NDT Pilot vs. shared drives
Shared drives solve storage, not control. They keep files findable, sometimes, but say nothing about which report revision is approved, who released it, or what the customer was sent.
| Criteria | NDT Pilot | Shared drives |
|---|---|---|
| Connected customer, site, asset, and inspection records | Available | Folder conventions |
| Work-request lifecycle | Available | File naming conventions |
| Scheduling and dispatch | Available Date-based assignment with qualification visibility; visual calendar planned | Not applicable |
| Field usability | Partially available Browser-based technician portal; photos and offline are planned | Uploads only |
| Qualification visibility | Available Register with levels, methods, expiry; auto alerts planned | Document-based |
| Equipment and calibration tracking | Available Due dates and certificates; auto alerts planned | Document-based |
| Evidence traceability | Partially available Linked records today; per-reading photos planned | Files stored but unlinked |
| Technical review workflow | Available | Email chains |
| Report approval | Available Recorded typed signature with reviewer and dates | Implied by file presence |
| Revision control | Available Status lifecycle, superseded documents retained | Naming conventions |
| Customer access | Partially available Scoped portal live; external accounts in current release | Shared folders or email |
| Quotation management | Available | Separate files |
| Invoicing | Available Status tracking; payment processing not included | Separate files |
| Audit history | Available | File version history only |
| Implementation requirements | Guided onboarding Scope-dependent, see Implementation | Light, folder setup |
Shared drives: genuine strengths
- Cheap, universal storage with folder structures teams already know
- Good for archiving finished documents
- Fine-grained folder permissions in most business plans
Shared drives: where it strains
- Version control by naming convention, 'final_v2_REVISED' is not a status
- Drafts sit beside approved copies in the same folders
- No review workflow and no approval record
- Customer delivery is manual: find the file, attach it, hope it is the right revision
- Search finds files, not findings, evidence stays buried inside documents
When shared drives is the right choice
As an archive for finished, controlled documents, when producing and controlling those documents is already solved elsewhere.
Migrating from shared drives
Reference documents move into the governed document library with versions and categories; the workflow itself replaces the folder conventions. Superseded copies are retained, not deleted.
See the onboarding processFrequently asked questions
Alternatives are described generically; no named competitor claims are made. Validate any platform against your own requirements. See also the main comparison and the permissions documentation.
Bring your current tools to a demonstration
We will map your existing process onto NDT Pilot honestly, including where staying with your current tool makes sense.
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