Supply chain delays and rising costs continue to affect how contractors order roofing materials. Over the last two years, many factors have contributed to this crisis, including the – COVID-19 pandemic, employment shortages, port congestions, and overstressed infrastructure.

While roofing contractors can’t control material shortages and rising costs, there are ways to prepare for the impact of these challenges. Ensuring material orders accuracy is one way to help keep business on track when dealing with supply chain issues. Accurate material orders can help ensure product availability, reduce waste, and help maintain a detailed account of products used to help project future needs.

Here are four tips to ensure materials orders are accurate every time you order roofing materials:

Tip #1: Use aerial measurement reports to ensure accurate measurements

Aerial measurements allow roofing contractors to generate measurements without physically stepping foot on a roof. Not only are they more convenient, but at 95% accuracy, they can assist roofing contractors with putting together the most accurate estimates and material orders possible.

AccuLynx integrates with two aerial measurement companies, EagleView and GAF’s QuickMeasure. These integrations allow AccuLynx users to conveniently order and receive aerial measurements right in their AccuLynx accounts. After the reports are received, users can use the aerial measurements to build material orders. AccuLynx allows users to automatically populate estimates and material orders from the aerial measurement reports. This eliminates the need for multiple data entries and ensures orders are precise every time.

Tip #2: Order roofing materials online

How contractors order materials matters, especially with the uncertainty of what products are available and rising material costs across the industry. Ordering roofing materials online, either through a CRM or another digital platform, can help contractors find available materials and accurate pricing more easily. Not only that, online ordering is faster than calling or faxing a branch, thus reducing the time it takes to build accurate material orders.

AccuLynx integrates with three of the top roofing material suppliers — SRS Distribution, ABC Supply, and Beacon Building Products— which allows AccuLynx users to have a more efficient and accurate experience when ordering materials. With these integrations, AccuLynx users can see what materials are available and their specific pricing at their local branch in real time right from their AccuLynx account.

Tip #3: Keep a digital record of your order in an easily accessible place

Paper documents can easily get lost or damaged even with the most organized filing systems. One way to avoid losing documents altogether is by saving all essential documents in a centralized digital location. With AccuLynx, users can upload all relevant documents, such as estimates and material orders. They are automatically saved in the corresponding job file. These files can be shared and accessed anywhere on any device, making it less possible for files to come up missing or damaged, especially when on the road.

Tip #4: Share material orders with crews to double-check accuracy upon delivery

Sometimes, issues such as missing or damaged materials may occur during the delivery process. By allowing crews to view material orders, they can catch these issues right away. Sharing material orders and other relevant documents helps keep crews aware of what is happening to catch problems early.

AccuLynx’s mobile Crew App provides a way to efficiently share information between the office and crew, including material orders. After a material order is created, sent out, and filled, sharing it with the crews working on the project is a way to ensure all materials have arrived before they begin work on the roof.

Order Roofing Materials More Efficiently with AccuLynx

AccuLynx provides a way for roofing contractors to streamline the material ordering process from start to finish. By integrating with top companies for aerial measurements and material ordering, AccuLynx enables contractors to order more efficiently and accurately, all while using a single software solution. Check out a custom demo to learn more about how your business can increase efficiency for their processes with AccuLynx.