What is our primary use case?
My main use case for Box is storing cloud content on its cloud and managing it as a collaborating platform so that I can store secure files and share through Box. I use it for document management and in my automations.
When I open Box day-to-day or week-to-week, I look for organizing the files first, as document sharing is my main focus on the Box platform.
The scope of my use of Box is mostly solo only; it is on my personal account.
What is most valuable?
The best features of Box for me include the structured file organizing, which is the most important part I found. Apart from that, secure sharing and integration with automation platforms, along with its smooth integration and usage in automations, is a very big plus for me. That is the reason I shifted from other platforms to Box.
Box has impacted my work by providing essential file structuring, which is the most important part of any cloud storing platform, and it stood out. What piqued my interest more is the use of Box and the smoother process in integrating it into my workflows, another major plus point that I considered when deciding which platform to choose.
Additionally, I recall that there are features in Box related to signing signatures that I did not use during my internship, although I would have if I had used Box for my current work. That is one feature I think I have not explored yet.
What needs improvement?
The biggest friction point I have encountered with Box is mainly the pricing part; I think five dollars for this platform is not necessarily justified. While I have used it for integrating and using it as a cloud platform, I have not encountered any significant negative aspects. A few times, I might have faced performance issues, but I am uncertain whether that was due to the automation platform or Box itself. Overall, the only thing I could mention is that it can take a little time to understand how the integration works with Box; setup and figuring out what can and cannot be done might take some time, but other than that, I do not think anything else bothered me.
One thing I would want Box to introduce to improve the platform and make it stand out even more would be incorporating AI. For example, the only way to identify documents shared in Box currently is by their names, and if those names are not precise, I can get confused. If Box had an AI feature to summarize and identify documents based on their contents, it would significantly enhance usability. AI is essential for making work easier, so that would be an excellent addition to the platform.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Box since I used it last year, and I had used it many times for my previous internships.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Before I landed on Box, I was storing files in Google Drive, but I moved from Google Drive to Box because I was building workflow automations during my last internship. While I was working there, I was fetching documents that I saved or creating new documents, and I faced limitations with Google Drive. Instead, I moved to Box where file storing was very structured, and the automation part was smoother, so I shifted to Box.
When evaluating options, I did not specifically go through many platforms to finalize on Box; the reason was simple. I just wanted to store documents and access them easily. Besides Google Drive, I was also using Microsoft's OneDrive, which is similar in storing documents on the cloud. However, for me, the automation was of higher priority or importance, and the only platform that stood out among the three was Box. So I moved to Box and used it in my automation workflow.
How was the initial setup?
When I first implemented Box, it took hardly half an hour or even less to get up and running, as I did not have to give much more time into setting up the platform.
What about the implementation team?
My team did not need any formal training on Box, as it was pretty intuitive to pick up, and it was just me using it to store files and then sharing them with others.
What other advice do I have?
On a scale of one to ten, I would rate Box a nine because I do not think there is anything to point out negatively for the platform. If I were to guide newcomers, I would advise them to go through the documentation first, as understanding the platform depends on that. The documentation for Box is superb, and if you understand it well, there should not be any issues that you will face. There may be minimal time consumed for integrating or understanding how Box can be integrated into the automation platform, but I do not think there is much of a learning curve needed for this type of platform. I rated this review a nine overall.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Other