Take a process approach
"Don't overhaul our work processes; just make them easier and more efficient."
Nothing illustrates a work process in need of streamlining more than transmittal management.
Because transmittals involve such huge amounts of data, the industry resorts to one of three ways to move them: file transfer protocol, or FTP; an extranet; or a home-grown solution such as a web portal or a file sharing application built on generic technology like Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services. Each of these solutions has its strengths and weaknesses.
The failings of FTP
FTP servers lack an easy-to-use management interface. And they don’t facilitate the process by alerting team members that new documents await downloading. Neither do they track who has downloaded files, or automatically delete the files once everyone has downloaded them.
The shortcomings of extranets
A project extranet may offer better logging and tracking than FTP, but only at the cost of duplicating data storage on the extranet host. In addition, extranet solutions burden users with the additional steps of uploading all files to the project extranet workspace and administering another security model.
The perils of custom solutions
Generic server software like SharePoint may provide a base upon which document exchange applications specific to the building industry could be built, but who has the time to iron out all the use case details, never mind monitoring Microsoft for the releases and updates required to make specialized functionality work?
Because all these approaches involve shaping work processes to existing technology, the outcome has been as frustrating and expensive for end users as it’s been for information technology departments.
The ease and efficiency of Newforma Info Exchange
Newforma doesn’t ask you to change your process to fit our technology. Instead, we build management capabilities into your FTP server. The result is Newforma Info Exchange™. It helps project members share information, guides external team members to the documents they are meant to receive and allows external members to send their transmittals to you.
Newforma Info Exchange integrates transmittals with documents on the central file server and manages them via your existing windows file/folder security protocols. Its easy-to-use controls send notifications, receive reminders and set expiry dates with automatic logging of all outgoing and incoming transmittals. That’s accountability!
Newforma Info Exchange is just one way Newforma makes your processes easier and more efficient without changing the way you work.
“We looked at the option of tailoring SharePoint® to address some of our big information management and communication needs. The Newforma solution had everything we were looking for – especially in the area of project email management, search and document sharing – right out of the box and at a fraction of what it would have cost for us to develop ourselves.”
– Hart Howerton |
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