The next wave of momentum moving construction business management forward with technology is the initiative to shift resources out of internally managed IT departments and into externally hosted environments in the cloud. Cloud computing brings convenient, affordable access to construction accounting, project management and estimating software that many predict to be the turning point in how construction companies manage IT.
The full value of the power the cloud has to offer is giving a wide variety of users easy access to their entire office from a multitude of devices. Different than just a specific application, this is an important piece in achieving the cloud’s potential. Simply put, the benefits of the cloud are maximized when you’re able to take your office desktop anywhere you go.
Why Cloud Computing?
For construction companies, cloud computing delivers several distinct advantages, including easier access for workers and smaller expenditure for IT resources, hardware and maintenance, as well as efficiencies related to those expenses.
Aside from easy access to your construction accounting, project management and estimating solutions (for your end users), the advantages of cloud computing to the organization as a whole include:
- Elimination of hefty capital expense and saving costs by using software and hardware without buying (capitalizing) it. Smaller contractors in particular find better pricing with cloud solutions compared to traditional on-premises software and IT resources, and contractors of any size can deploy new applications faster.
- Greatly enhanced security because backup and recovery are inherently part of the cloud solution. Instead of worrying about or dealing with downtime and other related hardware and software maintenance, you can focus on how your IT function will propel your construction business forward.
- More speed and flexibility than typical storage systems and the ability to scale up or down quickly, which is helpful for workforce and staff changes when projects begin or end.
- Increased collaboration with external partners and enhanced team collaboration and productivity for an important competitive edge.
Living in the Cloud
Let’s really break down what it ultimately means for businesses when it comes to living in the cloud. People have become so immersed in their online experiences that their desktops, laptops, tablets, smartphones, etc. are simply becoming gateways to their real computer: the Internet. It is the Internet – the network we now refer to as “the cloud,” and arguably the only network that matters – that has become and is the user’s main data and document management vehicle, or computer.
Data and applications are no longer stored on the hard drive, but instead accessed from an outsourced, managed applications service provider via a thin client. It’s clear that cloud computing is more evolutionary than revolutionary, having evolved from successful prior experiences over several decades, and that adopting cloud computing today is neither a radical nor a risky move. Instead, the cloud is becoming ubiquitous in both our personal and business lives.
Why Would a Business Choose Cloud Computing?
The answers to that question depend on the needs of the business. But for many, it’s worth considering that cloud computing supports business in a variable economy. In today’s tough business and economic climate, if the IT resource can speed up the implementation of vital line-of-business software, improve its management of a growing stockpile of valuable data, and/or decrease computer infrastructure costs, then it can have a vital impact on the success of the organization.
Ideally, organizations should be able to obtain the necessary IT resources as they’re needed, paying only for what’s used. In a healthy economy, this can support growth and speed up new initiatives. In a bad economy, it can mean survival as it can foster efficiency and save costs by allowing easy exit from huge resources.
Interest in cloud computing has been fueled by the need to do more with less, and it has been made a reality in part by recent advances in fiber optics and storage technologies and the availability of low-cost, space-saving hardware that enables the construction of mammoth new data centers that are more environmentally friendly and more cost-efficient than ever before.
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