Dataforma Reviews

“Don't choose Dataforma

Pros

It collects a lot of data but after using it for over two years, I struggled to find anything I actually liked about the app or desktop version. It was not easy to use.

Cons

I have struggled with customer support and the system is not the easiest to use. For the price, I expected a smoother experience.

“Essential for our service team

Pros

I find it easy to schedule tickets for employees working in the field and generate invoices immediately after completing a job. This makes it simple to keep track of clients and monitor the work completed at each business location.

Cons

Setting up relationships between buildings, customers and companies is not as smooth as I would like. But once the initial setup is done, creating work orders becomes a lot easier.

“Too complex

Pros

I can create contracts using their templates which is really convenient since they download right into Word where I can customize everything to fit my specific needs.

Cons

It takes about 6 clicks just to find basic information. The mobile app can't upload PDFs so I need a separate app to annotate pictures before uploading them to the main platform. Made an error? Too bad, only administrators can delete entries. Viewing photos is a nightmare, you either download them all or view one at a time. There's a slideshow feature but it only opens to a quarter of your screen and you can't zoom in or out. Photo organization is frustrating since everything has to be in numerical order. The phone app doesn't sync with projects so when I call, text or email clients, I have to manually log everything twice in the system. No integration with Google Mail, Contacts or Calendar means constant double entry if you use Google services. Quickbooks integration is non-existent too. Creating a purchase order means doing it in Quickbooks, emailing it out, downloading it, uploading to the docs section, then writing notes in a completely separate window. Project managers don't get notified when notes are updated, you have to open another window and manually send emails. Overall, it doesn't help with efficiency at all.

“Lets me manage construction projects

Pros

What I appreciate most is how it lets me create and manage construction projects quickly and effortlessly, while also keeping budgets and project resources under control.

Cons

The pricing is pretty high compared to alternatives like Microsoft Project. If they could lower their licensing and service costs, it would be much more accessible for medium-sized businesses and help them tap into new markets.

“Smooth and Simple

Pros

I love how mobile-friendly it is! It makes it so easy to use, even when working in the field or on the go.

Cons

The interface feels a little outdated but everything runs so smoothly that it does not really bother me.

“All-in-One Solution

Pros

This software makes it easy to track both long-term projects and quick jobs. It works like other software, but what I really like is that invoices can be created straight from the work orders field workers enter. This saves time and prevents mistakes from entering the same data twice.

Cons

At first, the software felt overwhelming because there is so much to it. But after spending some time exploring the features, I started to see how everything connects and works together.

“Easy to use

Pros

Finding job details, customer info, business records or contacts is super quick and easy. I can access everything from anywhere, which makes my work so much smoother.

Cons

Since multiple people enter information, duplicates sometimes happen by accident. I really wish the system could detect them and alert me before they pile up.

“Ideal for both office and field

Pros

It is so easy to find details on both past and current jobs. Plus, communicating with the field crew is smooth and works really well.

Cons

No complaints at all! It helps my company every single day and keeps us running efficiently!

“Best service, hands down!

Pros

There are so many ways to get things done, which makes my work so much easier. I love how simple and flexible it is!

Cons

There is absolutely nothing I would change! This program is seriously amazing!

“Smart business management

Pros

It takes a little time to learn but once you do, it is really easy to use.

Cons

It is a great tool for managing my business and honestly, I have had no real issues with it.

“Reliable OPS Software

Pros

I have been using Dataforma for 12 years to manage all operations and it has worked great for my business.

Cons

I would love to have a Sales Module to track leads and opportunities separately. It would make a huge difference for me!

“Simple, yet feature-rich

Pros

It is really easy to use and I love how it covers almost everything my business needs to run smoothly.

Cons

It is frustrating that two different customers cannot duplicate information, so I end up entering things twice. I understand it is because the building IDs need to match but I really hope the new APIs they are working on will solve this issue.

“Impressive product

Pros

I like how everything is in one place and neatly organized. It makes it so easy to find the details I need without any trouble.

Cons

The system can feel a bit clunky to use at times & I really think it could be more user-friendly.

“Roofers' best software solution

Pros

It does a great job of keeping everything sorted and organized, so I never have to waste time looking for information.

Cons

I wish there was a mapping feature to pinpoint deficiencies on a map so, it would make things so much easier.

“Best choice for construction

Pros

I have used a lot of business management tools and most of them just make things complicated. But with Dataforma, everything is sorted into sections, so it is super easy for me to find what I need and give my customers the best service.

