How can the construction industry take advantage of emerging technologies? Online collaboration enablers—like Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)—and document management tools seem to fit the bill exactly—but the industry is experiencing challenges. Like any good challenge, there are solutions. Here are the top five.
1. Insufficient Collaboration
Unfortunately, certain competitive attitudes can affect how collaboration works within teams and with clients. There should be proper teamwork among all parties in order to collaborate in a way that truly benefits everyone involved. Duplication issues are preventable if SaaS is implemented in internal systems and if licenses that are project-based don’t bring additional expenses for new users.
2. Sudden Changes
The challenge of unexpected changes also boils down to collaboration. If teams and clients work together to properly integrate an SaaS platform, changes that could cause serious setbacks won’t occur halfway through a project. Thankfully, these alterations are rare in cases where contractors and SaaS vendors agree on a single platform to implement.
3. Slow Internet Connection
To work properly, SaaS platforms rely on the end-user’s connection, which means that a slow connection will be detrimental. If a client’s Internet connection speed is faster, it means that both the downloading and the uploading of files will be quicker and more efficient.
However, speed is becoming less of an issue among users, and SaaS vendors are able to get around slow connections because of the ability of SaaS to stream a picture of a file as opposed to requiring the download of the entire file.
4. Outdated Operating Systems and Software
While it may seem like many companies need to update their systems, the truth is that many vendors’ outdated interfaces are relied on for documents that have been used for years; these files are more compatible with older software. With these businesses, it comes down to familiarity rather than innovation. Partners should allow long-time users to work efficiently without having to adapt to change.
While many companies are sticking to older software and systems in general, others are updating gradually. Some are even developing interfaces in a way that seems almost extreme. These particular interfaces utilize newer networking tools such as social media and mobile technology, and they are giving them advantages that more archaic systems don’t provide.
Ultimately, companies that refrain from moving forward will find themselves falling behind.
5. Needless Complexity
Systems shouldn’t be endlessly complex and, subsequently, inefficient for collaborators. It’s important to construct a plan that guarantees both efficient and easy-to-use solutions; the focus should be on SaaS services as opposed to the software itself. This is how companies can avoid issues that they would otherwise need to overcome.
Once clients and vendors are able to work together efficiently, they can help eliminate these issues in SaaS construction, collaboration, and implementation.
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