Connect All Aspects of the Company with Cloud-Based Construction Management Software
Connect All Aspects of the Company with Cloud-Based Construction Management Software
Technology is starting to become more and more integrated, with businesses needing software that can operate on computers, phones, and tablets. The old way involved saving project files to the computer and emailing or printing the files for employees to see. But now, thanks to the Cloud, it’s easier to manage and share project files. And with cloud-based construction management software not only can project files be viewed easily from multiple devices, but they can also be created from multiple devices. This allows you the ability to work from where you’re needed.
Table of Contents
What is the Cloud?
“The Cloud” has become a product buzzword, with software companies promising their software has something to do with the cloud. So what is The Cloud? Simply put, it’s the internet. Services that use the cloud could be offering storage service on their servers, but this is different than “cloud computing.” Cloud-based software or “cloud computing” is when the program runs and saves your work on the cloud. This can benefit your business because of the mobility it offers you. Cloud-based software can be accessed from whatever device you have on hand so long as you have your login information.
Why use Cloud-based Construction Management Software?
One of the biggest reasons to choose cloud-based construction management software is because of the mobility and safety it offers you. Because construction isn’t an office job, the ability to use software in the field will benefit any subcontracting business. Files are created within software hosted in the cloud, so you don’t have to worry about uploading them. And you can pull up plans, documents, Change Orders, RFIs, emails, or whatever files your construction management software contains.
Using a cloud-based system also can save your business money on IT and technical costs. The program is updated in the cloud, and storage is a part of your plan. You won’t have to worry about purchasing servers or buying new computers with more space. You can change the amount of space you use on the hosting service cloud whenever its necessary.
What to Consider in a Software?
There are several things to consider in software, from the practical aspects of cost and support, to the features and functionality your business needs in both short and long-term.
Features
First and foremost, it’s important to look at what software will work best for your construction business. Ensuring that the software you choose will help your business is the whole point. Asking for a demo of the software and features you will help you make your final decision. If features you need work best on the computer rather than on a mobile device, it might not be best for your company.
Cost
Cost is crucial to review, but value and return on investment most important. Specifically, how much you’re paying and for what and how much you pay for computing at the moment. If you’re paying for software and having to pay for more storage in Dropbox or Google Drive now, you should use that cost as a comparing point. Cloud-based software should be able to store everything you create in it, hopefully reducing the amount you’re paying now. Moving to a cloud-based construction management software should come at a cost benefit to you. Finally, you should look at future costs like adding more users or more storage. Some software vendors will scale the costs of software to your revenue growth, so buyer be aware.
Security
Next, you should look at the safety of the service. Specifically, how often they back up your data and if it will be on more than one data center. This way if something happens to the main data center you won’t lose any of your work. But it isn’t just about the backups. It’s important to note how they’ll keep your information safe. Having data-leak prevention and data encryption is an important feature in any cloud-based software, especially for construction management software.
Ease of Use
Finally, it’s important to look at the ease of use for users and the business. Switching from one software to another can be painless if the software is easy to use. Using software that has an intuitive user interface can save you a lot of trouble. If it isn’t easy to use it could take your employees months to learn the software, which is the time you won’t get back. Using software that allows you to increase or decrease your project plan is also important. Hopefully, you will need more services and users as your business grows, so having construction software that makes scaling to more projects easy should also be a requirement in the purchase.
All in All
Cloud-based construction management software is the today and tomorrow of the construction industry. It allows users to view and create files from the office or field while storing everything in one place. Allowing your business the integration it needs to stay competitive in this changing world.
