Challenge:
Within the last few years cloud adoption has been rising within the construction industry. According to a 2017 survey by Associated General Contractors of America, 85% of construction contractors use or plan to use cloud-based solutions. The main reason behind the increase being the need for improved communication and greater efficiency on the job site – sharing of drawings, documents, field reporting, etc.
However, migration of back-office information, like financials, to a cloud-based system has lagged behind. Company management is afraid of relinquishing physical control of their high-profile data, thinking this transition would make their information less secure.
As a result, some contractors will place accounting members in trailers on site or expect a job site worker to go by the main office to pick up the information, which reduces productivity and efficiency. The information received may also be the incorrect version of the document causing errors and discrepancies.
Solution:
The advantages of using cloud storage software for all areas of the construction company far outweigh any of the drawbacks, most of which are actually misconceptions. Check out the benefits of implementing file storage solutions and the top software in use by contractors.
- Easy Sharing – Every construction company has a large number of stakeholders, and manually sharing information across all of these parties is often time consuming and can result in accessing incorrect versions. Cloud storage solutions make sharing simple by providing real-time communication and collaboration on the right version. Finally everybody can be on the same page.
- Increase Security – Storing data and documents on the cloud actually increases security by eliminating physical theft, loss or destruction of your data. Users are able to manage who accesses and edits the account, specific documents and more. Conveniently track how data is shared with individuals inside and outside your company by setting up in-audit logs within the software.
- Advanced Analytics – With all of the data stored in the cloud, it makes it simple to take measurements or compare documents on any device, from any location. Disputes are also one of the biggest financial drains on contractors, so being able to quickly find the right document or evidence to combat the claim is critical.
- Top Cloud Storage Solutions – Dropbox, SharePoint, Google Drive, Box, Citrix Sharefile, Egnyte, OneDrive, OneDrive for Business, CMIS, Alfresco, AWS S3.
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