The AEC industry relies very much on real-time work and collaboration. A wide range of professionals are expected to join their forces and contribute to each project, from the job site, the office or different locations.

This need for flexibility and efficiency has made many architecture, engineering and construction companies take into consideration moving from on-premise servers to the cloud and many have done so.

This, of course, comes with great benefits, but also with a couple of challenges that we will approach in this material.

The benefits of moving from on-premise to the cloud

Better file accessibility

Architecture, engineering and construction companies work with large files in programs like Revit or Autocad. Ensuring every member of the team, no matter their location, has access to them involves spending resources - particularly time and money. A centralized cloud model enables anyone with the right permissions to access documentation in real time, to see updates and, when applicable, make changes. This simplifies very much the workflow, making things more agile.

In return, better file accessibility increases the company’s overall efficiency, since it ensures that professionals don’t waste their billable hours struggling to send files from one email address to the other or waiting for updates from their peers.

Reduced investment in infrastructure

By working with large files, AEC businesses require on-premise storage infrastructure. This involves investments in hardware, maintenance and physical space. By switching to a cloud model, a wide range of servers, drivers and equipment becomes obsolete, while the office footprint and maintenance costs may be reduced.

Flexibility to scale up and down

When using cloud solutions, companies only pay for what they use. Depending on their needs and business volumes, they may scale up or down, adjusting to certain activity spikes and accommodating bigger projects that require more attention. Once those projects are over, the company may reduce its cloud storage.

Faster file recovery

Intelligence is a company’s most valuable asset, especially in the AEC industry, where businesses rely very much on their documentation.

A cloud-based model enables AEC firms to keep their information safe, without needing to constantly backup files and invest in physical equipment. In most situations, teams have access to different versions of files, because everything is saved in the cloud.

Moreover, even in the case of disaster recovery, intelligence may be restored in record time.

Better end-user experiences

A question we receive when discussing with potential clients is whether moving to the cloud will impact a team’s profitability and efficiency negatively. While many professionals are resistant to change, cloud-based environments are popular in the architecture, engineering and construction industry, because they offer flexibility and easy, remote access.

Moreover, they are also preferred by many IT administrators, because they offer centralized management and require less attention.

⅔ of AEC companies are already using the cloud, according to Microdesk

Microdesk research emphasizes that ⅔ of AEC companies are already using the cloud, with over half of small and large companies confirming they store data outside their premises.

Still, not all businesses in architecture, engineering and construction have made the big move, as many don’t understand how to approach the transition, both operationally and financially.

The challenges of switching to a cloud model

When it comes to switching to the cloud, there are several challenges which companies approach in their talks with us. For each of them there are solutions that have proven successful.

Challenge #1: Costs

Replacing the on-premise model with a cloud-based one plays an important part in medium- and long-term cost optimization, enabling companies to save money in maintenance and admin fees, as well as to make processes more efficient.

Still, migration per se requires certain budgets that often make financial officers postpone it. These include:

- App migration or rewriting

- Migration tools

- Trainings for the teams

- Performance issues and downtime.

Our advice, when it comes to costs, is to get a very good assessment of the project, identify the priorities, and break everything into several smaller batches. This way, costs are better managed and are easier to cover.

Challenge #2: Change resistance

People have a tendency of choosing their comfort zones over everything. An on-premise system may not be the most praised in AEC companies, but it is often preferred, compared to the idea of adopting new technology.

Migrating to the cloud may act as a disruptor, affecting operations and how people do their jobs.

Still, this shouldn’t prevent companies from enjoying the benefits of the cloud. What needs to be done is to work with teams and adopt some key strategies meant to make transitions run smoother. Some examples include:

- Getting leadership endorsement, so that higher rank professionals inspire people and support the need for migration.

- Opting for intuitive solutions that are user-friendly and which simplify operations.

- Offering training and ensuring employees gain the necessary capabilities.

Challenge #3: Lack of cloud migration skills

Although their leaders understand the benefits of cloud computing, many AEC companies don’t migrate to the cloud because they lack the skills to manage such a complex process.

This type of talent doesn’t need to exist in-house, as there are several experts out there that may help companies identify the best cloud migration strategies and make the process smoother.

Since support is only necessary for a limited time, companies usually contract providers when they are needed.

At AECCloud, we have managed hundreds of cloud migration processes for small, medium and large architecture, engineering and construction companies. Contact us and let’s see what we can do to help you benefit from the cloud.