The entire construction team can access the latest drawings on SKYSITE, creating a single source for definitive information on the jobsite.

"The power to have one controlled master set everyone has access to is amazing," says Rob McKinney, safety director at J.M. wilkerson Construction Co., a member of AGC Georgia, and editor of the Construction App Guru. "The digital process has improved the paper-based process and made it possible to take a full set of project documents out into the field on a mobile device."

McKinney has been beta-testing SKYSITE and likes its versioning control, permissions and one-way push from the cloud to the user’s device. Version control ensures the user has the most current set of drawings. Permissions allow the contractor to limit access and the ability to change documents to certain individuals, and one-way push means that only one person can delete a document. If someone else tries to eliminate a drawing, the cloud will push the latest approved drawing back to that person.

ARC Document Solutions in Walnut Creek, California, developed the cloudbased SKYSITE app with the construction industry in mind. It allows users to view, manage, distribute and collaborate on construction documents in a secure, real-time environment.

"We understand the documents and the need and importance of distributing documents," says K. "Suri" Suriyakumar, chairman, president and CEO of ARC Document Solutions. But the digital age led ARC to create SKYSITE for the construction industry. It drew on its experience in the print document-management business.

"Our focus is the distribution of documents," Suriyakumar says. "SKYSITE distributes the documents in the proper format to construction professionals."

Users can view the latest documents on a tablet device, iOS or Android, download and sync those documents, while working offline. Suriyakumar calls the app easy to use, explaining that when someone touches a hyperlink, it takes the user to the appropriate drawing.

With permissions, users can mark up the documents, and SKYSITE monitors the activity. SKYSITE keeps track of who downloaded the documents, who changed what and who distributed it. It will then generate a report.

"Documents are dynamic; they keep changing," Suriyakumar says. "Documents mean communication in construction."

With up-to-date documents, contractors will build correctly the first time. Electronic documents make it easier to put the drawings in the hands of the people actually building the structure. SKYSITE offers the ability to search the index to retrieve the appropriate document.

"We think that will be a significant tool as we put more documents on a dynamic cloud," Suriyakumar says.

Multi-layered passwords distinguish among common confidential folders and projects. McKinney, for instance, wants owners to be able to read the documents, superintendents to change them as needed and a project manager, one person, to be able to delete or make significant changes.

"We want to make our customers more efficient and more cost effective," Suriyakumar says. "We want to be a life changer for our customers."

ARC Document Solutions

1981 N. Broadway, Ste. 385

Walnut Creek, Calif. 94596

844-SKYSITE