When Journey Group Companies of Sioux Falls, S.D., needed a way to manage multiple software applications and provide access to data from anywhere, Viewpoint For Cloud™ was the right choice.
Started in 1910, Journey Group Companies is a prominent Midwest general contractor that also has heavy civil and specialty divisions. Having used the same ERP software solution for several years, the company switched to Vista™ by Viewpoint. In 2012, the company decided to move its different software applications to the cloud, where all data could be accessed from anywhere and the different solutions could integrate smoothly.
Implementation
Coming on board at Journey Group Companies at the tail end of the cloud implementation, Kendyl Peebles, the company’s director of IT, expected to have some challenges. For him, the biggest challenge was related to the scope of the project; there were some very aggressive goals set for such a sweeping project. Moving databases for a variety of software applications at once was certainly a tricky proposition. The company wanted Vista, Bluebeam Software™, HeavyBid Software™, Microsoft™ Outlook™, Office™ and others all migrated to the cloud rapidly in one big move.
“The Viewpoint implementation team was exceptional. They were patient and willing to work with us through the challenges,” says Peebles. “Once HeavyBid, Bluebeam and a few of the other larger solutions were up and running and settled in the cloud, things began to go much more smoothly. The collaborative efforts made a challenging implementation go much better thanks to careful migration of the different software applications in manageable chunks.”
Integration
Software integration is a key reason companies look to the cloud, and it was so with Journey Group. “Viewpoint’s integration service is great – you can integrate HeavyBid and use it alongside Vista and other applications – not just Viewpoint products and that’s huge for us,” Peebles says. “Having integration between, and the freedom to use, different software solutions allows us to grow our technology capabilities with products that our guys are most familiar with using.”
“Viewpoint’s integration service is great. Having integration between, and the freedom to use, different software solutions allows us to grow our technology capabilities with products that our guys are most familiar with using.” – Kendyl Peebles, Director of IT, Journey Group Companies
Anytime, anywhere accessibility
As Peebles continues moving a lot of Journey Group Companies’ file share data to the cloud, he’s very pleased with the response from key members of the company. “Our executives in the field or in a meeting or conference can access data when they need it,” he says. “Plus, nearly everything our project managers and superintendents do, they do in the cloud – from file shares to Bluebeam to email to Microsoft Office to Vista, everything is being done in the cloud.”
The way his company accesses data is changing too, mentioning the 35 to 40 iPads™ deployed in the field. “With the cloud, the guys have the exact same environment to work in, whether it’s through an iPad, a home computer or a laptop. All their stuff is there and available in a familiar interface,” Peebles says.
Continuing support
The continuing support has been a highlight of moving to the cloud. “I have really enjoyed working with a company that has the responsiveness to address a request quickly,” Peebles says. “If we say, ‘We’d like the service to do this or that,’ Viewpoint responds almost immediately, letting us know how to do what we need to do. The support for my team has been phenomenal.”
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