of allowing us to keep all records (service calls, maintenance calls and pictures) tied to a particular location together. This gives us a running history of when were at a location and what we did on each visit.

Nachteile:

The difficulty with creating/printing/exporting reports. All reports are canned and export every item in the module. If you want to customize a report, you have to work through the Help/Customer Service team to have them generate a custom report. I would prefer to be able to select which details I want in a report and then be able to export it.

If you do a lot of workorders use this system

Vorteile:

Workorders! They are super slick and the system walks everyone through it with out any issues. Customer service is awesome as well. They are always there to walk you through any issues.

Nachteile:

Projects! The project side is clunky and you really have to know the ins and outs of the system to get it through it. Also setting up new users can be a process and takes some time to get the hang of.

Working with dataforma has been great. Staff has helped out with recent update.

Vorteile:

I like that it is web-based and can be accessed anywhere. Also, the customer service is extremely helpful. They are always there to answer any question for us. I like the ability for us to customize things specifically for our roofing company.

Nachteile:

Sometimes we have issues with the website going down or not working with the internet. Also, I wish that they would provide detailed teaching sheets before they submit out the new updates. The videos are nice, but it is helpful to have sheets. Right now we make our own after it comes out.

Dataforma has transformed the flow of our business.

Vorteile:

I like that it stores all the info about a job in one central place. Before we had pictures and notes scattered all over a job file, now it is in all one place. Also the history on a building is fantastic to have.

Nachteile:

One of my many complaints about Dataforma is that with the expanded functionality, also comes a lot of steps. When you are a smaller contractor it make a lot of steps for one person. For example, there is no accounting functionality but a invoice must still be completed to close out a project.

Dataforma Review

Kommentare: it is great for data storage. It is takin a while to get everyone on board but if we can get there it will be great for use in the future

Vorteile:

Makes it easy to find information on any job, customer, business or contacts that we have worked with from anywhere.

Nachteile:

With so many users entering information, things tend to be duplicated on accident. It would be great if it somehow could figure it out an notify you of things that may be the same

DataForma is a great CRM

Kommentare: Overall, I do like DataForma. Unfortunately our company is switching to a different CRM.

Vorteile:

DataForma has multiple ways to access information. I really like the relationships feature to where you can cross reference relationships associated with; EG. Contacts, Projects and buildings.

Nachteile:

The photos function is not the best. The one thing that I have actually even suggested to our DataForma rep via EM is there is not an easy way to preview multiple photos at one time / with ease. Also the transferring of photos to a different location/project is not user friendly.

Dataforma

Vorteile:

The Flexibility of being able to get the information I want

Nachteile:

There is too much duplicate data entry when inputting new clients

Dataforma is great at keeping our info in electronic file cabinets. Clunkiness is the problem.

Vorteile:

The backup system and historical information that is preserved. I like the work order calendar and map interaction.

Nachteile:

Not a good CRM for sales. It takes too many steps to create a correspondence, an event, or other things. When you need to do an event, all the fields are so spread out and you have to scroll down to even enter it. It just feels clunky.

Best Customer Service in the Industry!

Kommentare: Terrific experience - their Customer Service is OUTSTANDING!!

Vorteile:

Ease of use, flexible, multiple ways to get to the same end.

Nachteile:

Not a thing! This program is awesome!!!!

This system helped us get rid of thousands of pages of paper and helped track client information.

Vorteile:

Easy to use and track client data. Allows us to find work history very easily for buildings, clients, etc.

Nachteile:

Sometimes it feels like you have to click multiple times to do something. Like when you have to print a work order. Also, when you need to change building info you can't do a mass change you have to do each one individually.

works most of the time, needs some improvement.

Vorteile:

good data base.

Nachteile:

can't access some info from mobile app. for ex. you enter a building and you can't know who the building manager is. also frequently freezes when entering pictures in mobile app. It freezes up in other instances and we have to abandon using Dataforma and re-enter info when back in front of office computer,

Hand Written work orders to 100% paperless during the first big RAIN storm of the year.

Kommentare: We are new to using Data Forma field service. So far it has been great and very easy to use once a data base is built. The customer service has been great and we never feel rushed or that we bought a product and have been passed off. The hardest thing for us has been not going backwards and resorting back to hand written work orders and reactive behavior vs pro-active when dispatching a repair or an emergency type of call. Change is never easy but it is necessary to grow in a positive manner. This Dataforma is exactly as advertised and as the Data is provided it becomes easier to use and manage. Positive Results are immediate.

Vorteile:

The ability to track everything possible about a job, customer or building is amazing. It is very easy for the field techs to use and get us the info we need so our customers get what they require in a great turn around time. The Dataforma employee who is doing our training etc has been amazing and exceeded our expectation by leaps and bounds.

Nachteile:

Anything negative I have to say so far is on our companies end and accepting change without resorting back to old habbitts.

Best purchase of 2019

Kommentare: Our office is more efficient and organized. We like that our crew in the field can upload pictures from the job right into the file.

Vorteile:

We are more organized than ever. Easy to keep track of service and projects.

Nachteile:

Not being able to see the full schedule on the mobile app