All I had in the beginning was a hard drive so that’s where all my files were stored. To manage backups, I would save copies in OneDrive which worked, but left my files divided over two different channels.   

Although I had backups in place, operating from a hard drive came with the risk of accidentally leaving it behind or it being damaged. If either were to happen, my documents would be gone apart from the backups I was keeping.  

I considered setting up a server as an alternative but found it would be too expensive and that it’d make my files less accessible in the long term. For example, if I were to be visiting a client on site.  

As the business grew, I knew I would need a future-proof document management system so that anyone I’m working with could figure out what job we’re on, which folder to find documents and where to pick up any document or drawing I’ve done. 

I also required a solution which would integrate with Office 365 and my project management tool WorkflowMax. 

SuiteFiles sits on the Office 365 platform so I knew I could continue using Microsoft applications.

The deciding factor was the integration with WorkflowMax which has me doing things at least 50% faster. I can create a quote and a folder in that client’s document hierarchy from one action then set up a template with subfolders to store my photos and calculation sheets. The integration removes the need for raw data input, it’s just so much better than the manual alternative.  

SuiteFiles’ PDF editing capabilities save me the $30.00 a month I’d have to pay for a separate subscription. If someone’s scanned something and I need it rotated and saved, I can do that. It’s also easy to extract or merge pages from a PDF.  

The connected folders allow me to share large files in one step which means my deliverables are readily accessible for clients. 

Between SuiteFiles, WorkflowMax and Office 365, I have the confidence that all of my apps are aligned and that any new user will be able to set up jobs and populate files from the jump.