Dataforma Reviews

“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.