Tool Review Template

This page gives you a repeatable structure you can use for every tool review on OpsForTrades. Duplicate this layout, swap in the tool name, and update each section with what you’ve learned.

Tool Overview

Tool name: [Tool Name Here]

Category: [Time Tracking / Payroll / Scheduling / Project Management / Accounting / CRM]

Best for: [Trade(s), company size, type of work]

Quick summary: One short paragraph that explains what the tool does in plain language and where it fits in a contractor’s world.

Who This Tool Is Really For

Use this section to be specific about what kind of contractor will get the most value out of this tool.

Trade focus: [Commercial roofing, paving, HVAC, concrete, multi-trade, etc.]
Company size sweet spot: [e.g., 10–30 people, 25–75 people, 50–150 people]
Work type: [Service, projects, maintenance contracts, bid-build, etc.]
Tech comfort level: [Owners and crews comfortable with apps / better for teams with office support]

Make it clear who should lean in and who should probably look elsewhere.

Where It Fits in Your Stack

Explain the role this tool plays and how it connects to the rest of the ops stack.

Primary role: [Example: Crew time tracking and basic scheduling]
Replaces: [Paper timecards, spreadsheets, whiteboards, generic payroll time entry]
Should integrate with: [Payroll system, accounting, project management, CRM]

This helps contractors see how the tool plugs into what they already use.

Key Strengths Contractors Will Actually Feel

Focus on benefits that show up in the field and in the office, not just feature names.

[Strength #1: e.g., “Foremen can clock in crews by job and cost code in under 30 seconds.”]
[Strength #2: e.g., “Office gets cleaner hours with fewer corrections before payroll.”]
[Strength #3: e.g., “Simple mobile app that most crew members can learn in a day.”]
[Strength #4: e.g., “Reports make it easy to see hours by job and crew.”]

Keep each strength tied to a real-world outcome: less chasing, fewer errors, clearer numbers.

Limitations and Deal-Breakers

Be honest. This is where you keep contractors from picking the wrong tool for their situation.

[Limitation #1: e.g., “Not ideal for crews with very poor cell coverage if they never connect to Wi-Fi.”]
[Limitation #2: e.g., “Reporting is basic if you want deep job costing from this tool alone.”]
[Limitation #3: e.g., “Integrations are limited unless you use [specific systems].”]

If there are clear “do not use this if…” points, spell them out here.

Pricing Snapshot

Typical pricing model: [Per user / per company / per job / tiered]

Ballpark cost: [Example: “Most mid-sized contractors will land in the $X–$Y/month range.”]

Stay high level here. The goal is to set expectations, not list every plan detail.

Implementation Notes

This section is about how to roll the tool out without chaos.

Setup effort: [Light / moderate / heavy] and who should own it (office manager, ops lead, controller)
Key setup steps: [Example: “Define jobs and cost codes, set up crews, test with one crew before rolling out.”]
Training: [How much training crews/office will need and how long it usually takes]
First 30 days: [What to watch for, common mistakes to fix early]

Think of this like a mini playbook specific to this tool.

Pros and Cons Summary

Pros

[Short, punchy pro #1]
[Short, punchy pro #2]
[Short, punchy pro #3]

Cons

[Short, punchy con #1]
[Short, punchy con #2]
[Short, punchy con #3]

Bottom Line

Wrap up with a clear, practical verdict in 2–4 sentences.

[Example: “This tool is a strong fit for mid-sized commercial roofers and paving contractors who want simple, reliable time tracking without a lot of extra bells and whistles. If you already have a solid accounting system and just need cleaner hours from the field, it’s worth a serious look. If you want deep project management and advanced reporting in the same place, you may want to pair it with another tool or look elsewhere.”]