What is the best way to work on the same InDesign file in different locations?

Question

I'm the creative director for an in-house creative department. We produce 37 catalogs and a multitude of print and electronic advertising each year, plus a variety of other items. Our problem is that we have two locations. In the current set-up, if I want someone at one location to work on a project but the files are at the other location, I have someone at the one location package all the materials involved with that project and either upload them to DropBox or copy them to an external drive and ship it. Not very efficient.
We have servers at both locations but there are different files at each location. I'm able to remote from my computer into a computer at the other location, but if everyone were to do that we would need double the number of CC subscriptions and computers, and it would bog down the internet connection that the entire company uses. I'm also connected to the server at the other location (again, over the internet) and have opened InDesign files that reside on the server there and tried to work on them here (over the internet) but that is much slower than remoting in.
The only way I can think of to alleviate this problem is to run duplicate servers at each location, but this would be an update and back-up nightmare (unless I'm missing something). Is anyone operating this same way and, if so, how are you dealing with it?
We can't be the only company that works like this. Maybe I'm just missing something.
Thanks,
Lloyd

Answer 1

We have servers at both locations but there are different files at each location. I'm able to remote from my computer into a computer at the other location, but if everyone were to do that we would need double the number of CC subscriptions and computers, and it would bog down the internet connection that the entire company uses. I'm also connected to the server at the other location (again, over the internet) and have opened InDesign files that reside on the server there and tried to work on them here (over the internet) but that is much slower than remoting in.
One tiny thing bothers me about your setup. And you said it above, you would need double the number of CC subscriptions and computers. Are you using two people to access under the same CC subscription. Even if they are working in two different time zones, it is technically violating the rules and spirit of the rules of being able to install on two machines at the same time.
You're allowed to install for two machines for one person working at the office and then at home. One person wouldn't be in two different locations at the same time.
Meanwhile, regards your problem, I remember reading about a system many years ago that was pretty simple. It was based on an old newspaper/magaizine system of "who has the folder." (Created before computers) In the old days, if someone was working on a file, they left a folder with their name in its place.
In the computer age, one person, working on a file, would move it to their desktop. Then, they would leave an empty folder with that document's name where it had been as well as their initials. So if I took "Shoes and Socks Fall 2015.indd" out, I would leave a folder named "Shoes and Socks Fall 2015_smsc" in its place.
And if it was necessary for me to have the images, I would make a copy of them onto my machine so I wouldn't tax the network. Then when I was finished, I would copy the file back to the server. The links should show up. If not, we could relink later.
With the empty folder on the server, anyone could tell who is working on a project. So if they were late getting it back, you could email them.
It relies on the people being disciplined enough to make the folders, move the docs, etc. But since you've ruled out all the systems for companies with dumb employees, you're going to have to make them follow the rules.