John Kenney, CPRC, CEO, Cotney Consulting Group
Experience has long been considered one of the best decision-making tool in the roofing industry. While hard-earned intuition remains valuable, it’s no longer enough to navigate today's fast-moving, margin-sensitive environment. Contractors face greater complexity from tighter labor markets and fluctuating material costs, to evolving client expectations and compliance requirements. In this environment, gut instinct must be supported by real-time visibility. That's where business dashboards come in.
It is time to move beyond spreadsheets and end-of-month reports. Proactive roofing contractors embrace dashboards, which provide real-time insights into all aspects of their operations performance. Leadership teams can manage strategically, spot issues early and align operations with strategic goals.
We will explore how roofing contractors can adopt dashboard-driven management, what key metrics to track and how these systems can transform decision-making at every business level.
A business dashboard is a centralized visual display of key performance indicators (KPIs) pulled across your company. Unlike spreadsheets, dashboards can be updated at desired intervals, allowing users to monitor progress, trends and exceptions in real time, in an understandable format.
It is not about micromanagement: the dashboard should provide clear and usable data. It gives leadership a bird's-eye view of the business while offering department-level insights that help teams stay accountable, efficient and focused.
Whether you're using sophisticated software or simple spreadsheets, dashboards' power lies in its ability to turn data into action.
Contractors often run their businesses in silos, with estimating, field operations and accounting all working from different playbooks. The estimator sees the job through the lens of bid assumptions and the superintendent focuses on production realities, as invoices and cost codes shape accounting’s view. The result? Misalignment, miscommunication and gaps that can cost you profit, time and trust.
Dashboards solve this by unifying your data and allowing you to track what matters most, before it's too late to fix. With real-time performance visibility, contractors can lead with intention rather than reaction.
While no two dashboards look alike, every contractor should track key metrics across four critical areas: sales, operations, finance and safety/quality. These core KPIs tell the real story behind your performance and help you make smarter, faster decisions.
■ Bid-Hit Ratio – What percentage of your bids are turning into jobs?
■ Average Job Size – Are you growing in project scope and profitability?
■ Proposal Aging – How long are bids sitting without follow-up?
■ Win or Loss Metrics – Do you know why you’re winning or losing work?
These indicators give you a pulse check on your sales effectiveness and how dialed-in your estimating is.
■ Crew Productivity – Are your labor hours or squares per hour on target?
■ Schedule Adherence – Are jobs being completed on time or slipping?
■ Punch List Aging – How long will the project be closed out?
■ Material Coordination Timeliness – Are material delays holding up your crews?
Tracking these metrics lets you spot problems early, adjust manpower or logistics and keep production moving smoothly.
■ Cash Flow Forecast – Are you projecting inflows and outflows accurately?
■ Over or Under Billing – Are you ahead or behind on invoicing for work performed?
■ Gross Margin by Job – Are jobs hitting projected profit targets?
■ Accounts Receivable Aging – Are you collecting on time or letting cash sit in limbo?
These financial indicators help you monitor working capital, profitability and billing health before issues spiral.
■ Incident Rate – Are your crews working safely or is risk creeping in?
■ Quality Assessment or Quality Control Inspection Scores – Is the work meeting internal and customer standards?
■ Rework Rate – How often are you fixing what should’ve been done right the first time?
■ Training Compliance – Are team members current on safety and technical training?
These KPIs reinforce a culture of accountability, reduce risk and protect your brand’s reputation out in the field.
When you monitor these metrics regularly, they don’t just live in a spreadsheet – they drive real operational decisions. A good dashboard doesn’t just report the news. It tells you what to act on next.
Most roofing contractors have the data but they’re not yet using it in a way that gives them clear insight into how their business is performing. The goal is to cut through the clutter: organize the information you already have and start making decisions based on what the numbers tell you. To get started, select five to seven core metrics that align with your company’s goals and determine how often those metrics should be updated – weekly, bi-weekly or monthly. Build a dashboard template using Excel, Google Sheets or whichever platform you’re already comfortable with. Assign responsibility for each metric to someone accountable for keeping it current. Then, make it a habit to review the dashboard during leadership or department meetings so it becomes part of how you operate. As your business grows, consider building dashboards tailored to specific roles such as executive view, operations view, sales view and so on, so each team has the visibility they need to make better decisions.
Your biggest roadblock isn’t collecting data; it’s cleaning it. Your dashboard won’t give you an accurate picture if job names are inconsistent, cost codes are conflicting or project documentation is incomplete. To improve data quality, you must standardize your data across the board. A dashboard is only as good as the
data feeding it, so if your input is garbage, so are your results.
Dashboards aren’t just for owners; they should be shared across your leadership team. When everyone can see how his or her area contributes to the company's overall health, your results will be better aligned, leading to improved accountability. Use your dashboard for all of your department's progress meetings. You will catch the red flags before they escalate into bigger issues. The stats will reinforce performance standards without constant oversight, recognize wins and track improvements.
Dashboards can be powerful tools but only when used correctly. One common mistake is tracking too many metrics at once. Focusing on just a few high-impact KPIs will better support decision-making. Another mistake is only monitoring lagging indicators. You should include forward-looking data like proposal aging, days outstanding and cash flow metrics that help you see what’s coming, not just what has already happened. Proper team training is essential. Your team can’t make informed decisions if they don’t understand what the numbers mean. Ultimately, a dashboard isn’t about looking impressive; it’s about driving action that moves the business forward.
Real-time dashboards are changing the game for roofing contractors. When you turn raw numbers into clear, usable insights, your team can spot problems early, jump on opportunities and confidently lead. The contractors who win over the next decade won’t just build better, they’ll think faster, adjust quicker and run smarter operations. That starts with knowing your numbers and ensuring the right people see them. If you’re not using a dashboard, there’s no better time to start. In roofing, just like in any business, what gets measured gets managed and what gets managed gets better.
John Kenney, CPRC is CEO of Cotney Consulting Group, Plant City. He has decades of experience on commercial roofing projects, providing him with a unique understanding of what it takes to succeed in roofing – on the roof, in the office and at scale. John saw the need to provide contractors with strategic guidance built on real-world field knowledge. Cotney Consulting offers COO on Demand, online training, technology solutions, business advisory consulting, collections, contracts, Castagra estimating training, safety and OSHA training. John partners with FRSA to provide educational seminars. For more information, contact John at jkenney@cotneyconsulting.com or 813-851-4173.
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