Cloud technology is an IT term that means vast remote servers around the globe which are linked together and are meant to operate as a single ecosystem. In layman’s terms, it means storing and accessing data and programs over the internet instead of your computer’s hard drive.
Cloud technology is getting bigger, in fact in a research done by Logic Monitor, it was found about 83% of Enterprise workloads will be in the cloud by 2020. This statistic can be a good thing especially when it comes to construction wherein construction document management process of capturing, storing, indexing, sharing and securing documents can be a complex process and can cost much money upfront that small-to-medium (SMB’s) can’t always afford.
If you are in the construction industry and are in the lookout for a good cloud-based hosted drawing management software, you’re in luck because nowadays, there are many excellent SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) document management solutions available in the market.
Regardless of which cloud-based DMS software solution you choose, there are some features that cloud-based SaaS models can offer that a premise-based DMS software can’t offer.
It Cost Less
Companies that are wanting to switch to a cloud-based DMS software are worried about the cost, and this concern is shared with over 20% of organizations that are concerned about the initial cost of a cloud-based DMS software. But cloud-based DMS software eliminates the need for high powered servers or complicated IT architectures. If you think about it, the monthly fee for cloud-based hosted engineering drawing management pricing is far less than the costs of a premise-based solution. Think of the money that your company will be saving in system upgrades, operating system upgrades, server maintenance, security infrastructure, and UPS. Not to mention the IT support it needs to run.
Amped Up Security
Security is one of the things that many companies are worried about when it comes to using a cloud-based DMS solution. I mean after all, if you can access these files and programs remotely, what’s stopping the next door hacker from doing the same thing?
You would be relieved to know that there are many things that are preventing them from doing so. For one thing is that a cloud host’s main job is to monitor security more efficient than an in-house IT system which must split its time and resources to a myriad of other things other than security. The cloud hosts encrypt the data being transmitted over networks and stored in their database. By using encryption, data is more difficult to break into by would be hackers or by anyone who is not authorized to do so. RapidScale claims 94 % of the business saw an improvement in data security after switching to cloud-based programs.
Increased Flexibility and Mobility
Cloud-hosted drawing management systems allow mobile access to construction drawings via smartphones and devices. Considering the fact that 2.6 billion smartphones are being used all over the world today, is a great way to make sure everyone on the team is always updated. It’s a great feature when you have to do markups in real time when you are on the field, and is instantaneously shared to all the team members who are using the same drawing set.
Increased Collaboration
Teamwork and collaboration is the keyword to any successful construction project. Working as a team is a top priority in the construction industry because if any team members make the mistake of working from an old construction drawing translate to thousands even hundreds of thousands of dollars lost for the company’s bottom line.
With cloud-based DMS, team members can easily load, share and make markups to the drawings in real time. You can now be sure that everybody working in the same drawing set is instantaneously updated to the changes.
Automatic Software Updates and Automatic Data Backup
In the construction industry, time is money. For those who are busy and want to get things done, nothing is more annoying than having the IT team tell you that they have to install system updates which can take significant time to do. Cloud-based applications automatically update and install the updates themselves. This translates to saved time and money for your organization.
In addition to this, cloud-based systems have automatic data backups so you can be sure that your data is never lost and easily accessible from any computer with an internet connection. This is useful just in case the computer you are using experience a hard drive problem that can potentially wipe out all the data stored, or worse having your laptop with all your data lost or stolen.
The Cloud is More Environment-Friendly
With all the environmental issues that our planet is experiencing today, many companies are focusing their efforts in going green because they know that real sustainability requires solutions that can curb wastefulness at every level. Adapting a cloud-hosted DMS service is more environmentally friendly and has less carbon footprint than a premise-based DMS system.
Cloud-based software like DMS system is better for the environment because it offers a virtual server as compared to physical products and hardware. And this cuts down on paper waste, improves energy efficiency and reduces traveler related emissions.
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