Proof of Concept of Azure cloud-based platform for investors
When new offices or sports facilities are built, e.g., Olympic stadiums, the time and cost of the investment play a huge role, since any delays may have colossal financial consequences. Currently, there is no system that would allow investors to monitor the progress of work, as well as the cost and time of investment simultaneously. For this purpose, they use several different applications. Inetum’s team created a Proof of Concept of an Azure cloud-based pioneering system integrating all investment-related data in one place.
System for the architecture industry
The provider of innovative solutions for the architecture industry intends to create a cloud application that would allow builders of facilities to collect and view data in real-time in both architectural, cost, and time dimensions. Application’s users are to be global market players responsible for big investment projects
The challenges
- Support in the research phase aiming at verification of technological capabilities and applicability of external libraries available on the market that would meet the application requirements.
- Business analysis and building a team for research project, consisting of specialists with niche competences in the area of frontend libraries on which the system and backend level logic are to be based.
- Processing and converting data from IFC (Industry Foundation Classes) files used by external programs to provide the required data for the developed application. IFC files contain a wide variety of data, e.g., about geometry of a building. The method of appropriate data conversion was to be individually figured out by the team, with involvement of academic community representatives.
The solution
Since this would be the first application of this type, in the research phase our specialists focused on the capabilities of frontend libraries and found a way of extracting and converting data from IFC files. Within 2 months from start, the team developed Proof of Concept which met assumed requirements.
We proposed an architecture based on the Azure cloud, which enables full virtualization of the solution. In this phase, project manager, technical leaders, Technical Solution Managers in QA and Azure cloud specialists were engaged. They worked in a Scandinavian model and were free to create their original solutions, such as a self-designed framework for software testing.
The client can further develop the cloud-based platform for real estate investors. It will allow them to store and review data on the entire investment with the use of one application to manage the long-term construction processes, based on BIM (Building Information Modeling) processes. The system will enable investors to manage the investment in real-time, having access to an interactive rotatable and scalable 3D building model and selecting individual elements with their specifications. The model would be combined with full project documentation, cost estimates, work schedule and reporting modules. The platform would allow for constant communication between project teams, providers, and consultants via in-built communicator.
Tools
- Backend: Azure, .NET Core, MSSQL, MongoDB, Docker, Seq, MailHog, CQRS, DDD
- Frontend: Redux, React, TypeScript
- QA: .NET Core, Atata, Bogus, Dapper, Flurl, FluentAssertions, NUnit, Selenium WebDriver, SpecFlow, XRay, Extent Report, BDD
- Business Analysis: Enterprise Architect, JIRA, XRay