Citrix ShareFile
Complete Mobility Solutions for the Construction Sector

A good chef knows how to perfectly balance the flavours in a dish. Perhaps for the same reason, Cat Allday, a passionate cook and an IT veteran is successful in preparing the perfect solutions for the market she works in. “I love cooking, and take pleasure in preparing exotic dishes, as I am an adventurous eater. Like in cooking, where one needs to try new things to find a perfect recipe, I try to keep my eyes open, be curious, and explore the world to find the best solution that meets the needs of customers,” says Cat Allday, Senior Director of Product Management, at Citrix.

It’s quite evident that Allday’s recipes in Citrix ShareFile are a big hit, and the success story of a renowned construction firm that was facing mobility issues is an example of this. To get their work done in the field, the client-team needed iPhones, iPads, and other mobile devices. They found it hard to create a solution that would allow them to integrate mobility as well as some of the rich programs they require. Citrix ShareFile’s mobile apps allowed the client to work seamlessly across applications and devices, including creating and editing documents on the go. The company also provided a simple solution to get information from the people who didn’t work directly for the client. The client could request files from vendors through a simple integration with Microsoft Outlook; and the outside party is provided with a hyperlink so that they can get their files in the company system. “When it comes to mobility, we streamline how customers work with outside vendors,” denotes Allday.

Being in the business for a long time, Allday realizes the greatest challenge in today’s construction industry is its reluctance to disrupt established processes. “We focus on how we can provide the easiest path for them to get started,” says Allday.

Citrix ShareFile is unique in that it provides connectors that solve the problem of segmented data in multiple locations like in Google Drive or in SharePoint. “Vendors seek integration with bid software or project management software and what is important is creating a seamless workflow between the systems,” conveys the expert. Citrix ShareFile’s solutions are tailor made to tackle this need. Along with providing seamless connectivity, the solutions also work in conjunction with other solution providers like StratusVue and FotoIN to provide a comprehensive tool

We focus on how we can provide the easiest path for the clients to get started using technology

set for managing files and workflow. The company leverages FotoIN’s solutions to allow users to take pictures in the field which automatically sinks to the ShareFile system. It stamps the picture with the Google Maps coordinates so that they know exactly where the photo was taken. “This kind of integration allows users in the field to take pictures and share it automatically with others using the same platform,” denotes Allday. The company has also built a few special features which allow contractors to invite sub-contractors into their workflow. “General contractors especially love our Outlook plug-in, which allows them to distribute plans using email,” claims Allday.

With solutions like the above, the company’s vision is to allow people to experience work and life their way. “Moving forward, we will focus more on vertical or specialized offerings so that we can provide rich solutions to our customers in each segment,” concludes Allday.