Purcell, the award-winning architecture practice, has adopted the Atvero document management system.
With Atvero, project teams at Purcell – whether in its UK or Asia Pacific offices – will be able to collaborate on projects anytime, anywhere, and across any device, provided they have access to Microsoft’s SharePoint.
Prior to Atvero, Purcell was using an on-premises system as its main document management solution. The firm was facing challenges in maintaining expensive servers and physical infrastructure linked to its on-premises document control system. Relying on VPN (virtual private network) to work remotely was also another problem. Downtime, poor connectivity, data latency, and lack of flexibility were a few associated issues.
Purcell was also using Microsoft 365 – which Atvero is built on – as a part of its information management workflows. However, the existing document management system was not natively integrated with the Microsoft ecosystem, causing difficulties in collaboration.
Throughout the search for a document management system, Purcell placed importance on software functionality, data history, and the end users’ experience on the platform. The practice sought a solution that would provide intelligent document control workflows across all project stages.
Data retention was another top priority as Purcell needed a provider that could transfer its years of project data to the new system. Finally, considering the challenges of familiarising and training staff members with new processes, Purcell wanted a solution that would be user-friendly to maximise efficiency.
Lengthy review process
Gary Dalton, IT partner at Purcell, said: “As the world’s largest heritage architecture specialist, we aim to stay ahead of the curve with technology across our entire business. We are always looking for ways to improve our business operations to continue providing exemplary service to our clients.
“As a business committed to providing bespoke and local expertise across the UK and Asia-Pacific, we needed a document management system that allowed us to be agile and flexible enough to work seamlessly together, despite being in different locations and time zones. After a lengthy review and testing process, Atvero came out a clear winner in terms of user experience and business functionality.”
Atvero committed to providing a bespoke training schedule for Purcell, which included training sessions designed for each specific team. Atvero also managed the data conversion process to SharePoint, while working with Purcell to define the “Purcell way of working” inside Atvero.
Rob Hoyle, business consultant at Atvero, said: “Being chosen by Purcell after a highly detailed comparison of our competition in the PIM space shows a strong message that we have built a structured, feature-rich and futureproof platform for AEC businesses to look after project information.”
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