SKYSITE Guarantee: You are always working on the latest set of documents!

Our last post highlighted the need for industry-specific technology solutions. 75% of AEC professionals agree that up to 1/3 of all project cost overruns are due to project document difficulties. This is the single biggest challenge AEC professionals face in project management today.

We work in a global environment: a San Francisco owner with a construction project in Tokyo could be working with a London architect firm and have its project material delivery from Jaipur. Project members are now required to work, share, distribute and collaborate in real-time and in a multi-locational and multi-geographic environment.

Hard copies of drawings, email, or FTP sharing and distribution are unable to cope up with real-time collaboration demands. Generic and consumer grade tools don’t make the cut because they don’t address industry specific workflows.

Documents are the principal mode of communication for the AEC industry, yet our research found that 33% of AEC professionals find it challenging to access the latest set of documents. Effective project management begins with efficient collaboration and information management, and it is imperative for a successful project that all it members are always working from the most current set of documents.

That’s why we created SKYSITE, a document and information collaboration and management for AEC industry.

SKYSITE is an integrated cloud-based construction document management solution with mobile and desktop sync applications. SKYSITE is the only solution designed to specifically address the workflow of the AEC industry.

SKYSITE consists of three major components: desktop/web, tablet and sync applications. SkySite enables project members to:

  • Capture, connect, and share critical design and construction documents, 24×7
  • Easily and securely access, manage, share, collaborate & manage information from anywhere by any device.
  • Powerful sync application allows a user to work locally. It also enables users to keep files locally for offline use, and upload for later publishing on the cloud. While connected, it is perpetually synchronizing documents and information real-time.
  • The SKYSITE app is available for iOS and Android devices.

There are two unique functionalities of SKYSITE that enable users to always work on the latest set of documents, unlike generic or consumer solutions.

One, generic/ consumer products lack the very fundamental feature that allows AEC project users to always work from “Latest Document/Current Set” unlike SKYSITE. Project users working with generic tools have to manually create the “‘latest document”, than copy from a source folder and pass it to user-created and managed “latest Documents.” This manual function is prone to errors.

Another unique SKYSITE feature is that it eliminates document duplication. SKYSITE algorithms identify and save documents by name and revision information. If a user uploads a (revised) document with same name and revision information, the systems won’t allow the user to publish this document. The system is built to guide a user to give a new revision information and/or sheet number for the document to upload and publish, thus avoiding duplication.

SKYSITE project users don’t have to worry about working from wrong revision(s) as they are always (by default) working from the most current document sets. SKYSITE enhances productivity, efficiency, and facilitates project delivery on time by empowering its users to always work from the latest set of documents.

To try out SKYSITE for free head over to www.skysite.com.

If you want

SKYSITE Product Update 4.13.15

Thanks for using SKYSITE! To make sure you’re having the best experience possible we’re continually making improvements, so that you can focus on your projects, not software:

  • SKYSITE Android app Version 1.0.1 is now available on Google Play
  • You can test drive SKYSITE, construction and facilities management software, with a FREE trial
  • SKYSITE daily report now includes a column to identify tablet app and desktop app downloads made by the client. Please remind your clients to download and make use of these features
  • You can swap the SKYSITE logo in the upper hand left corner of the browser application with the logo of your own company

Reach out to us about bugs that need to be fixed or features you would like to see. It’s your construction cloud. Let us know how you want to use it:

 

The Need for Industry Cloud Solutions in the AEC Industry

Rising from the debris of one of the worst economic downturns, the construction industry has seen a gradual uptick in business since 2012. Coming out of this prolonged economic crisis, AEC (architecture, engineering, and construction) players started exploring ways to develop a more efficient and productive system—to not only deliver projects on schedule, but also ahead of time. To pursue these objectives, the AEC industry has started adopting new technologies. Cloud and mobile are at the forefront of this change, and are key components of moving the needle to a more efficient process.

A myriad of software solutions have emerged to manage a construction project’s life-cycle. Surprisingly, there has been a void in technologies that manage end-to-end document sharing and collaboration for the AEC industry. This is especially intriguing considering that a document is the engine that drives construction. Documents are also the principal mode of communication for the AEC industry.

We at ARC Document Solutions commissioned an independent study to understand the effects that document management has on the productivity, efficiency, and overall costs of construction project management.

We partnered with market research company Newlio to conduct the study, which surveyed architecture, engineering and construction management professionals. Forty percent of the respondents had more than 15 years’ experience in the construction industry. The executives came from both large enterprises of 1,000 people and more, to mid-size companies of 10-50, and small boutique firms of ten people or less.

The finding of the study clearly establishes a need for an industry-specific document collaboration and information management software solution.

According to the study of seasoned AEC professionals:

  • 75% said up to 1/3 of project cost overruns are due to project document difficulties and issues
  • 33% found accessing the latest set of documents and having the most current information to be a challenge in completing an AEC project
  • Nearly 4 out of 10 (39.8%) said online access for all documents on any device platform is one of the most important factors in increasing their company’s productivity or in reducing costs
  • 25% said inaccurate project paperwork or too many versions of documents has contributed to a construction delay

The need for a specialized industry solution is made more apparent from these findings:

  • Nearly one in three (30.1%) AEC professionals said current cloud technology tools that are not designed for the AEC market made completing a project on schedule a challenge
  • Nearly one in four AEC professionals (22.3%) said the use of multiple technology tools without streamlined integration negatively impacted project efficiency
  • Nearly a third of AEC professionals (30.1%) said using multiple software tools during a construction or design project caused duplication of data
  • Nearly a third of AEC professionals (29.1%) said multiple software programs caused redundancy and wasted staff time
  • Document security is a key concern, with 32% of respondents concerned that someone will use the wrong revision; 30% were afraid they will be erased or not backed up and 25% responded that they won’t be kept confidential

AEC Professionals identified the following challenges to completing their projects:

  • Communicating with project members that are in the field – 37.9%
  • Accessing the latest set of documents and having the most current information – 33.0%
  • Using technology that isn’t designed for the AEC market – 29.1%
  • Keeping up with a high volume of paperwork – 33.0%

These findings throw up obvious questions on ways the AEC industry is managing construction documents and information and the way they are communicating with various project stakeholders. It is obvious that the AEC industry is in need of an industry specific document collaboration and information management solution.

That’s why we created SKYSITE, an integrated cloud-based construction information and management solution that guarantees your project team is always working with latest and the most current set of project documents.

Tell us your document and information collaboration related challenges. Seriously, reach out to us: