Perhaps you read in the news today that a major software firm has decided to take its major programs into the "cloud". Cloud computing is a recent innovation in file sharing, one that puts files onto an online server that is accessible to users on a variety of devices wherever they have an Internet connection. Perhaps you've seen recent commercials that tout the value of going "to the cloud" when users have a problem - such as a couple at an airport facing crushing boredom because their flight was delayed. Problem solved by going to the cloud, and viewing a video on their micro screen device via an Internet connection.
What if your BIM/CADD files were cloud based? Not practical, you might think, as those BIM files can get enormous. Too long to download - and really how much different is that from accessing our local server and downloading the files from there? But that's not cloud computing - cloud computing puts the program and the files on a server. You access the program via the Internet - you don't have a copy of the program on your own local device. You don't download the BIM files, you work on them from your local portal on the remote server.
So again, what if your BIM/CADD files were cloud based? Can you envision a scenario for construction documentation work on a major project be ongoing for a continuous 24 hours? The work done in an 8 hour shift in North America gets handed over to another team based in Asia for the next 8 hour shift, followed by the European based team for the final 8 hour shift. Is it possible? Why not? Current BIM programs already offer collaboration tools, essentially fencing out an area of interest on a file and reconciling two files later. This could still be useful as one team transitions out and the next team transitions into the lead role on the documentation.
Working on construction documents for 24 hours a day will help solve one of the most well known gripes that clients have - the amount of time it takes to produce the documents. (I swear, I was once asked if we "drew ALL those lines?"). Having the work cloud based would prevent any team from using out of date files, as the only files available to them would be the current files. Team members are not overworked with endless weeks of overtime work, that in the long run only reduce their efficiency for the time billed. Firm owners can procure services for documentation on a per project basis overseas, creating a more stable local workforce size. (Although, in this economy, I'd say hire everyone you can locally or regionally).
To make this work we would also need to reconsider our approaches to project management. If we have people doing construction documentation 24 hours a day, most of the design decisions will need to have already been made. A stronger, more formal approach to Architectural Project Management would be necessary - first to define the scope of work, the human and other resources used, the overall schedule, the communications pathways, and the means of quality control. I've had the opportunity to work with architectural firms on a JV basis, and we would divide the work between the low rise and high rise hotel parts of the project, for example. Periodically we would need to study the interface between the two packages, if only to make sure that the exit stairs continued on uninterrupted to grade. In our 24 hour BIM cloud scenario, the work could be divided any number of ways that best works with the features of the project itself.
I think it's an exciting concept, especially as we see the growth in major building projects in Asia and the Middle East. India is expected to see a large amount of growth in the years ahead, and Africa at some time in the future as well. Cloud based documentation may just be the way for US based firms to provide their expertise in major projects all over the world.