As a building envelope specialist at Western Michigan University (WMU) in Kalamazoo, Ken Fifelski oversees a LOT of roofs – 491 roof sections spread over 105 major buildings, to be exact. These roof sections, which total 2.76 million square feet, are comprised of a smorgasbord of roofing materials, including slate, single-ply, metal, and built-up. Yet while taking care of all of these roofs may seem a daunting task, Fifelski says WMU has been able to institute a pro-active maintenance program that includes regular inspections and preventative roof maintenance. As a result, WMU has been able to save money by extending the life expectancies of its roofs.

How does WMU do this? By using roof management software from Digital Facilities Corporation (DFC) located in Westford, Massachusetts. DFC’s is the leading developer of roof management technologies and with customers managing over 1 billion s/f of roofing assets. With a proven six year history the RoofPro 4.2 program continues to add new features along with user guided development enhancing the organized database structure, roof maintenance options, and high-quality report generators. The program CAD Viewer component allows users to “red-line” or mark-up CAD drawings in order to highlight problem areas on a roof, and the ability to prepare 5 or 10-year budgets and long-term schedules of roof expenditures such as repairs, maintenance, and replacement.

More Timely and Accurate Information

In the “old days,” Fifelski explains, roof data was kept in a paper file book. “These files would be dispersed throughout the campus, so you never knew if you had an outdated copy of the file,” he states. “As a result, it was impossible to know how accurate the information was.”

Since implementing a roof management program all roofing information is now stored and managed in a central database, where it can be easily accessed and updated. “We have about 500 roofing sections stored in the system, so it is very easy to do a search on something like age and use the results to quickly produce a report on aging roofs,” Fifelski explains. “There is no way we could do that with paper files.”

Fifelski adds that by being able to access up-to-date, accurate information, WMU is doing a better job maintaining their roofs. “Now we can use this data to focus on roofs that are in poor condition, have warranty issues, or are in a crucial, sensitive area,” he explains. “By making more informed decisions we are able to react faster to potential problems and extend the lives of the roofs.”

Unique Features Add to Its Appeal

Before selecting an asset management system WMU looked at other software programs, according to Fifelski, “but DFC’s software had the most functions for our needs.” One feature Fifelski says they particularly like is the ability to connect to AutoCAD drawings. “You can even red-line the drawings to make specific notes,” he states. “We have employees doing roof inspections using laptops with wireless connections, and they can do the drawing and red-lines right on-site, generating more precise information.”

Another benefit of RoofPro is the ability to produce high-quality reports and proposals. “With RoofPro we can produce very professional-looking reports with pictures and plans,” he explains. “Everything is well organized, complete and understandable, which means the report is more likely to receive the attention it deserves.”

Fifelski adds that Digital Facilities Corporation has been very good to work with. “They make a definite effort to find out what does and doesn’t work, and answer our questions promptly,” he says. “They seem very committed to supporting their products.”

Since they’ve started using RoofPro, WMU has been able to save money or roof repairs and replacements, avoid roof leaks, and keep contents and users of its buildings safe and dry. As Fifelski states, “With RoofPro we can make educated, cost-effective decisions about roofing expenditures. It looks like we made the right choice.”