How GPR Consulting used flexible remote access to improve project delivery and responsiveness

The Challenge

Despite the quality of its services, GPR was constrained by manual processes for tracking documentation and managing workflow. Those processes reduced productivity, particularly when staff needed to work away from the office.

The problem was made worse by the size of project data. GPR often worked with datasets in excess of 2 GB per project, and its VPN delivered poor response times. Even a 10 MB file could take several minutes to open and then several more minutes to save.

To work around this, staff were copying projects onto hard drives at the end of each day, working from those copies at home, and then copying the data back onto the server the next day. According to Geoff Pratt, Design Manager at GPR Consulting, this process was costing the team around one hour per day and becoming less viable as the business grew. It also made it difficult to know whether the data on a hard drive was fully in sync with what everyone else was using in the office.

The Solutions

GPR adopted 12d Synergy to address its remote access and project data management issues. The platform gave staff a more flexible way to access files from anywhere, while also improving confidence that they were working from the latest available data.

A key part of the solution was local caching. With 12d Synergy, project data and documents are cached on the user’s local computer when first accessed. If there are no interim changes, the system continues working from the local copy rather than downloading the same files again from the server. This reduces traffic between the computer and the server and improves the user experience, especially for larger project files.

GPR also used 12d Synergy’s version control and audit trail capabilities to create clearer project history and make “what-if” changes more safely. Integration with Microsoft Office and Outlook further improved visibility across project emails, task allocation and job lists, helping the team collaborate more effectively and maintain tighter control over confidentiality and integrity.

The Result

• Replaced a manual hard-drive process that was costing around one hour per day.
• Improved remote access for a six-person design and engineering team.
• Supported faster work on project datasets often exceeding 2 GB per project
• Reduced delays where even 10 MB files had previously taken several minutes to open and save over VPN.
• Improved confidence that staff were always working from the latest project data.
• Strengthened audit trails, version control and project visibility across email, task allocation and job lists.

A small consultancy needed speed without sacrificing control

What makes GPR’s story distinctive is that the business was not dealing with enterprise-scale complexity. It was dealing with something more immediate: how to stay fast, flexible and responsive as a small consultancy without losing control of project data.

That meant the problem was not just technical. Slow access to files and unreliable remote workflows directly affected delivery speed, internal productivity and the company’s ability to maintain the attentive service model that set it apart from larger competitors.

Flexibility became a competitive advantage

For GPR, remote access was not framed as a convenience. It became a way to deliver projects more effectively. Once staff could access files from anywhere and work from cached local copies, the business had a more flexible operating model without relying on fragile hard-drive workarounds or slow VPN connections.

That mattered because GPR’s business model depended on responsiveness. Geoff Pratt noted that as a relatively small operation, finding better ways to deliver outcomes for clients meant not only better design, but also being quick to respond to and act on customer requests.  

Faster access improved everyday project delivery

12d Synergy’s local caching model changed the day-to-day experience of working with larger project files. Instead of repeatedly downloading the same data from the server, staff could work from local copies unless changes had occurred, which reduced network traffic and improved performance.

For a team previously dealing with multi-minute delays on relatively small file actions and daily manual copying, that speed improvement had a direct operational benefit. It made work less fragmented, reduced wasted time and gave the team a more practical way to support flexible working.

Version control and visibility improved collaboration

GPR also used 12d Synergy to improve collaboration through stronger version control and better visibility over project status. Revision history and audit trails allowed the team to test changes and roll them back when needed without disrupting delivery timelines.

Because emails, task allocation and job lists were brought into a central repository, staff could also see project status more clearly and collaborate with greater awareness of client instructions, design changes and current responsibilities. This helped management maintain both confidentiality and project integrity while keeping the team aligned.