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Cloud computing is a generic term describing the use of remote servers, accessible over the internet, to store and manage data, applications and resources. Instead of relying solely on local infrastructure, architects can leverage cloud services to store project files, collaborate, run software and access data from anywhere. Cloud computing can offer flexibility, scalability and cost-efficiency to enable more rapid deployment of people and processes while removing the overhead burden of on-site technology management.
Investment in technology solutions to improve project delivery, operational stability and business confidence is essential for most architectural practices. Cloud technology replicates the onsite infrastructure of a practice, or aspects of it, and hosts it on an external server accessed over the internet. There are both advantages and risks associated with this technology.
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Collaboration/ working with the cloud
An architectural practice can benefit from various cloud applications and services that enhance collaboration, data management, project execution and efficiency. Some common cloud-based tools and services for architectural practices include:
- Communication and collaboration - Online platforms facilitate communication, video conferencing and file sharing within project teams.
- Data backup and recovery - Online tools empower off-site backup to help streamline, improve and automate practices that were traditionally labour-intensive and subject to user error or failure.
- Document management - A number of platforms empower practices to centralise document sharing and collaboration to support construction project workflows as well as to review, markup and manage PDF documents.
- File storage and sharing - Securely store and share design files, project documents and resources among team members or productivity tools to collaboratively edit and store documents, spreadsheets and presentations in the cloud.
- Project collaboration, modeling and rendering - Some design tools provide online platforms to facilitate real-time collaboration on Building Information Modeling (BIM) projects, allowing teams to work together on a shared platform.
- Project management - There are numerous online project management tools (both generic and AEC industry specific) which help to plan and manage architectural projects, allocate tasks and track progress.
- Resource planning and business management - Online cloud-based platforms are available for practices big and small to streamline and improve business practices from resources planning, job costing and tracking and practice finance management.
- Virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) - Enables practices to utilise workstations provisioned on the cloud, where applications and desktops all reside online which can empower rapid deployment of staff on and off-site and reduces the cost of onsite hardware.
These cloud applications and services offer architectural practices the flexibility, scalability and collaboration capabilities needed to streamline operations, improve project efficiency and adapt to the dynamic demands of the industry.
Advantages
Some of the specific benefits of cloud-hosted solutions are:
- Cost of software service - Cloud computing reduces the high start-up costs of hardware and software. Practices can pay as they go via a subscription-based model favourable to their cash flow. There are many reasons why cloud-software licensing models are more competitive; the most obvious of them is that the large cloud providers can benefit from huge economies of scale. Practices should forecast their costs over a large timescale to understand the difference between upfront and subscription-based billing.
- Disaster recovery - Cloud applications often include backup options, meaning practices can gain better disaster recovery benefits. While practices of all sizes should consider investing in robust disaster recovery, smaller practices may lack the required cash and expertise. Cloud-based backup and recovery solutions avoid large up-front investment and bring in third-party expertise. Practices can opt for a provider that stores data locally to aid data recovery and should check terms for where else their data can be stored. Some projects may include regulations that prevent data from being stored in certain countries.
- Fast and easy upgrades - A key benefit of cloud services is that the servers are off premises. Experts maintain them and roll out regular software updates – including security updates – so practices don’t have to worry about maintaining software, leaving them free to focus on growing the business.
- Flexibility and scalability - Cloud applications are ideal for businesses with growing and fluctuating bandwidth or storage demands. Coping with the peaks and troughs of demand, for example winning new projects, can place high demand on existing infrastructure. Previously, a practice would have to prepare the infrastructure to cope with peak traffic, over-provisioning for most of the year. Cloud-based infrastructure allows organisations to adapt with these changes with greater flexibility and agility.
- Security - Cloud providers can offer higher levels of security than a practice can themselves. Check the service-level-agreement structure designed by the vendor to make sure it aligns with industry best practice. Practices should review service availability, performance, reliability and customer support arrangements as well as industry compliance to ensure the security and protection of their data.
- Speed - The time taken to commission, implement and configure an on-premise project and business-management system is measured in months if not years; with a cloud vendor, architectural practices can get systems up and running within a matter of days.
- Work from anywhere - Cloud computing gives architectural practices the flexibility to have people and offices located anywhere in the world without setting up complex IT infrastructures to support them. Cloud-computing systems can allow staff to access data while on site visits, and report remotely on building progress. Most systems will also streamline connections between devices, making it easy to use phones and tablets.
Disadvantages and risks
Basic considerations in collaborating and working with the cloud include:
- Additional costs - When transitioning to a cloud-based solution you may encounter higher than anticipated cost or unexpected cost that never used to be your business responsibility. Your budget should allow for an increase in expenses for a few months while running the new and old systems in parallel as well as the integration of multiple applications from different vendors.
- Internet access - Connectivity issues can limit access to data stored online and slow the processing speed of applications and impact performance. Smaller practices with lower performance internet connections may need to have some contingency plan on how to deal with this occasion. Some software applications provide capabilities, where the user can keep working locally offline. Check subscription levels on whether the business solution provides this feature.
- Security - Practices will still need someone in charge of access, traffic filtering, security configurations, data protection, virus protection, and other incident-monitoring response and prevention.
- Subscriptions - Migrating to a cloud-computing model where services are paid for as you use them means elements of your business rely on regular subscription payment to function. Check service level agreements from your cloud provider to ensure access to your data is accessible before a subscription is turned off or deprovisioned. The level of agreement should define the services, set targets and include measures to determine successful delivery of services.
- Technical issues - If your service provider has technical issues you may not be able to access your data. However, most cloud providers will have service level agreements to minimise this risk. Check agreements for how well the vendor deals with unexpected events including peaks in demand, failures and other situations that fall outside the norm.
- Updates and backups - The use of cloud storage to backup data to a remote location is often automatic and can update without your consent. Industry compliance is riskier if the off-premises data center is not locally based; this should be a consideration when choosing a cloud provider. Your practice will need to decide on one-way syncing, two-way syncing, interim or full backups. Beware of synced backups with encryption viruses. You don’t want to find that your local files have been encrypted and then synced to the cloud. It is important that daily, weekly and monthly backups are followed.
Hybrid systems (accessing non-cloud servers using cloud software)
Hybrid-cloud is the combination of one or more public-cloud providers (such as Amazon web services or Google cloud platform) with a private, more conventional, platform. One that is designed for use by a single organisation. The public cloud and private infrastructure, which operate independently of each other, communicate over an encrypted connection, using technology that allows for the portability of data and applications.
Hybrid-cloud systems allow practices to work conventionally when in the office, and cloud-based when out of the office, for example using a conventional local server, which is also accessible remotely. This allows for more robust and private on-site infrastructure, combined with off-site flexibility. However, the use of two systems often increases the time and cost to setup. If using a hybrid system, be clear about which parts are local and which are remote and consider which of your software packages work locally or remotely.
No matter how you use cloud technology, remember to review your technology strategy and always compare best practice for what suits your business outcomes.
Deltek, provider of enterprise software and information solutions, contributed to the original content of this note. It has since been updated for currency.
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