Item: Google Drive
Rating: 8
Author: Verified User

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We used Google drive to share files and keep track of files that were updated. Most of us worked remotely so this was a good way for us to manage our projects. The status updates to the right hand side was also a great way to keep track of updates to the drive. This was an added layer of confirmation that something was uploaded or received by someone else.

Pros and Cons

Great way to organize files that you have uploaded.
Status update bar on the right-hand side did a great job of keeping everyone up-to-date.
Easy layout design makes for a good user flow.

I would love for the opportunity for a better file retrieval process/or an added layer of confirmation when someone accidentally deletes a file.
Google drive would be great if there was a better way to give permissions to different users. i.e., these users can only upload but cannot delete any files, these users have limited access to certain files within a file structure, etc.
An easier way to select an individual on the drive and see what files you have shared with them (I'm not sure if this is currently a functionality within google drive).

Return on Investment

Great way to meet deadlines. We've uploaded large video and animation files to the drive fast enough for a developer to implement the video to the site before deployment.
Easy to use for everyone. Google drive saved us a lot of time and money because the on boarding process is minimal compared to other file management softwares.
Needs better file retrieval process upon accidental deletion. There was a week lost due to a file being accidentally deleted and so much back and forth with Google Drive to see if the file could be retrieved.

Alternatives Considered

Egnyte, Basecamp and Slack

Google drive requires the least amount of on boarding to get used to the platform. Although some of the other products may have features like a comment section, or a cleaner layout, google drive is still much more simple to use for users across the board and with different levels of experience with file management platforms.

Other Software Used

Egnyte, Basecamp, Slack

Likelihood to Recommend

It's well suited for situations that require a collaborative effort across multiple people, especially when they work remotely. These situations can include scenarios where there are students working on a college project or a small startup that has employees working in different locations that easily need to share files. Most of the files we work on are too large to send via email, the Google drive share process makes it easy for someone who may not even have a Google account to access the files.

Easy to grasp! even easier to use.

Overall Satisfaction with Google Drive