August 2020

Top Tech Tips
TOP TECH TIPS FOR TRADESPEOPLE
Mhairi McDougall, Country Manager UK and Ireland at Dakea, talks technology and says its
important for the trade industry to stay abreast of any advances...
It feels like every day there’s a new website, app
or piece of technology that’s promising to
change the way we live and work forever. While
this might be a slight exaggeration, there are
definitely a lot of technological innovations out
there which were unthinkable only a few years ago.
It’s important for the trade industry to stay
abreast of these advances, especially as in a
recent survey we conducted it was revealed that
1/5 of tradespeople are concerned that the way
they are currently working is outdated, and 10%
admitted that they barely use any technology
during their daily work.
25% of the 500 roofers, installers and local
contractors we questioned said that they believe
the entire trade industry needs to be better at
adopting tech in the workplace, and a further 1/5
acknowledged that they don’t use technology
effectively.
With the current pressures on the construction
industry forcing trade professionals to work in
new and innovative ways, it’s imperative that
everyone has the skills required to work faster,
quicker, better and safer. To make sure that
tradespeople can get to grips with the technology
they need to know, we’ve created a selection of
guides that includes advice on key websites,
apps, tools and tech.
We’ve broken down some of these top tips to give
you a quick overview of the technology that’s
changing the way tradespeople work.
Video calls
With social distancing still encouraging us to
avoid face to face contact, video call technology
has never been more in demand. Using video
calls can also help you to save time when talking
to customers, as you no longer need to call round
to show them samples or see parts of the project.
Drones
Using a drone is a great way
to get an idea of the state
of a roof without having
to spend time and
money putting up
scaffolding. This is
particularly important
when you’re quoting for a
job, as you could avoid
spending days erecting scaffolding
only to discover that additional prep work
should have been done beforehand.
With the right drone and software, it’s even
possible to get some extremely accurate
measurements and data such as square footage,
roof features, pitch, surface area and slope.
Drones can also help with health and safety
issues, as using the drone to carry out survey
work avoids having team members working at
heights.
Finance software
Finance apps mean you can record expenses on
the move and complete all finance processes
from the comfort of your van. As well as saving
time, moving to an automated digital process
could save you money, as updating receipts in
real time will ensure no records are lost. If this
sounds intriguing, there’s quite a few options out
there to try – check out Xero, Sage or Kashflow to
get started.
Online lead generation
Online platforms provide multiple opportunities
for tradespeople to get their name out there.
Once a little time has been spent building up an
online presence, this can become a great way
to funnel new business opportunities to your
inbox with only minimal time investment. A
couple of places to make sure
you appear in online
searches include social
media websites and
online directories.
Make sure that your
presence appears
professional and
encourage customers to
leave as many reviews as
possible on your profiles.
Training
It’s never been easier to learn a new skill thanks
to online training. YouTube, for example, holds a
wealth of instructional videos and many
manufacturers have uploaded helpful guides on
how to install their products.
If you’d prefer a more formal education, check out
online compliance and training platforms like the
Institute of Roofing, Citation or Able Skills. These
allow you to sign up to comprehensive online
courses and earn certificates to prove you’ve
completed the training.
We hope that you’ve found the advice in this
article useful and that it’s encouraged you to
embrace a new type of technology as part of your
daily work. Just remember that it’s never too late
to embrace new tech and sometimes you don’t
know how much it’ll help until you’ve given it a
go. If you’d like more advice on any of the above
or on similar ideas for getting stuck into new
technology for tradespeople, visit
www.tradematters.co.uk/technology to download
our free guides. p
Contact Dakea
www.dakea.co.uk
@dakea_uk
36 TC AUGUST 2020