Dataforma Reviews

“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.

“Accessible across devices

Pros

I can reach service department's work from any computer, tablet or phone and I really like that photos are securely stored in the cloud automatically.

Cons

The app needs an office-focused setup because it's currently built for field techs. When I'm away from the office and need to schedule jobs, I have to sign in using the website instead of the app which is inconvenient.

“Not effective for sales

Pros

We really value the way it stores backups and preserves historical data. We also enjoy using the work order calendar and the interactive map.

Cons

It's not an effective CRM for handling sales because creating a simple piece of correspondence, scheduling an event or adding other items requires far too many steps. Whenever I try to set up an event the form fields are scattered across the page so I end up having to scroll down just to fill things in which overall makes the process feel awkward and complex.

“Gives access to historical record

Pros

With the mobile app I send info to our field technicians. It also gives access to historical records for past projects and buildings.

Cons

I am still working to adapt our existing workflow to the software's processes and template formatting can be really time consuming.

“Generates attractive sales proposals

Pros

It creates attractive sales proposals for our clients and their calendar system makes scheduling and coordinating crews simple.

Cons

I find it hard to post and track the revenue tied to each sale and I wish the platform offered more advanced accounting reports to help with financial tracking.

“Centralized solution

Pros

I appreciate that it keeps all the details for a job stored in a single, central location. Previously we had photos and notes spread throughout a job folder but now everything is collected in one spot. Having a building's history available is also incredibly useful to me.

Cons

What bothers me is that as features have been added, so have extra steps piled into workflows. For a small contractor, that means one person ends up handling many more tasks. For instance, it lacks built-in accounting yet an invoice still has to be prepared to properly close a job.

“don�t like how its laid out

Pros

What I value most about this software is being able to sign into it online. It's a huge advantage because I usually do my work remotely or out in the field so having web access makes my workflow much smoother.

Cons

The layout is the least appealing part of this tool. Because I do a lot of remote and field work, I need to access information quickly and I get frustrated having to move through multiple tabs to find what I need. I wish there was a way to mark or save favorite tabs or set up shortcuts so I could pull up the critical info much faster when I'm on the go.

“Can upload everything!!

Pros

I like that I can upload job files and all related info so nothing has to sit as a paper file tucked away in an office drawer.

Cons

I can't really point to anything I dislike. For me it's more about taking the time to dive in, learn how it works and staying disciplined about inputting information regularly and building the habit of doing it every day.

“Stores all necessary info

Pros

It keeps all the essential information we need. It's simple to use and practical for everyone in the office as well as the team out in the field.

Cons

I've noticed that some recent updates to specific parts have made the system somewhat more confusing than it used to be.

“the mobile app is frustratingly limited

Pros

The database is solid and reliable. I lean on it to keep our records organized and accessible.

Cons

I'm unable to access certain details through the mobile app. For example when I arrive at a building, I have no way to find out who the building manager is. The mobile app also freezes a lot when I try to upload photos and it crashes in other situations too. Because of that I often have to stop using Dataforma on my phone and later re-enter everything once I'm back at my office computer.

“Top-notch support

Pros

I've had great experiences with their support team. They respond quickly, my records stay organized, the system supports many different use cases and it does an excellent job tracking warranties.

Cons

One limitation I keep running into is changing a company address. I wish there were a way to update the address and have it automatically apply to all associated buildings. Additionally, setting up new users could be made a lot simpler.