Cons

Honestly, I cannot think of anything in this software that does not make my job easier..it has been that great for me!

“Can't do without it now

Pros

I've been on Dataforma since 2006. Back in 2005 I found it intriguing but chose to continue with our paper workflows for a while. Once we finally adopted it, everyone in the office, everyone said that running the business without Dataforma would feel like reverting to the Stone Age. The platform covers everything we need but is surprisingly simple to pick up. I've never experienced customer support as responsive and helpful as theirs. Our team relies on it for service operations, project coordination and managing client relationships. Since it's cloud-hosted, it keeps getting better with ongoing updates. Make sure you try the mobile app for field techs and the client portal for customers, both are essential for us.

Cons

I'm just hoping for integrated accounting soon.

“Promotes transparency

Pros

It has created a great deal of transparency around what people are doing on a daily basis and it makes it easy for me to ensure that everyone is on the same page when it comes to the many different work orders and projects we have going on at any one time.

Cons

At first it felt a bit complicated but the training and customer support were excellent and helped me work through any issues I faced.

“Keeps track of projects

Pros

We've become more organized than ever and it's really easy for us to keep tabs on both our service work and ongoing projects.

Cons

I find it frustrating that I can't view the complete schedule when I'm using the mobile app.

“simple to learn

Pros

I'm finding it simple to pick up and use and my whole team gets instant, real-time access to work orders.

Cons

Cultivating relationships can take a significant amount of time.

“Monitors every aspect of your business

Pros

I appreciate the platform's ability to monitor and track every aspect of my business.

Cons

Overall, there are far too many clicks required to enter basic information and the layout feels like it was designed by a computer engineer rather than a roofer, someone with field experience should have organized it. Their onboarding staff did a poor job with follow-up and I would have welcomed a consultant who genuinely understood our users' needs and could help us get more practical, useful assistance from the system.

“Well-integrated system

Pros

Its a well integrated system. When I have one solid piece of information I can search related items backwards from that point to find what I need which I find incredible!! Its document storage and ease of access are amazing. Everything consolidated in a single location makes my work easier.

Cons

A few aspects could use some fine-tuning. For example, the Leads module works well for me but it would be much better if I could convert a lead into a Work Order without retyping all the details. It would also improve things if, when I use search, I could click on column headers to sort results by that heading rather than relying on the current limits.

“Provides good value

Pros

It provides excellent value considering everything I can accomplish using this software.

Cons

It takes me time training new employees.

“The cost has went up

Pros

I have really enjoyed using it because it enabled our team to shift to a paperless office, gone are the endless file folders. The program feels user-friendly and logically organized and I believe it can make our office run more smoothly. One feature I find especially useful is the ability to request custom templates customized to our exact needs. That customization has had the most significant effect on our everyday workflow processes.

Cons

We have a few concerns worth mentioning. The biggest one for me is the Timecard system. Our employees have no simple way to view their weekly hours and overall the experience for staff when tracking time is pretty poor. That shortcoming alone prevents us from going fully paperless. Part of the problem seems to be that Dataforma is currently mid-transition and there are glitches and bugs that significantly limit its usefulness. On top of that, they recently moved to a per-user pricing model and after the change our costs would have doubled had we kept the same number of users which felt like a major blow. This price increase combined with the technical issues has been a substantial setback for us, affecting our budget and slowing wider adoption across the company. Until the platform feels more finished and reliable, the higher fee simply doesn't line up with the current experience.

“Can add photos to reports

Pros

Appreciate having client and portal access. Photos will automatically be attached to reports as long as I put them in the correct folder.

Cons

Lately, I'm dealing with daily glitches. The app frequently fails to load photos on my phone and the new updates have made creating customers or companies more difficult.

“Feels complicated

Pros

I like that I can store key customer details in the cloud and access them remotely whenever I need.

Cons

Honestly, the software doesn't feel convenient and I find it overly detailed so new users end up needing a lot of time to learn how to enter information correctly. The way things are divided by building, company, customer, etc is excessive and it becomes really difficult when I try to apply changes across a company as a whole. Charging extra for templates feels unfair to me.

“Ease of use

Pros

It is so simple to use and provides me with all the data I require.

Cons

I can't think of any drawbacks to this product at the moment.

“takes time to get the hang of

Pros

Workorders are really smooth and when I use them the system guides everyone through without any hiccups. Customer support has been helpful as well and they're always available to help with issues.

Cons

The project area feels clumsy and I really need to understand the system's ins and outs to push things through. Also, adding new users is a bit of a process and it takes time to learn properly.

