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New Civil Engineer (7 December 2000) Project collaboration extranets
The experts - Whitby Bird engineering IT associate Richard McWilliams
- Building Design Partnership senior IT manager Paul Davies
- BAA director of project technology Martin Ong
Project collaboration extranets Project collaboration extranets promise a time and money saving revolution. Big clients are now trialling them on major projects, reports Sophie Kernon of NCE Plus. A project extranet enables an entire project team - clients, engineers, architects, contractors, sub-contractors and suppliers to interact via a single project-designated website. From a scheme's inception to its completion all documents, drawings and communications are stored on site. Pre-extranet, team members typically worked using discrete documents, making for slow and inefficient cross-disciplinary communication. But the instant access to documents made possible by an extranet means all parties are now able to view changes as soon as they are made, and update their own project areas. The extranet also makes it possible to keep track of changes by creating a full "project trail". In addition to storing data, an extranet provides necessary software, enabling users to work off the site without need for new connections or installations on their desktop computer. A rash of project collaboration website service providers has appeared recently. Research carried out by the Construction Industry Computing Association has identified some 120 systems in the UK alone. It is predicted that, over the next year, the number will reduce as buyouts and mergers take place, and as the weakest providers fold. "For all these firms there is going to be a big shakedown," comments senior IT manager at multi-disciplinary architecture and engineering group BDP, Paul Davies. "Before long there is only going to be a handful left from those that exist today." Dramatic changes in the market are expected over the next 12 months. The US extranet market is roughly two years ahead of the UK but has yet to reveal a clear leader. Choosing a project collaboration system Pedigree Company pedigree on the internet is a big issue. If a contract is set to run for 18 months but your extranet company goes bust after six, the result could be very damaging. Despite this year's media furore over dot.com companies there is nothing intrinsically wrong with them, though. In any case, most of the hype surrounded consumer oriented sites, not business-to-business ventures. But be aware how old the company is, who funds it, who it is partnered with and which companies are already using it. Hosting Hosting - where the extranet site is located - is a controversial issue. Some companies claim that hosting in the US offers a faster service than in the less developed UK. Critics say using a trans-Atlantic extranet host increases the risk of information loss. Some client organisations have expressed fears that hosting extranets abroad could result in legal complications, although the experience of using extranets is so new that no specific issues have yet arisen. BAA demands its extranet provider is committed and accountable. Operating via servers in the UK is important to some because it shows a long term commitment to development of the domestic market and, quite simply, they would rather know exactly where their information is kept. Unmarked internet data centres - buildings that are bomb, terrorist and earthquake proof - offer the security and capacity that some projects or clients require. A centre is used to host the London Stock Exchange extranet. Cost structure Some companies charge a flat monthly rate for the duration of a project, based on an estimation of the data storage capacity required and the number of users. Building Information Warehouse - Project Information Channel History: BIW was set up in 1996, PIC was first tested in 1998 with real projects.
Cost structure: Monthly subscription including licence fee.
Estimate for a £5M project running for five months: £12,000. Price not based on memory used.
Hosted by: PSInet at a secure internet data centre in London.
Number of current projects: 70
Number of current users: 3,000
Current value of project: £0.5bn
Unique offering: Two dimensional drawing data can be linked to different applications and product specifications.
Comment: "A very flexible and powerful system which is easily configured to suit all project needs," says McWilliams. "BIW's dedication to research and development places it at the forefront. The provider is offering 3D web-enabled objects and is able to link manufacturers' object to CAD models."
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