The numerous and diverse benefits of cloud computing across business is well documented, but often associated to certain industries more than others. Businesses in the financial sector, e-commerce companies and software houses are all common end users.
However, the cloud can transform many other businesses outside of these typical industries. Cloud adoption is proving a slow process for many, if at all. A prime example of this is the construction industry, an area of business that could hugely benefit from the services the cloud has to offer.
The construction industry is notoriously behind the curve in terms of digitalisation. In this blog post, we will explore these benefits in greater detail and highlight the advantages construction firms could benefit from through migrating to the cloud.
The construction industry is collaborative by nature; very few businesses manage entire projects from beginning to end without the help of sub-contractors. With input from third parties on plans and projects, as well as multiple internal employees, the cloud makes collaboration far easier.
Constant emails containing attachments of drafts and updates can make projects confusing, and it leaves room for error. With the cloud, a real-time document can be uploaded and updated instantly, allowing input and access to and from multiple sources. Certain project files may also be too big for email and the cloud can always accommodate for this with its scalability.
Unlike other businesses, construction firms can see their operations spread out over many different sites, locations and spaces. Although the day-to-day business operations are still run from a central office, overseeing administration and organisation of the work, many employees will spend most of their time in the field.
Using the cloud, employees can seamlessly connect themselves to the company, its communications, applications, workloads and other important documents. Staff back at the office can also now play a more proactive role in operations, as they’re able to easily collaborate and contribute with improved access and communication. The entire workflow can become more efficient and optimised, and in turn improve the businesses productivity.
With the cloud, comes the option to purchase Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions. These platforms can be accessed via the cloud and used on specific projects where appropriate. The user pays for their usage of these resources, not for the applications outright, making SaaS solutions particularly cost-effective. SaaS platforms can also be accessed anywhere, anytime, provided an internet connection is present, meaning work can potentially carry on around the clock, from any location.
Storing company data and project files on physical storage devices can take up huge amounts of space. This is not only unpractical, but it leaves businesses venerable to data loss through damage or theft and the data is also inaccessible without the storage devices at hand. The cloud allows for unlimited, secure storage space and the data can be accessed from anywhere, on any device.
Cloud computing models, such as Secura’s VPC, are typically billed on usage and use a pay-as-you-go model. This means businesses won’t pay for resources they aren’t using and offers the end user the flexibility to add or reduce any cloud services to align with business requirements. This model makes the cloud very cost effective, and also removes the need for capital investment into software, licenses, and the on-going cost of hardware upgrades.
Partnering with a cloud provider also means that they can act as an extension of your team, as they should proactively manage your IT solutions, so your internal team can concentrate on the clients and the day-to-day running of the business.
We hope this blog post has been useful and you understand the efficiency, and convenience that cloud computing can bring to construction businesses. As always, if you have any questions regarding this blog post or our own services here at Secura, please don’t hesitate to get in touch!
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Matthew is Secura's content specialist, producing gripping, emotionally complex, edge of your seat, cloud hosting articles and videos.
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