“Incompatible with other softwares

Pros

Work order side is nice. It's polished and I find that crews out in the field can pick up the app quickly and use it without confusion.

Cons

On the project side, I'm finding it pretty difficult and I don't like that it doesn't play nicely with other software systems. We wanted an all-in-one solution but the new accounting module actually introduces extra steps into workflows and hasn't been particularly useful for simplifying our processes.

“Number of features feels overwhelming

Pros

I've noticed the company intends for Dataforma to handle everything like HR, accounting, CRM and it really packs a lot of features indeed.

Cons

the sheer number of features makes configuring everything on the backend very time-consuming and tedious. Honestly, it's overwhelming to the point that I doubt I even use more than a small portion of what the system can do. They offer webinars but I find it really difficult to figure out which topics I should concentrate on to get the most value.

“Adaptable product

Pros

The system's adaptability is a major plus as I can pull up the exact information I want whenever I need it without feeling constrained.

Cons

I've noticed there is a lot of redundant data entry when I add new clients which ends up being time-consuming and annoying.

“Handles scheduling and invoicing well

Pros

I rely on this for our Service Department. It handles scheduling, creating work orders and billing really well.

Cons

After they bolted on an Accounting module to the base software we purchased, the interface keeps changing and it's become a nuisance. We have no plan to use the accounting features yet those additions complicate almost every task we try to perform, making the system tougher for our field staff to learn and use.

“Data doesn�t refresh properly

Pros

What I really value about this tool is its ability to track work at individual buildings, no matter who owns them, what kind of tasks are being done or any other variables that might affect the job.

Cons

Ever since they pushed the update this past spring, I've noticed the software falling short. Data doesn't refresh properly and I'm forced to perform a great deal of manual updates myself.

“powerful accounting modules

Pros

For our company, the depth of customization, flexibility and the reliable stability this software provides have become indispensable. I can call support and always reach someone knowledgeable and the responses we get consistently nail what we need. There are so many fields and sub-categories that we've been able to tailor inputs and outputs for reporting on virtually any attribute we care about. I also think the new accounting modules are solid and well thought out. Overall, this functionality has pushed us to rethink and broaden how we analyze numerous parts of our business, while still keeping tight control over scheduling and the day-to-day operational requirements.

Cons

Some people might feel a bit overwhelmed when they first start using it but with solid training I haven't found that to be a long-term issue. The permissions system is extensive so it's important for us to have a dedicated system administrator who will stay with the company.

“Great for monitoring work

Pros

Using the work-order app, I keep records of every job on all buildings.

Cons

I wish it had estimating. It won't sync directly with QuickBooks.

“difficult to use

Pros

I appreciate that it can retain comprehensive project details. Helps a lot with my line of work.

Cons

While I recognize it offers a lot of functionality, I find the software itself fairly complex to use. The reporting features are weak and it doesn't serve field technicians well. I would like an easier way to track, monitor and pipeline leads along with better support for today's documents and formats.

“Helped my business grow

Pros

Before we introduced Dataforma, our growth was capped because we lacked an effective way to manage customers. We couldn't move beyond a small customer base since there was no system to handle them properly. After we began using it, our service department has doubled in size. We're leaner, noticeably more efficient and far more consistent in how we operate. Now we can reach our customers quickly, keeping communication clear and timely across the board.

Cons

I don't like how it handles image previews and the pop-up viewer feels awkward and slow. There should be a quicker way to glance at photos without having to export them first. I constantly find myself deleting images and having to open each one to decide which to include on an invoice is frustrating and time-consuming. This process feels complex and doesn't match the speed and polish of the rest of the platform's features.

“Appreciate the library

Pros

I'm a big fan of the library and appreciate being able to personalize reports with photos and captions.

Cons

Sometimes I find that certain features feel a bit repetitive.

“hard to find info

Pros

Can't really point to a favorite feature since using the system has been a struggle from day one unless you're Excel-driven. I wasn't part of the setup but the overall process felt tedious and unnecessarily time-consuming indeed.

Cons

Personally, I dislike the tabs most because it's hard to find a contact, address, documents and files, etc.

“Great partner to have

Pros

I love the CRM features and it has been leading the way. The system is secure and they value their customers.

Cons

It's not geared toward larger contractors. Also a bit complicated to handle and its more focused on accounting compared to other things.

“Solid product

Pros

Once I've built the foundation and continued adding features over time, I find the software extremely powerful and practical. If you want it to be truly productive, providing historical input is absolutely crucial.

