Joeris Lays Groundwork for Collaboration Mobile teams boost efficiency and project managers gain controls

The Challenge

A recent spike in offices and employees revealed how difficult it is to maintain operations using a single file server. Joeris was looking for a competitive edge and a standardized collaboration solution for their remote teams.

On-site users had a hard time finding the latest file versions and relied heavily on email attachments for document sharing. Limited site bandwidth combined with the hassles of VPN also slowed the collaborative process for everyone.

“We were behind in our IT initiatives and wanted to be up to date and more competitive. It was cumbersome for end users to gain file access. We had a single Windows File Server that was hosted on premises and access required VPN or a terminal server login.” – Tom Crews

Joeris generates a variety of file types, including Office files, PDFs, (drawings and spec sheets) AutoCAD files for 3D modeling, video files (including training videos for new machinery), and Adobe files (like InDesign) and the company was at risk for users moving them inappropriately. IT needed a more efficient way to set and replicate access permissions so that users could work securely within their project folders.

The Solution

After trying other content platforms like Box and Dropbox, Joeris discovered they couldn’t provide file access without an internet connection. It was essential that they find a solution with the option for hybrid deployment to enable teams to access, edit, and share files on any device, from anywhere. Egnyte’s hybrid solution ensures files are available for teams when WiFi isn’t. They have Storage Sync devices in their on-site trailers so users can sync specific job folders to their mobile devices for quick file access.

The Egnyte mobile app gives teams a convenient way to access a central repository for all project files, while delta sync capability assures that when users make edits, only the changes are saved –– minimizing strain on bandwidth.

“The mobile app has been huge, especially when it comes to taking jobsite photos. Photos sync automatically to folders from within the Egnyte app.”

Switching to Egnyte has also reduced IT’s workload by giving project managers more control over their job folders. Managing privacy is easier and it’s no longer solely up to IT to change access permissions, enabling more efficient collaboration. It’s also easier for IT to locate files that have been accidentally moved or deleted and then restore them properly.

By getting rid of costly on-premises file servers, Joeris was also able to replace their VPN and FileBrowser app, a file manager/virtual USB drive many teams were using on their mobile devices. Egnyte makes Joeris users more efficient with a centralized content platform that reduces the amount of work they have to do.

The Results

Today, Joeris teams experience fewer connectivity issues and can easily share files with vendors and subcontractors without sending email attachments back and forth. The latest document edits are automatically synced back to Egnyte even when internet is unstable, eliminating version control problems.

“Now, teams can always get to the files they need. Users always have the most recent file versions and Egnyte makes them more efficient.”

In addition to expanding collaborative capabilities, Egnyte provides Joeris users with app integrations that enhance project efficiency. Integration with Office 365 gives teams easy access to Microsoft Office files on any mobile device, from within apps like Excel and Word. The Outlook integration has also helped streamline communication by allowing users to select and send Egnyte files from within their email.

Efficiency has improved across the organization, benefiting operations and project teams at every site. Not only does Egnyte save Joeris money on file server maintenance costs, but the cloud also ensures productivity is never impacted. Egnyte provides Joeris a reliable and flexible content collaboration platform they couldn’t be happier with.