Measured Confidence
HARC is an Australian engineering consultancy that provides robust, evidence-based technical advice to support decision-making in floodplain management, water resources and dam safety.
As well as being known for strong technical capabilities, the team at HARC also contribute to the leading edge of hydrology research and industry advancement through publications and active participation in professional forums.
Trust and understanding
HARC values their clients and strives to work alongside them and understand their needs on every project. Senior Hydrologist and IT Coordinator, Albert Shen shares: “We tailor our work to meet clients’ requirements and budgets, and they appreciate that we work with honesty and transparency.”
And that trust matters. A range of clients rely on HARC’s analysis to inform critical emergency management decisions. The consultancy’s impact also extends to its pro-bono work delivered through its Corporate Social Responsibility program partnership with WaterAid Australia. Through this partnership, HARC’s technical support contributed to a climate-resilient water, sanitation and hygiene project in Papua New Guinea and Timor-Leste.
In business partnerships more broadly, HARC keeps trust in focus. Albert explains, “We look for responsiveness, and honesty through the process. To know and understand our clients’ needs is key.”
HARC has partnered with Bigfish Technology since 2014 for their IT infrastructure, managed support, telecommunications and cybersecurity needs. In Albert’s words, “The Bigfish team understands our real needs, and can provide effective and efficient solutions for us to make sure we can meet our clients’ demands.”
Powering insights
Hydraulic modelling requires significant computing power, so optimising technology performance creates real commercial value for HARC and their clients.
HARC’s staff work from their Melbourne and Brisbane offices, and remotely with frequent travel. Their distributed team relies on Melbourne-based infrastructure, demanding high-spec servers and high-speed internet connections to maintain processing capabilities from anywhere.
Reflecting on the partnership, Albert notes, “We really value Bigfish’s advice on our built infrastructure so we can plan for the future. Every year we’re looking at more powerful machines, and we rely on [Bigfish Solutions Specialist] Alex to help us explore options.”
High-stakes business continuity
For HARC, downtime carries a significant cost. It disrupts running models, and affects availability for clients relying on prompt answers for projects or on-call responsibilities. Albert explains “Downtime of our IT systems can result in a significant cost and risk to our business. We have to take that into account when considering our IT investments.”
Backing up their data assets is also critical. Every night, terabytes of data are replicated to Bigfish’s private data centre infrastructure, ensuring their environment can be restored quickly and functionally if needed.
Growing together
Over the past decade, HARC has added over 50 staff and expanded its office locations. This level of growth requires more standardisation, documentation, and knowledge sharing. Consistent processes, such as data and device lifecycle management, help keep their environment strong as their team grows.
Albert shares, “We’re currently writing our 2030 strategic plan, and we’re growing as Bigfish is growing. Probably some things that worked well when we were small might not work when we’re bigger.”
Both HARC and Bigfish have recently reviewed team structures to scale knowledge and mitigate key person risks. Albert reflects, “Our whole team loves having [Technical Specialist] Joel regularly in the office over the years – he’s amazing. But it’s also been great to meet new faces, like Joseph, and Lochlan in Brisbane. It’s a good way to share understanding and knowledge… They get to know us well and all really help us effectively. We value those relationships.”
Progress together
Strong relationships are the foundation of partnerships that work. If you’re looking for a partner that’s committed to staying close to your priorities as you grow, we’d love to chat.
