business efficiency

Maximize Business Efficiency with Managed IT Services

The success of any business relies heavily on efficiency. Early on, it’s easy to keep operations efficient, especially when the organization is small. However, as your business expands, there will be more IT infrastructure and processes to handle, and it will simply be impossible to take care of it all on your own. It will also not be cost-efficient to hire an in-house IT team to do the job. So how do you maximize efficiency in a continuously growing business? Simple—you partner with a reliable managed network services provider.

What Are Managed Network Services?

Managed network services are technology services that a third party offers to businesses. These include a wide range of services that fall under network management, monitoring, and maintenance. Technically, companies can take care of all these procedures themselves, using an in-house IT guy or hiring outside services as needed. However, many business owners hire managed network service providers because of the business cost savings and efficiency.

Benefits of Managed Network Services for Businesses

Business Efficiency Cost Savings

The average salary of an IT professional in the US today is almost $100,000 annually. If you want to build a competent in-house tech team, you will need to have more than one of these experts in your payroll to cover the different fields of expertise. Just imagine the impact that would have on your company’s expenses. With managed network services, you pay less and improve business efficiency.

Improved Security

Cybersecurity threats that target businesses are becoming more aggressive over the years. Thus, it is more crucial than ever to have a robust security system in place. Managed network services employ the best security experts, so you will never have to worry about data breaches, system failures, or other online threats.

Enhanced Performance

Partnering with a reliable provider means you will have access to all the latest tools and features that will ensure the optimum performance of your network. Vigilant monitoring and regular maintenance will make downtime a thing of the past. Highly trained experts will identify network issues and address them with proactive solutions. All of this contributes to the overall performance of your business.

Streamlined Operations

Resolving IT issues can take up a lot of time, money, and other resources. By delegating your company’s technology matters to a managed network services provider, your staff can focus on doing the jobs that you hired them to do.

Scalability for Business Efficiency

Network requirements change frequently as a business evolves. Opening a new branch, for instance, would require massive network expansion and greater bandwidth. Handling these requirements can be demanding on your own but very easy with the help of a service provider.

Excessive Spending Calculator for Business Efficiency

The first benefit of managed network services is business cost savings. If you want a concrete idea of how much you can save with a good IT provider, our Excessive Spending Calculator can help. You can download this helpful application for free by clicking right here.

It’s so easy to use and can reveal plenty of valuable information regarding your company’s spending. This handy app can point out areas of inefficiency, uncover hidden costs, and help you identify potential business cost savings. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to optimize your network infrastructure and stay ahead of the competition.

If you want to learn more about managed network services and how they can help maximize your company’s efficiency, call us. We’ll be happy to answer your questions in a free consultation!


Best Mobile Apps for Construction Management

Have you heard the old saying, “Measure twice, cut once?” When it comes to construction, accuracy is everything. People have gotten pretty good at building over the last few millennia but there is always the chance of human error in every step of the construction process. 

This is where construction management apps come in. Software that has previously been limited to desktops is now accessible through mobile applications that can be used anywhere, anytime. Plans can be viewed and paperwork signed in seconds. Budget reports can be made and stored in a Cloud server for easy access. All of this and so much more is the reality of mobile Construction Management.

With so many apps breaking into the market these days, how do you know what’s best? Don’t worry, we’ve gone through them all and we’ve got favorites! Check out the ones that made the top 5:

5. Procore

From bid building to email marketing, Procore is often the entry program to take construction companies into the digital world. It has many user-friendly features that make transitioning from paper to digital a breeze, including:

  • Dashboard to create and manage RFIs
  • Individual locations for each project that can be updated with cost, photos, and subcontractor information
  • Email marketing and tracking
  • Bidding and budget creator
  • Mobile drawing management
  • And more!

These features are a game-changer for on-site work, but with most cloud-based systems, it is susceptible to outages that can leave your team restricted. Because of this, we give Procore an INI Rank of 4 out of 5 stars.

4. Fieldwire

Fieldwire does exactly as it’s named. It connects your team no matter where they are by providing a platform that makes document sharing and collaboration easy. Other great features include:

  • Scheduling and performance tracking
  • Task and team management
  • Role-specific access
  • Interactive and editable drawings 
  • Cloud-based using Amazon Web Services
  • And more!

On the other hand, Fieldwire tends to trend on the pricier side with a base price of $39/per user per month. There are also bumps in the road when it comes to being user-friendly, so we give Fieldwire an INI Rank of 4 out of 5 stars.

3. CoConstruct

CoConstruct brings in many features dedicated to making a big world small. With pricing based on the number of open projects rather than users, it allows everyone on a team to join in. Not to mention these great features:

  • Client-facing platform for clear communication
  • Budget management system with visibility to clients
  • Team and task management
  • Subcontractor communication and scheduling
  • And more!

There are very few glitches with this software and if there are, the CoConstruct team is easy to contact. Because of this, we give CoConstruct an INI Rank of 4.5 out of 5 stars.

2. Aconex

Aconex is an Oracle-powered software that allows businesses to customize their interface to their specific needs. This level of customization brings the benefits of:

  • Controlling documents and how they’re shared
  • Drawing management with alterations ability
  • Project performance visibility and real-time costs
  • Team ownership of projects
  • And more!

With all this capability, no wonder we give it an INI Rank of 5 out of 5!

1. Plangrid

We saved our favorite for last! The others listed above are all great options for high-level software management but what makes Plangrid stand out is its focus on team collaboration, as well as:

  • Mobile RFI creation and management
  • Viewable 3D models on-site
  • Automatic Cloud backup that’s accessible on any device
  • Version control of drawings with editing capabilities
  • Status logs for individual projects that can include images, videos, etc.
  • And so much more!

The list of benefits is never-ending. That’s why we are happy to give Plangrid an INI Rank of 5 out of 5 stars.

Want to learn more about Plangrid? Read our latest blog HERE.

What it comes down to.

Each construction management app is as unique as your company. Finding the right fit whittles down to what features your team needs the most and the accessibility it offers. Trying any of the above is a great place to start!

However, if you would like to learn more and discuss which software is the best for you, give us a call. We’re your IT partner, invested in your success. We’ll help you find the right path to propel your business forward.

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