Once again I am late in coming up with a topic for the newsletter. I am attempting to write it prior to getting on a plane for the Western States show in Reno. Maybe I should just wait until after the show and maybe there will be some good topics to address or maybe I should just stop procrastinating. Besides the show could be a July newsletter, so here goes...

While I am not the most technically advanced person I would say comparatively speaking to people within the roofing industry that I can hold my own. At one point in time, I was probably reaching an age where I was about to take a less technical path but then I found the I-phone and everything changed. Prior to the I-phone I found many of the first generation smart phones confusing but the I-phone seemed very intuitive and lured me in. It reopened the technology door that was slowly closing.

I realize many people may argue the I-phone is not the best phone on the market but that is probably because they have never had one, but promoting Apple is not my intention. My intention is to address some of the technologies we have incorporated or plan to incorporate into our company. There are many different facets where technology has considerably increased our efficiency in doing business. Obviously top of the list would likely be communication. Texting, instant messaging, emailing, and translator applications have all made it easier to stay in touch when we need to. If a foreman has a question on a jobsite about a detail, we can now email or mms pictures and resolve situations without a visit by a supervisor. Saving time and gas which translates to money. And speaking of gas we can also use applications to find the cheapest gas station in a particular area or map out the most efficient routes to minimize the cost of ever increasing gas prices.

There are also several applications to help out estimators. Scaled drawing applications for I-pads to assist estimators in doing roof takeoffs or if you are feeling a little lazy or pressed for time using Google Earth. Because of these new technologies it has also spawned companies like Eagleview and Pictometry who can provide all this information for you at a reasonable cost. There are even applications to replace several different types of analytical devices like tape measures, pitch finders, binoculars, compasses, flashlights, and levels.

New technologies are also changing the face of advertising. Social networking is making it easy for us to stay in touch with existing clients which hopefully translates into new clients. The blog, Twitter, and Facebook allow us to keep our company name on the tip of people's tongues in the event one of their friends or family members is in need of a roofer and needs a recommendation. One of the most recent advancements I have seen is the new bar code scanner application which allows you to scan almost any company information directly into your phone whether it be a business card, billboard, or sign on a truck.

New technology can certainly be intimidating but nonetheless it is or will be increasing more important to our businesses. If you have not taken the plunge into the technology pool, I would highly recommend getting on the diving board and doing a big cannonball.

Kirk Tiley
Tiley Roofing, Inc.
CRA President