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Businesses rely more heavily than ever before on digital information to help make smart decisions, run operations efficiently and productively, and to connect more meaningfully with their customers. But how can you utilize this digital goldmine in a cost-effective way?  

Construction businesses, like most companies operating today, collect a large amount of data. While this data can be a benefit to your business, the sheer amount of information means that it’s more difficult than ever to keep every piece of company information, and all your programs and services live and running on your company’s servers.  

First things, first.  

What is Cloud Management? 

Cloud management is the management of cloud computing products and services. Essentially, that means careful documentation and tracking of your IT systems in the cloud to maintain oversight and administrative control of cloud computing products and services.  

Cloud management means you can spend less money for the same level of operations. Here are four ways that you can reduce your IT system maintenance and management costs by moving to the cloud.  

1. Buy Less Hardware 

Servers and the networks that connect them are expensive. Moving to the cloud means that you can eliminate new spending on hardware, software, and middle ware, while still benefiting from access to the most advanced technologies, an investment your cloud provider will take on. And when you are ready to grow, you can take on additional capacity for data and systems as needed. That’s smart and efficient. By using only what you need, cloud management ensures that every dollar you spend goes directly to infrastructure management.  

2. Reduce Labor Costs 

Streamline your workforce. One of your biggest budget items is your staff costs and expertise in IT is expensive. Moving to cloud management might not mean downsizing staff, but you’ll be better able to assign your IT team to areas where they can be most effective. Your IT team can focus on supporting and expanding existing infrastructure instead of managing the network, handling storage capacity, upgrading software, or tackling security concerns. An additional benefit of moving your operations to the cloud is that you can eliminate the cost and responsibility of constantly re-certifying your IT staff as system technology changes so quickly. Besides, construction has its own necessary expertise, and it’s more productive to ensure your team is an expert in your field.  

3. Increase Productivity

Cloud computing is fast, and that means applications run without hiccups or interruptions, which makes it easier for your entire team to communicate and collaborate. With cloud management you’ll spend less time overall waiting and more time working. You’ll also benefit from better data consistency. Everyone on your team can access the same data in the same way, rather than navigating a patchwork system. And you’ll free up your IT people from all the requests to convert data into usable information.  

4. Cut Maintenance Expenses 

It can be tough for construction businesses to judge how much to invest in their IT systems, only to have servers sit half empty. A cloud-based system means that you pay only for what you use. That means your investment in IT is as lean as you need it to be. What’s more, you can cut your energy costs, since cloud management uses less electricity. And you can also eliminate the need for security software, security monitoring, performance monitoring, and other kinds of alert software.  

Some Things To Consider 

Consider your ROI. With cloud management, easy access to your data from anywhere becomes less costly and easier. Pay as you go means you only pay for what you’re using, so you know that your investment is as lean as you need it to be. And that investment also ensures that your IT infrastructure is current with the latest technology and IT practices.  

Consider the benefits of redeploying your IT team so they can focus on managing the complexities of your construction business.  

Consider how you can re-invigorate your IT budget with a move to the cloud. Cloud computing helps companies run their organizations more efficiently, provide better service for their customers, and boost their overall profits. 

With cloud maintenance, you’ll be better able to compete with other contractors and construction businesses who have already made the move to the cloud. And making the move ahead of your competition will give you a significant advantage.  

Find out more about how eCMS in the cloud can help you improve your business operations for less.  

The construction industry is rapidly digitizing, thanks to new technologies that help companies work more efficiently and productively. Digital technologies that benefit construction companies include communications and collaboration tools, project planning and management software, business analytics and reporting programs, and the data processing power and storage facilities to handle increasing amounts of digital data. 

Maintaining these new technologies means that construction companies are now tasked with managing an increasingly complex IT infrastructure.

Stewardship of crucial IT infrastructure such as software and data management requires highly qualified employees. Smaller contractors may find it difficult to maintain a staff of highly skilled IT professionals. Some construction companies are too small to add any IT staff at all.   

Even larger construction companies with existing IT departments may face significant challenges to managing their IT infrastructure. Increased risks, costs, and time require more than simple oversight and optimization of software and data usage. 

Furthermore, industry standards for maintaining, managing, updating, upgrading systems, and security change continually. Contractors must adapt and become experts in both construction management and information technology.

One solution to the challenges of administering two systems is cloud migration. That’s where a company moves some or all of its IT infrastructure into the cloud.  

Security considerations for moving to the cloud

Cybercrimes, ransomware and viruses can devastate a company, but a solid, secure and advanced cloud ERP delivers controls to mitigate these risks… and you should ask a potential solution provider about them.

1) Password settings – Your ERP provider should be able to help you identify and implement advanced configurations and enforceable policies to keep your mission-critical data secure and only accessible by the appropriate parties. Information sharing, sending and storing should be available on-demand but also safe throughout its lifespan.

2) Firewall settings – Make sure your cloud-based ERP includes firewall settings to protect against infiltration and capture of data by non-sanctioned intruders. Your solution provider should be able to create and deliver a system that offers you a safe environment to input, modify and utilize company information – from the job site to the back office – without worrying about constant breach.

3) Authentication – It has become more and more common to leverage MFA (multi-factor authentication) to keep data secure. Your cloud-based ERP provider should have several recommendations to ensure only verified personnel access data, and only access that data required by their authorization level within the organization or the project on which they are working.

4) Packet filtering – A firewall technique used to control network access by monitoring outgoing and incoming packets and allowing them to pass or halt based on the source and destination Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, protocols and ports, packet filtering is another layer of security that can fortify your company’s data.

5) SSL Connection – SSL, or Secure Sockets Layer, is a security protocol that creates an encrypted link between a web server and a web browser, keeping internet connections secure and preventing criminals from reading or modifying information transferred between two systems. Construction companies rely on SSL for safe communication in an unsure cyber world.

Additionally, you’ll want to ensure that your ERP solution provider has any number of various security software and hardware solutions in place at what will become your data center to manage, monitor and protect systems from loss and hacking, as well as keep you in compliance.

6) Data center security, certifications and standards – Because of their robust nature and advanced technology, a Tier III data center requires no shutdowns for equipment replacement and maintenance. A redundant delivery path for power and cooling is added to the redundant critical components of Tier III so that each and every component needed to support the IT processing environment can be shut down and maintained without impact on the IT operation. Ideally, your ERP solution provider will host your data in a data center boasting world-class design.

7) Compliancy – Advanced data centers and their solution providers should meet the standards and fall in line with with any number of compliances. Your vendor should have a detailed process and rich history of creating, maintaining and working only with data centers that meet the strictest requirements available according to the law. They should undergo annual audits and regular reviews as proof of their efforts and your security. This is particularly important for federal contractors, publically-traded companies, large construction firms and any formidable business considering working with data centers and cloud hosted solutions providers. Your ERP system should be able to demonstrate this added level of security and compliancy, for example:

• SOC2 — provides pre-defined, standard benchmarks for controls related to the security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality or privacy of a system and its information.