Small scale network sharing

[mmomm1]

Hello, I work in a TV studio environment and need to update the way we work with paperwork. There may well be some software that does exactly what I am after so please do let me know! But essentially, I need a system that allows a person to scan in a piece of paperwork, upload it onto a server or cloud via a computer, can be internet based or can be a local server whatever would work best, and that paperwork be accessed by 4 different tablets. The paperwork is then accessed, scribbled over as notes and not saved once filming is complete. But there maybe an occasion where a permanent note is needed so that can be updated onto the paperwork itself and all other devices can then see it. We have lots of networking possibilities in the studio, and hardware set up to access the paperwork is currently thought as a tablet so we can use a stylus etc. File formats for the paperwork, perhaps Pdf? that way the tablets can use some sort of simple Pdf editor to scribble on, but also make permanent changes to it. Of course a file structure can be used to have master versions and workable versions of the paperwork, but my main point is some advice on what sort of system would be recommended for this? Cloud based? or on a local server? is there something already that can do exactly what I want? And is there a better bit of software that can edit paperwork or would a pdf editor be the way forward.

Many thanks in advance,
Matt

[deanwebb]

So the first question has to be, "what is your budget?" Next question is, "what are your security requirements?"

If you need tight security, you want an on-premises solution, installed on a local server. If you don't care much for security, any cloud solution will do, including someone's shared Dropbox folder.

Now, in between the two is having a corporate cloud sharing account and using something called a federated single sign-on (SSO) as a way of accessing it. I'm very familiar with Okta in that space, but I'm not necessarily endorsing them. They're good, but just one of several and I really don't know the competition there. But the SSO will give you two-factor authentication, which makes it harder to get in than having your username and password, which is better security. Typically, it's a push to your smartphone and clicking "yes, it's me" to complete the second step, so it's not a terrible halt in workflow.

Once that's in place, your devices with connectivity will be able to reach it and have folders set up for file storage and such.

Now, if you need to track changes on the files, you may be looking for more functionality, and that tends to increase the cost of the software being used. Microsoft SharePoint tends to be the corporate standard... it also tends to get very complicated, very quickly, and then people go back to using the cloud fileshare service and just put the name of the editor and the date in the name of the file to track versions... saving Budget_Spreadsheet.xlsx as Budget_Spreadsheet_deanwebb_edit_20210108.xlsx, for example. If having the functionality in the filename works for you, then you are good to go.

If the paperwork needs to be tracked because it's HR forms, financial documents, or something else that has to be retained for legal purposes, then you're looking at either an HR or financials package that might just be able to tick all your boxes if it's comprehensive enough.

Hope this gets you thinking about your use cases and what problems you need solved and then that should direct you to the best fit for your studio. Happy to talk more on this, if you have more questions or thoughts on the matter.

[icecream-guy]

in ITIL4 its all about:
confidentiality,
integrity,
availability,
authentication,
and non repudiation.

you need a solution that involves all of these elements

[mmomm1]

deanwebb thanks very much for your quick and in-depth reply!

So some further thinking;
Budget, reasonable, whatever it takes to get a good reliable system.
Security, there is nothing to be stored on the network that is confidential or personal data, its purely drawings of sets for lighting purposes, but necessary for multiple people to access all drawings stored from one central location.

I shall have a look at Okta and similar services, I think having a corporate cloud account and some level of basic security like you suggest with a user and password system would be perfect. I shall have a look and I am sure some more questions will arise. My only query with having this system cloud based, if we lost our connection to the internet, and could not access our folders, it would hold up filming and that would be an issue. From that respect perhaps a shared folder system on a networked computer may be a safer option.

Thanks again.
Matt

[deanwebb]

Go hybrid with an online storage with cloud backup.

Then everyone thinks you're one of the cool kids because you came up with a "hybrid" solution.