Moving to the Cloud Is the Hottest Trend Now
The reason?
• It’s simple • It’s secure • It’s cost effective • It’s mobile • It’s future-proof
In a modern technology environment, cloud computing is the future of almost everything digital. Technology has obvious benefits for construction, and adoption is soaring.
Why the sudden growth?
Among all industries, construction is notoriously one of the least digitized. To be fair, the technology required to fully take advantage of the industry’s complex workflows and challenging environments hadn’t become mainstream until quite recently. Industry-specific SaaS solutions have been developed to exploit the power and potential of cloud computing, mobile devices, and wireless internet.
Cloud computing is the foundation of construction’s digital revolution. As the backbone of all-powerful software solutions, it enables the industry to leverage new technologies to the fullest extent. If you haven’t already, there is no better time to find out how and why you should move to the cloud.
Cloud computing – what is it?
Before the internet was so fast and easily available, processing happened locally on your computer and data storage was limited by your hardware. If the computing power to run a program was not available, you had to upgrade your computer. If you ran out of space on your hard drive, it was time to delete files or buy an external drive.
Broadband internet changed everything. The large bandwidth of high-speed internet meant data could be transferred hundreds of times faster, and your devices were always connected. That opened up a whole new world of possibilities. With devices connected 24/7 and the time for transferring data minimized, it became possible to store and process data online, reducing reliance on your hardware.
Cloud computing is essentially outsourcing your data processing and storage to higher powered machines. You can do more with less resources, and you can do it from anywhere with an internet connection. Cloud technologies reduce hardware limitations, prevent data loss, and increase accessibility.
How does cloud computing benefit construction?
Among the many construction-specific benefits of cloud computing are:
Powerful Data Processing
For construction companies, processing data in the cloud is the only practical method for obtaining the most valuable insights. For instance, mixers arriving at a job site enter a geofence with GPS coordinates and metadata. To make use of these geofences they have to be stitched into an orthograph, something beyond the capabilities of a typical computer.
Connected Jobsites
Before the cloud, the only way to check on the status of a project was to visit it in person, which could take hours out of your day. Using a SaaS platform, you gain access to the data on your jobsite remotely in real time.
Data Storage
To meet contractual obligations and cover your back, documenting projects is important. When you store your data physically, you run the risk of losing, damaging, or stealing it. In addition, without the hardware, you cannot access it. Data stored in the cloud is safe, unlimited, and accessible from anywhere.
Easy Sharing
Construction projects involve a variety of stakeholders, and sharing data between all of them can be a difficult task. Providing real-time communication and collaboration capabilities, construction SaaS solutions simplify sharing.
What’s the catch?
The pros of cloud computing far outweigh the cons, most of which are actually misunderstandings.
Security
If you think releasing physical control of your data makes it less secure, you are not alone, especially in light of some high-profile data breaches. However, these hacks typically stem from human errors, not system failures. Storing data in the cloud increases security by eliminating physical theft, loss, or destruction of your data.
Downtime
It’s rare, but even the best servers go down. Fortunately, it’s temporary, and the outages typically do not last very long. Given the huge upsides to cloud computing, most businesses are fine with taking this minor inconvenience.
Migrating Your Data
SaaS companies are aware that migrating your data can be a major headache. If this is one of your hesitations, you should also realize that eventually, everyone in construction will be in the cloud. The sooner you do so, the better off you will be.
Cost
You can’t really call cloud solutions inexpensive, but they’re certainly much cheaper than maintaining the equivalent physical hardware. Sysdyne solutions will more than pay for itself in increased revenue and productivity.
Lack of Internet Access
One of the biggest concerns construction companies have about moving to a SaaS platform is what to do when they don’t have internet access. Sysdyne’s mobile solutions deal with this issue by having an offline mode that automatically uploads your data once you have internet access. Additionally, as mobile networks continue to expand, areas without internet coverage are dwindling.
What is the most compelling reason to adopt a cloud platform?
Sysdyne’s cloud platform offers many benefits, but if there’s one resounding reason for adopting the cloud platform, it’s that it covers your ass. Disputes are one of the biggest financial drains in the industry, and most of them arise because there isn’t enough evidence for a clear conclusion. When you adopt a SaaS platform that automatically stores and organizes your activity, disputes can become a thing of the past.
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