Streamlining operations with integrated software

By Jenny Yu.  

Dataforma and O’Hara’s Son Roofing show how partnership leads to practical, powerful tools. 

In this episode of CoatingsCast™, Karen Edwards spoke with Kim Baxter of O’Hara’s Son Roofing (OSR) and Brian Cook of Dataforma about how contractor feedback is shaping smarter software decisions across the roofing industry. 

For contractors, choosing the right management platform is a high-stakes decision. To make the most informed decision, the OSR team considered their options wisely. “There was a lot of software brought to the table, and a lot of software out there that does a lot of stuff,” Kim stated. “We listened to every single one, sent everybody through the ringer and tested them. It's not a very easy decision, because once you're in and you get everything in there, you'd better have made the right decision.” That diligence ultimately led OSR to Dataforma, where functionality and flexibility aligned with real operational needs. 

Brian highlighted that one of the most common reactions contractors have is surprise at the platform’s scope and affordability. “When they see our pricing, they're almost shocked. They're like, ‘There's no way you can do all these things that we need for this price.’ I'm like, ‘Well, we do,’” he said. “You have a timecard, daily job reports, a service module and a production module. We're about to release a full sales module for people that have separate sales CRM — you don't need those now, and the price point doesn't have to be crazy.” 

A key theme of the discussion was Dataforma’s commitment to user-driven development. Brian recalled how OSR’s feedback directly influenced platform improvements. “I remember doing all the demos with OSR, and you would hear them ask questions and you're like, ‘not only is that a great question, but that's also a great idea for a functionality upgrade,’” he said. 

One feature that stood out was Dataforma’s lock functionality, which Kim described as transformative for managing access and accountability. “When you've got the lock feature in Dataforma, you can lock it to however many people you want,” she explained. “It's just streamlined things for us. It's working. Everybody's on board, and we all work together really, really well.” 

As Dataforma continues to evolve, Brian said the focus is on modernization and integration. “We're making some big changes at Dataforma,” he shared. “We know we have this great foundation and great functionality. Let's get rid of clicks. Let's make it more updated for the 21st century. More integrations.” 

Read the first article in this series, Listen to the podcast or Watch the recording to learn more about how collaboration between software providers and contractors can drive meaningful progress across the industry.