Managed IT Services For New York City Construction Firms
Construction companies, be they large or small, have some unique aspects of their business that make them a different kind of business from others. Among other things, construction teams rely on industry-specific software to handle project planning, procurement of materials, and job site collaboration.
The use of these programs comes with a unique set of IT service and support needs. Because of these unique needs, construction companies are excellent candidates for outsourcing IT management to a professional provider. More importantly, construction companies need a managed IT provider that specializes in optimizing IT for the construction sector.
Collaboration in Construction: Optimizing Workflow with Strategic IT
Construction companies use IT software and hardware for the entire spectrum of their administrative and operational tasks. What really sets this industry apart is how collaborative it is. Workflow in the construction industry is dynamic, with many moving pieces, such as project management, design, construction, and testing. Additionally, industry compliance and information security are also on the minds of construction professionals.
When it comes to construction jobs, productivity (and profitability) really are dependent on collaboration between architects, engineers and the actual foremen and workers at the on-site level. Because of this, construction companies need a managed IT service provider that can ensure network functionality and manage team collaboration in real-time. But, when it comes to construction companies, not all managed IT providers are created equal. You need one that has experience in the construction industry and that can speak your language.
The key things to look for in an IT provider for construction are:
- Access to highly trained and specialized staff.
- Support for your core applications such as estimating, accounting, project management, document management and scale management software.
- Extensive experience supporting industry-specific software such as Sage, JD Edwards, Quickbooks and AutoCAD Solutions.
- Mobile Device Management (MDM) and remote access solutions that allow your team to have secure access to anything, from anywhere; including the office, the road, and the field.
- Affordable and comprehensive services, that include everything from standard IT support to highly-customized and specialized services.
IT Services for Construction Companies: Defining a Good Provider
Anytime Support & Industry Experience
The reality is, any reliable managed IT provider will do a few basic things for every type of industry, and these things are just as important to the construction industry as any other. Construction companies need a managed IT provider that will be available whenever they’re needed. They’ll also have experience and will be up-to-date on current information technology solutions; especially those designed for the construction industry.
Cost-Efficiency
Another defining characteristic of a good managed IT provider is cost-efficiency. Outsourcing to the right IT provider should save you money, not negatively impact your bottom-line. Keeping an IT employee in-house means paying them a salary and possibly benefits and 401k contributions. Outsourcing will help increase the support you receive, while nixing the salary and 401k costs. Not to mention, the right provider will position your systems for maximum productivity and profitability.
Proactive & Preventative Maintenance
A worthwhile managed IT provider for construction companies will be committed to performing regular updates and preventative maintenance, keeping your software and hardware running at peak efficiency and cutting down the probability of failure at critical times. When the system is running efficiently and smoothly, you get the peace of mind that only comes from professional proactivity.
Reliable IT Security
Outsourcing to a professional IT provider, means you’re more likely to stay ahead of existing and emerging cyber threats and viruses. A strategic managed IT service provider makes it their business to stay up-to-date on cybersecurity news and trends so that they can keep your business one step ahead of threats. Additionally, in the case a threat does break through or hardware breaks down, you have an experienced and dedicated team on stand-by 24/7 to fix the problem with little disruption to business.
Strategic Planning
The right managed IT provider will also run an initial analysis of your IT environment to prevent issues and identify areas for improvement. The analysis they conduct ultimately exists to give your business a deliverable and comprehensive executive summary of your company IT that offers recommendations for increased optimization. Bonus points if the managed service provider is committed to doing routine analyses that promote ongoing optimization and growth.
Innovative Forward-Thinking
A final defining characteristic of a good managed service provider is forward-thinking innovation. The right IT provider for construction companies will have a constant finger on the pulse of IT and construction industry news and will use the knowledge they have to better inform you and position your IT infrastructure for maximum benefits.
The right provider will come to you with suggestions and recommendations about new and emerging technologies that are designed to help construction professionals increase efficiency. They won’t just make recommendations either. They’ll have a detailed plan for deploying new technologies in a way that avoids business disruption and supports maximum cost-efficiency.
Taking Action: Outsourcing IT to Support Business Growth
The fact is, information technology and the construction industry are evolving hand-in-hand, at rapid-fire speed. As technology gets better and new software continues to streamline the communication and collaboration processes, the need for dedicated IT services is stronger than ever before.
Whatever IT service provider that you choose to go with, make sure they have experience in the construction sector. The right managed IT provider for construction will be able to tell you which solutions are worthwhile and which aren’t relevant for your business – all while saving you money.
If you’re already on the hunt for a managed IT provider to support your construction company, we welcome you to reach out to the team of IT professionals at Network Outsource. We have extensive experience optimizing IT for the construction sector and are committed to creating customized IT solutions for every company we work for.
Don’t waste any more time just thinking about how you could better optimize IT for your construction company. Take action and reach out the team of professionals from Network Outsource for support at {phone} or via email at {email}. We can wait to help you build better.