Cons

It can feel somewhat repetitive when I'm inputting new details but I understand that's due to built-in checks and balances.

“Incredible calender feature and convenient mobile app

Pros

I really appreciate how convenient the program is and I can pull up the information I need in seconds. The calendar is fantastic too as it lets me manage so many tasks from one place. Our techs find the mobile app easy to use which means we get real-time updates that can be shared with customers right away. We're able to complete inspection reports while technicians are still on site, email those reports to customers, obtain approvals and even begin the repair process immediately. I also value that customers receive photos because that has made a noticeable difference for us. Since most customers won't climb onto the roof, sending them clear images helps them see exactly what work was performed and really builds trust with our clients. Overall, these features make daily operations smoother and communication much clearer.

Cons

The biggest downside has been some of the recent changes. Several updates have made the parts of the system we use more complicated and I wish more time had been devoted to training on those changes. The employee section is especially troublesome since we don't use DF for payroll so the new workflow requires extra steps on our end. I've ended up adjusting internal processes to work around these quirks which adds unnecessary overhead. Another frustrating aspect is the credit memo process. They show up as "paid in full," which is confusing and difficult to follow. It would be much more helpful if those items appeared explicitly as credit memos so reconciling accounts and communicating status to the team would be clearer.

“simple to send reports to clients

Pros

The flexibility of combining different levels of information across Company, Contact and Building really stands out. I also find the Work Order / Field Ticket app super useful because it makes sending reports to clients much easier and more simple.

Cons

I wish I could create custom templates myself instead of having to go through the company and pay extra for them.

“Keeps record of bids, projects, work orders

Pros

With the help of this software, I can keep track of bids, projects, work orders, change orders, hours and employee details.

Cons

We've run into a lot of frustrations with reporting and related features. The reporting function is weak and we have to pay to get downloads or templates created because there aren't any ready-made templates to pick from. Also I can't track employee training records within the system which is a big gap for us. After being on the platform for years the pricing model shifted from unlimited users to charging per user and that change really impacted our budget. In addition, we can no longer extract hours the way we used to which cost us many hours to build a workaround and a new internal process. There's also no way to monitor quantities of product installed and the mobile app doesn't let me view plan pages which makes field work harder.

“Multiple ways of accessing data

Pros

It provides multiple different ways to access and organize information within the system. What I particularly like is the relationships feature because it lets me cross-reference related items like contacts, projects and buildings easily.

Cons

The photo features leave a lot to be desired. For example, I've already told our rep by email that there's no simple way to preview several photos at once or browse them quickly in a gallery-like view. In addition, moving photos to another project or location feels clunky, requires extra steps and isn't user-friendly for users which slows me down.

“Customized photo reports

Pros

I like the photo reports and the way they're customized specifically to our company's needs.

Cons

We find that creating a lead is time-consuming because we have to enter contact, building and project information.

“Gives us a clear picture of what our customers need

Pros

Its great how everyone on our team can access the right information exactly when they need it. The mobile app is really handy and the detailed building history gives us such a clear view of our customers and what there looking for.

Cons

It is complicated when you're first getting started. Updates don't always come out when they say they will which can be frustrating. I really wish customers could submit service requests directly through the mobile app.

“Strong reporting and friendly layout

Pros

I love the scheduling features, strong reporting tools and overall user-friendly layout. The field mobile app, document management and the ability to access everything remotely are also big pluses.

Cons

Biggest drawback is that complete accounting features aren't available yet so I end up entering project data twice, once in Dataforma and again in our accounting software. It's pretty bulky to maintain because I must input project details in several spots (buildings, contacts, etc.), though once everything is entered, it becomes a very useful tool.

“Allows me to enter data from the field

Pros

Being able to upload data from the field directly with my mobile device is something I value. I also have access to a complete building work history that includes warranties, past repairs, projects and invoices.

Cons

I wish there were a way for customers to report completed work through a mobile app. It also feels like it's missing some of the extra features and polish that competitors provide.

“Keeps our service department running smoothly

Pros

We've relied on this program to keep our service department operating without disruption. It simplifies finding customer contact details and provides simple access to a complete record of service dates.

Cons

Providing customers with access to their service history doesn't seem to operate smoothly.

“Fast and reliable

Pros

Quick and reliable performance that works consistently across most platforms.

Cons

Can't access documents from my phone and only pictures work. Integration is pretty limited with the other tools we rely on like Follow-Up Power and Quickbooks (it connects but barely handles transactions). Would be nice to have a Windows explorer tree view for project documents instead of the current setup.