Cloud strategy to help Rambøll make better use of data

The Danish consultancy and engineering company Rambøll is in the process of transitioning to a multi cloud strategy and has asked Computas to assist in the process. The expectation is to ensure better data management – and create a foundation for making more use of data and artificial intelligence in the future.

It is Rambøll’s energy division, that among other things works with offshore wind, where Computas will assist in integrating cloud solutions in the daily consultancy work.

– We work together with Computas and Google to create a more efficient setup with our in-house software ROSAP, which we use to design foundations for offshore wind turbines. We are therefore working on modeling in, among other things, wind conditions, wave climate, geotechnics and steel design, says Ronnie Refstrup Pedersen, Senior Chief Consultant at Rambøll.

– There’s software in all fields, and the idea has always been to have our software run efficiently in the cloud. And, to assemble and automate the toolbox, we keep data per project in one single folder. That way we can create databases and use our historical data for something sensible, i.e. extract value from the large amount of data, he continues.

The collaboration between Rambøll and Computas started 3-4 years ago, when Rambøll decided to start screening various cloud partners. 

We saw that Google Cloud had some good products in terms of data management, and we hope to be able to use much more machine learning, so that we can make use of our data for something constructive. And, here, we considered Google to be at the forefront, Ronnie Refstrup Pedersen says.

Understanding business takes time

Computas had to gain in-depth understanding of Rambøll’s business to be able to help, and that takes time. It was an investment considered necessary to create a long-term, successful collaboration for both parties. And at Rambøll, they are happy about it.

– In the beginning, we used Computas to learn how to operate efficiently with our software ROSAP and GCP, but also for database setups, Big Query and Big Table. They, in turn, invested much effort and time in understanding our business; what offshore wind is and which software we use, Ronnie Refstrup Pedersen explains

– We have much more focus on cloud solutions after we got a master agreement with Google. Computas helped us develop a cloud setup that supports our offshore wind design tools. Computas has been very helpful in finding the right path for us, he says.

Creating value is a motivating factor

At Computas, Chief Engineer Hans Harald Wennersgård has been part of the Rambøll project from day one. He undoubtedly finds working with Rambøll to be interesting for both parties.

– A large part of our focus has been on gaining new insights into the data they already have and finding new ways to utilize the available data, Hans Harald Wennersgård says.

Computas and Rambøll have also worked closely together on programs that can monitor installations, so you know when components need to be replaced. This way, one can predict breakdowns and, thus, reduce maintenance costs.

As a technology nerd, everything about technology, and seeing data used in practice in the real world, is exciting. And seeing that your work actually creates value in the form of large savings or new technical solutions – in this case in offshore wind – is a major motivational factor, Hans Harlad Wennersgård says.