As a Managed IT Service Provider who provides IT Services for General Contractors, we understand the challenges General Contractors face when it comes to sharing data between teams spread across multiple offices and off-site locations. This article will cover the file sharing solution we provide for the construction industry which overcomes this challenge.
Whether you’re a general contractor, managing a modest team, or a major construction company, navigating the ever-expansive world of data logistics and management, finding the right file sharing solution and a team to help you implement can be difficult. Pricing, employee training, and system migration can all get in the way of creating a streamlined system that boosts efficiency and saves your organization time and money.
Enterprise File Sync-and-Share (EFSS) allows that: the freedom to securely share your company’s most important documents, drafting models, survey data, photos and videos across devices, sources and people.
To help you better understand the power, precision, and peace of mind a reliable EFSS platform can offer, let’s dive deeper into how they work, as well as the myriad ways in which they can help you solve your most pressing, operational issues.
The Agonies of Multi-Party File Sharing
There’s very little that causes headaches faster than trying to communicate your internal team’s ideas and information to others outside of the immediate circle, especially if your company operates across sites in different locations. Your team in the southeast may all use PDFs, but an office in the Midwest swears by Word documents or a Pacific-coast group of architects insists on sending native files that only open on a machine that has AutoCAD installed. The nightmare scenarios are endless, which is why multi-channel, collaborative communication is essential in making sure all parties involved in a project are on the same page, thus keeping you and your multi-site operation organized.
Moreover, in a time where it seems like every other public data storage provider is facing privacy issues, keeping your documents safe and secure can mean the difference between a job well done and the last job you’ll ever get. Incorporating an EFSS into your current workflow eliminates the reliance on open, often-times compromised public servers. This is particularly important if your organization has multiple locations across the country, or have freelance/temporary teams that are in and out of job files.
The Advantages of Enterprise File Sync-and-Share Platforms
As mentioned before, EFSS platforms do much of the heavy lifting when it comes to keeping important documents secure, while also providing unparalleled accessibility across different devices and locations. That’s not where it ends. Depending on your company’s unique needs, the right EFSS can also:
- Offer granular access permission options, down to the individual employee, so you can keep track of who’s accessing what and where.
- Live document version tracking that chronicles the editing process across people and teams, increasing the effectiveness of your collaboration efforts.
- Containerization–or sandboxing–options that allow and restrict users from open certain programs or devices, adding another layer of security to both small-business and enterprise-level data caches.
Mobility is another major advantage of most EFSS systems. As enterprise-level file sharing became a critical operational element over the last decade, the need for full customization and agile storage configurations has also evolved. Because of this, EFSSs deploy as private or hybrid cloud services, meaning you can change the level of agility and accessibility of your company’s network.
Like the stability and swappable nature of a standalone network? You can opt for on-premise software that keeps the company’s data within its own data repository. Prefer something with more mobility and the ability to reconfigure networks on the fly? A private, cloud-based EFSS setup may be your best bet. Regardless of your preferences, EFSS platforms are adaptable enough to ensure the right resources are property stored and shared across all your inter-disciplinary teams, from contractors and engineers to architects, site managers, and more.
Combining Speed, Productivity and Uniformity
While some EFSS platforms offer lightning-fast transfer speeds, while others mimic Fort Knox, an effective EFSS must combine those traits plus the ability to increase the productivity and integrated approach of your company. And as the EFSS market continues to evolve, the construction industry will have the follow suit or get left behind by the competition.
Aside from the sheer infrastructural issues that come with committing to a paper filing system (i.e. storage space needs, lack of digital backups, risks of partial or total data loss, etc.), EFSS systems create a heightened sense of safety and security that a file cabinet can’t. Even if you’re currently using a simple FTP-based setup, switching to an EFSS model is even easier, as most still offer similar features, like link sharing and email/text notifications whenever you make changes to the network, so you never feel like you’re straying too far from the familiar.
If you and your company are ready to make the transition from the Dark Ages to the digital cutting edge, we encourage you to learn more about our IT support and cloud computing services. The expanding capabilities of EFSS tools have helped countless others move beyond simple file synchronization and remote access to include superior data security, streamlined workflows, and improved internal productivity. Now’s your turn to experience the difference IronEdge can make.
Contact us today to learn how we can help integrate a file sharing solution for you. You can also schedule a free IT assessment to discover which setup will work best for your company’s needs. Do you need to prepare for a CMMC audit? Learn about the process and requirements here.
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