Short answer: The right IT provider for an architecture or engineering practice is the one that understands design software, protects project data and can prove it. Ten questions separate a specialist from a generalist. Every answer should come with evidence rather than reassurance.
Most practices change IT provider for the same reasons: slow help when a deadline is close, engineers who do not understand the software and a growing sense that nobody is looking after the estate as a whole. Changing provider is disruptive, so it is worth choosing well. This checklist is what we would ask if we were in your seat.
Why does an architecture practice need a specialist IT provider?
A generalist provider can keep email running. Design practices depend on things most offices never touch: Revit central models that are sensitive to latency, project files measured in gigabytes, GPU-heavy visualisation tools such as Enscape and Twinmotion and submission dates that do not move. An IT problem in a design studio rarely stays an IT problem; it becomes a delay, a resourcing question or an awkward call with a client.
A specialist starts from those realities. Ask any provider to explain how they would diagnose a slow central model. A specialist will talk about model health, storage, network latency and worksharing settings before anyone mentions buying new hardware. We cover that in more detail in Revit running slowly? Why your hardware might not be the problem.
What should you ask an IT provider before you sign?
Use these ten questions in every conversation. Ask every provider to answer in writing so that you can compare like with like.
| Question to ask | A good answer looks like |
|---|---|
| Do you already support practices like ours? | Named AEC clients of a similar size, ideally with references you can call |
| How do you handle Revit, worksharing and large models? | A concrete answer about central models, latency and storage, not a promise to learn |
| What happens when something breaks before a deadline? | A clear escalation route that reflects commercial impact, not queue position |
| Who will we actually deal with? | A named team, not an anonymous queue |
| What is included and what is extra? | A written scope; project work, hardware, licences and out-of-hours cover itemised |
| Can you evidence your security? | Current certificates such as ISO 27001 and Cyber Essentials, with dates |
| How do you support hybrid working for design teams? | A plan for remote performance, such as virtual workstations, not just a VPN |
| Do you support Mac, Windows and Linux? | Support for the mixed estates most design studios actually run |
| Can you work alongside our internal IT person? | A co-managed option, if you have one |
| How would you get us onboard? | A documented onboarding plan, timed around your project calendar |
How do you compare quotes fairly?
Managed IT is usually priced per user per month, but two quotes with the same headline figure can cover very different scopes. Ask every provider to price the same estate and to state what sits outside the monthly fee. Project work, hardware, third-party licences and out-of-hours cover are the usual exclusions. They are also where quotes stop being comparable. The cheapest quote is often the one that has left the most out.
Which certifications matter and why?
Clients, frameworks and insurers increasingly ask practices to show how project data is protected. Your IT provider is part of that answer. Cyber Essentials is the UK government-backed baseline; the National Cyber Security Centre explains the scheme here. ISO 27001 shows that a provider runs a certified information security management system, audited externally every year. Ask for certificate numbers and dates, not logos.
For context, WIT has been certified to ISO 27001 since 2018 and to ISO 9001 since 2023, holds Cyber Essentials certification and has worked almost exclusively with architecture, engineering and construction practices since 2013. Those are the kinds of facts every provider on your shortlist should be able to state as plainly.
What does a good onboarding look like?
A good provider documents your estate before changing anything, agrees a cut-over date that avoids your busiest project weeks and tells you exactly what will happen on the day. Expect an audit of devices, accounts, licences and backups in the first few weeks, followed by a prioritised list of risks and fixes. If you have an internal IT person, the new provider should work with them rather than around them; see co-managed IT: when one internal IT person is no longer enough.
Red flags to watch for
- No AEC clients they can name or refer you to.
- Vague answers about Revit, large files or remote performance.
- A quote with no written scope or exclusions.
- Security claims without certificates and dates.
- Pressure to replace all your hardware before anyone has looked at the estate.
Choosing well takes a few hours of questions. Choosing badly costs months of disruption. If you would like to see how WIT answers this checklist, book an AEC IT review, or read about IT support for architects in London.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to switch IT provider?
For a practice of 10 to 120 people, a planned transition usually takes several weeks from signing to cut-over, depending on the size of the estate and the notice period with your current provider. The work should be timed around your project calendar, not the other way round.
Should an architecture practice choose a local IT provider?
Most IT support is delivered remotely, so location matters less than specialism. It does matter for office moves, hardware failures and anything that needs hands on site. A provider based nearby in London can be in the room quickly when it counts.
Do we need Cyber Essentials?
If you bid for public sector work or your clients ask about security, Cyber Essentials is increasingly expected. It is also a sensible baseline for any practice holding client data. A good IT provider will prepare you for it and help you keep it.
What size of practice does WIT work with?
Most of the practices WIT supports have between 10 and 120 people, across architecture, engineering, construction and design. Smaller studios and larger multi-office firms are welcome too.