Construction IT Services

Construction companies require specialized IT services due to several aspects, including the need for multiple sites, including trailers, frequently changing field staff, mobile applications and devices, remote job duties, and industrial control systems such as weight scales and heavy equipment.

Multiple Sites and Trailers. Construction IT services must be able to turn up and support a temporary site with PC, network, and telecom facilities quickly. User support is vital as downtime will impede the field operation and thereby cause delays in the project. Of particular challenge in construction IT support is wireless telecom, which often provides minimal bandwidth. In addition to temporary sites, construction companies may have separate geographic locations for different departments.

For example, heavy equipment storage and repair facilities may not be allowed in some municipal zones where the central administrative office resides. Plants may be located on the outskirts of, or entirely outside of municipal boundaries. Permanent remote sites pose telecommunications and construction IT support challenges for builders since providers often do not have a robust infrastructure in remote areas. Construction IT services must take into account the need for line-of-sight wireless (LOS) and other wireless means of site-to-site communication or Internet access.

Frequently Changing Numbers of Users. Surges in projects require the hiring of temporary workers, which can result in the procurement and setup of additional mobile devices and cloud services. Such computer devices and services must be ready for activation on short notice and should be decommissioned as soon as the user leaves the organization or moves to a different department.

Mobile applications and devices. Mobile software applications must load quickly due to limited bandwidth in remote areas. Companies can overcome this challenge by using a smartphone version of an app or with terminal services, which allows processing to happen on the remote server. Mobile devices are prone to damage by environmental elements, loss, or theft, not to mention security breaches if they store data. Replacement plans and server-only storage are vital elements of business continuity involving mobile devices when engaging construction IT services companies.

Remote Job Duties. Construction company employees must be able to work anywhere, any time, including abroad. This challenge requires a versatile IT system, by an experienced construction IT support company, whose location is transparent to the end-user at all times. Cellular connectivity for laptops and tablets is a crucial component, as well as remote IT support at off-peak hours.

Industrial Control Systems. Industrial control systems (ICS) pose a unique IT challenge for construction companies. Integrating ICS with PCs and servers often requires intermediary hardware and software, which must have redundancy to prevent business interruptions. Also, ICS devices often lack the security of mainstream IT devices, leaving them open to hackers. Construction IT support teams must make compensatory accommodations to protect ICS devices with external components that do not impact ICS performance.

Technical Framework specializes in the mentioned areas, bringing tailored construction IT services and decades of combined team experience to the this industry.