The best IT setup for a steel detailing firm pairs high-RAM CAD workstations (commonly 64 to 128 GB of RAM for Tekla) with a well-specced central server that hosts the shared models and the Tekla licence service, a resilient network, tested Datto-style backups, Microsoft 365 with SharePoint for secure file sharing, and layered security throughout. Built and managed properly, it keeps every detailer fast and productive, and for most firms it is delivered as managed IT at about £45 to £100 per user per month. Here is what good looks like.
Get the foundations right and a detailing practice barely thinks about its IT. Get them wrong and the whole team feels it on every model. Here is the setup that works.
Workstations built for Tekla
Detailing workstations should be specified for CAD: a strong multi-core processor, a professional graphics card, a fast SSD and, above all, plenty of RAM, commonly 64 to 128 GB so large 3D models stay responsive. Buying proper CAD workstations rather than off-the-shelf office PCs is the difference between smooth detailing and constant waiting.
A central server for models and licences
A single, well-specced server typically hosts the shared model files and runs the Tekla licence service, so it needs enough performance, storage and resilience to keep the whole team working. Sizing it correctly, keeping it patched and monitoring it closely means it serves big files quickly and rarely surprises you.
A resilient network
Moving large models between workstations and the server demands a fast, reliable local network, a good switch and sensible cabling, and a quality firewall at the edge. With external collaboration constant, dependable internet and secure remote access matter too, so detailers can work from home or share with fabricators without friction.
Backup and Microsoft 365
Tested, isolated backups protect your irreplaceable models, ideally with a BCDR appliance that can get you running again quickly after a failure. Microsoft 365 with SharePoint gives you reliable email and a secure way to share project files with outside parties, replacing risky email attachments and unmanaged file transfers.
Security woven through
Across the whole setup, multi-factor authentication, managed email security, endpoint protection and prompt patching keep the practice and its project data safe. For firms chasing larger main-contractor work, building toward Cyber Essentials on top of these foundations turns good security into something you can prove.
What to ask a provider
A specialist for steel detailers should be able to answer:
- Have you supported Tekla detailing practices and CAD firms, including their licensing, before?
- How do you keep our Tekla licences, workstations and model server running to a fabrication deadline?
- How do you let us share drawings and models securely with fabricators and contractors?
- What is your response time when Tekla is down and the whole team is stopped?
- Is the price clear and per user, with security included rather than charged separately?
Where to start
If you are not sure where your practice stands, a short review is the quickest way to find out: check that your Tekla licences are hosted reliably and not on a single neglected server, that your workstations and file server are sized for your models, that drawings are shared securely with MFA, and that your backups are tested. Those few checks show where a CAD-aware managed setup would pay off.
The bottom line
For a steel detailing firm, good IT is the difference between hitting a fabrication deadline and missing it. Tekla opens first time for every detailer, the model server stays fast even on the heaviest jobs, drawings reach fabricators securely, and the work is backed up so nothing is ever lost. The technology stays out of the way and the team gets on with detailing.
That reliability comes from a setup built around how detailers actually work, high-RAM workstations, properly hosted licences and models, and tested backups, rather than generic office IT. For a small practice whose whole output depends on a few CAD seats and one file server, a predictable per-user cost for that dependability is far cheaper than a day with the whole team locked out of Tekla.
Why steel detailers choose First Stop IT
First Stop IT has supported businesses since 2002, including engineering and design firms, and we understand how a steel detailing practice works: Tekla Structures, AutoCAD, Autodesk and Graitec licensing, high-RAM CAD workstations, large-model file servers, secure SharePoint project sharing with fabricators, and Datto backup for irreplaceable models. We support firms across Essex, Hertfordshire and London. Our credentials include:
- Cyber Essentials Certified
- IASME Cyber Assurance (Gold)
- NCSC Assured Service Provider (Cyber Advisor for Cyber Essentials)
- Microsoft Partner
- Crown Commercial Service Supplier (G-Cloud)
- Quality Principles Certified
We look after more than 2,000 endpoints across 50 companies, we have been named a Top 50 UK MSP for three years running, and we support organisations with 10 to 100 employees across Essex, Hertfordshire and London.
Book a free IT and cyber security review
Want IT built around how a steel detailing practice actually works? Book a free IT and cyber security review with First Stop IT.