In the third article in the series on BIM, we look at what project developers should definitely pay attention to.
Building Information Modelling (BIM) allows you to bring together information about a project in a centralized and accessible format.
BIM has recently proven to be increasingly beneficial for project management.
It enables better collaboration and provides a lot of reliable information to make sustainable decisions.
BIM provides project managers with the right tools to reduce errors, make teamwork more efficient, meet budgets and schedules, improve the client experience and expand opportunities for future work.
In the implementation phase, there are some important things you should do and others you shouldn’t.
The following article provides a useful guide for project managers on the do’s and don’ts of the BIM implementation phase.
What types of properties or projects are you developing?
Are they entire buildings with predominantly office or mixed use?
Do you sell parts of properties?
Do you rent out the property or do you use it as your headquarters?
You should ask yourself these questions when analyzing your property types and business developments.
Understanding the types of projects and properties you typically deal with will help you determine what type of use cases you want to serve with your models.
This allows you to set clear goals and define exactly what you want to achieve with BIM.
The use cases describe what your models are needed for and how they are used.
If you understand what activities you carry out in the planning, construction and operation phases, you can define what requirements your BIM models should fulfill.
Deriving these use cases will also allow you to order the right things from your consultant.
For example, use cases for building operation are much more important in offices than in residential buildings.
Virtual reality (VR visualization) and augmented reality (AR visualization), on the other hand, are very useful in residential projects to show your customers what their apartment will look like, but may not be as valuable for selling an office building to an investor.
You can also use use cases to define project goals.
As in the examples above, you need to know whether your building is an office building, a residential building or another type of development, as this will indicate the type of processes you will use with BIM.
Once you have the abstract use cases, convert them into concrete requirements for the planners and contractors.
Bringing in an expert, be it an internal or external consultant, can help you with this task.
BIM experts can tell you whether your specifications are feasible and help you bring together all the existing information.
By seeking advice from an expert, you have a greater chance of your project succeeding and can reduce the risk of failure.
BIM implementation is an arduous process and takes time.
To be successful, perseverance and patience are required.
If you have a Plan B as a backup, you are planning for the eventuality of Plan A failing, which should not be the case.
Taking your time during the implementation phase and making sure you get the best out of BIM is key. Research has also shown that a Plan B can sabotage your Plan A as it gives you more certainty.
Plan B’s reduce your performance in relation to your main goal by reducing the desire to achieve it.
Intermediate conclusion: It’s best to have a plan A (BIM implementation) and stick to it!
Determine what you want to achieve.
Otherwise you will cause more costs for your company.
Try to understand your goals precisely and explain them to the experts.
If you don’t do this, there is a risk of misunderstandings and rework that adds up.
The introduction of BIM is successful when project developers understand that BIM involves completely new processes and brings with it new opportunities.
So you can’t compare it to traditional projects and do things the way you’ve done them before.
BIM is a newer, more advanced method of creating and managing construction information.
It enables better, more streamlined processes that are completely different from traditional approaches.
For a successful BIM implementation, it’s best to rethink every step in your overall project process to allow for improved communication, collaboration and decision making.
When it comes to introducing new ways of working, you often encounter resistance from your employees because they are unsettled.
It is therefore important that you do not force BIM on your employees.
Instead, try to inspire them by communicating all the benefits of BIM.
Management should provide sufficient support so that employees feel encouraged and empowered to use BIM.
Support your employees in leadership topics related to BIM projects and inspire them to change their mindset about it.
Provide them with the necessary tools.
Gently introduce them to the new process instead of throwing them in at the deep end!
BIM is an excellent approach to the technical aspects of construction.
For a successful BIM project, the project developer needs to set a clear path right from the implementation phase.
This is the most important phase of any contract and the right steps at this stage will have an impact on the rest of the project.
Implementing BIM requires continuous reassessment and can be an arduous process.
But with this list of do’s and don’ts, as well as sophisticated BIM platforms, you can be sure you’re on the right track.
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Simon Zaugg
13 June, 2022
BIM New functions Trade fair
