Alright, let’s get straight to it—if you’re running a roofing business and you’re not mapping your processes, you’re basically flying blind. Scaling efficiently and training quickly isn’t just a nice-to-have, it’s the difference between being stuck in the day-to-day grind and actually growing your business. The secret weapon? Process mapping. And not just any process mapping—BPMN (Business Process Model Notation) paired with HubSpot. Let’s break it down.
Most roofing entrepreneurs don’t start their businesses thinking, “I can’t wait to document processes!” It’s usually an afterthought—something you wish you’d done earlier when you’re knee-deep in chaos. Brian Audia nails it when he says:
"Train quickly to scale is huge. I remember thinking when Adam and I first started talking about these, I was 16-plus years into the business. I thought, where was this when I first started?"
Here’s the thing: well-documented processes aren’t just about looking organized. They’re about:
Cutting down training time for new hires
Delivering consistent results
Scaling without breaking your systems
Spotting opportunities for automation
Freeing you, the owner, from putting out fires every day
When you hear “process map,” you might picture a chaotic mess of scribbles, arrows, and boxes that only the person who made it can understand. Brian puts it perfectly:
"A process map is not just a bunch of words with little arrows jumbled on a page... maybe it could be followed, but it’s not an easy visual. It’s not a good representation."
A proper process map should be crystal clear—something anyone on your team can glance at and immediately understand. That’s why BPMN is the gold standard.
BPMN (Business Process Model Notation) is like the Rosetta Stone for your business processes. It turns complex workflows into clean, standardized diagrams that make sense to everyone. No more guessing games, no more “I thought you were supposed to do that” moments.
Looking for a compelling reason to systematize your offer? Check out Unlocking Success: The Power of a Unique Selling Proposition in Roofing to understand how processes also support your brand's value.
Pools & Swimlanes: Think of a pool as your entire process or company. Inside the pool, swimlanes divide tasks by who’s responsible (e.g., Sales Manager, Production Manager).
Tasks: These are the building blocks—each task is a single, actionable step.
Gateways: Represented by diamonds, gateways are decision points that split the process based on conditions (e.g., Yes/No, complete/incomplete).
With BPMN, everyone knows:
Who’s responsible for what
What needs to happen next
Where decisions need to be made
How manual tasks connect with automations
One of the coolest things about BPMN is how it bridges the gap between human actions and automations. When paired with HubSpot, it’s a total game-changer.
Brian explains it best:
"We not only want to define human actions in our BPMN process maps, we also want to define workflows, automations that happen in our system… for example, when we create a new deal, we got a little hand icon to show it’s a manual task, then it comes down to HubSpot—a gear icon indicates that it’s a workflow running automatically."
Need to optimize claim-related tasks too? Don’t miss Streamlining Roofing Insurance Claims with HubSpot for a deep dive into operational clarity using automation.
Let’s say you want to map out the process for reviewing a job file before it goes to production. Here’s what it might look like with BPMN:
Sales Manager Task: Review the job file.
Gateway/Decision Point: Does the file have all the correct info?
Yes? Pass it to production.
No? Send it back to the sales rep for corrections.
Production Manager Task: Review the file for production readiness.
Everyone knows their role and when to step in.
Automations (like HubSpot notifications) are clearly shown.
The process is visual, easy to audit, and ready for training or automation.
You might be wondering, “How deep do I go with this?” BPMN has you covered with sub-processes.
As Brian puts it:
"You say a task is the minimum, irreducible thing—but you can always break down further… that’s why we deploy sub-processes."
Still not convinced? Here’s what process mapping with BPMN and HubSpot can do for your business:
Speed Up Training: New hires ramp up faster with clear, visual guides—no more weeks of shadowing.
Scale Without Chaos: Processes aren’t stuck in your head or scattered in emails. You can grow confidently.
Reduce Mistakes: Clear roles and steps mean fewer dropped balls and missed details.
Automate Repetitive Tasks: If you can map it, you can automate it. Let HubSpot handle the busywork.
Peace of Mind: With everything documented, you can finally focus on growing your business instead of micromanaging it.
Ready to dive in? Here’s a simple action plan:
Pick a Core Process: Start with something straightforward, like sales handoff or job file review.
List the Main Actors: Who’s involved? (Sales rep, manager, production, software, etc.)
Lay Out the Steps: Write down each step in order.
Identify Decision Points: Where does the process branch?
Map Human vs. Automated Actions: Use hand icons for manual tasks and gear icons for automations.
Keep It Visual: Use a whiteboard, BPMN software, or even basic flowchart tools to start.
Iterate and Improve: Share it with your team, get feedback, and refine as needed.
Once your processes are mapped, HubSpot becomes a powerhouse. Here’s how:
Automate Workflows: Assign tasks, send updates, and move deals through pipeline stages automatically.
Track Performance: Spot bottlenecks and fix them fast.
Unify Steps: No more confusion about what’s manual vs. automated.
Here’s the bottom line: scaling your roofing business isn’t about working harder—it’s about working smarter. Process mapping with BPMN and HubSpot gives you the clarity, consistency, and automation you need to grow without the chaos.
As Brian Audia says, this is something you’ll wish you’d done sooner. So don’t wait. Start mapping your processes today, and set your business up for long-term success.
Train quickly to scale—your future self will thank you!