BIM IMPLEMENTATION
Waiting with adoption of Building Information Modeling is not the best strategy. By delaying adoption of BIM you may find yourself behind the competition when market conditions improve. Experienced BIM users are seeing positive returns today and expect those benefits to grow over time. The new McGraw-Hill Construction research, SmartMarket Report: The Business Value of BIM says around six in 10 architects (58%) using BIM sees positive ROI. As designers, they experience less of the direct cost savings seen in the field and realize many intangible benefits such as improved coordination of drawings and documents. New users usually see limited value initially, but additional opportunities materialize with experience
4 KEYS TO SUCCESS
Listed below are the four keys to success. It is proven that when focusing on these steps the potential for success increases greatly.
PLAN
The first stage of Building Information Modeling implementation is planning. Each firm is as unique so careful planning is the foundation to a successful BIM implementation. Planning the implementation of any strategy or technology should take into account all of the individuals and groups that the change will affect. It is advisable to discuss these issues with key individuals in these groups and ask for assistance of experienced professionals that already had experience in BIM implementation.
COMMUNICATE
Once the plan is in place it will become imperative that everyone knows what it is. It is very important to share the plan with the entire office. Given consideration that there are many different roles with in the firm and that means that this new tool will affect them in different ways and therefore they will be interested in different aspects of the tool.
The principals or senior leadership will be interested in how it affects the bottom line, what is to be gained. They will also be interested in what kind of investment, capital and staff, it will require. This group will also be interested in why we would make the change from the process currently in place. Generally speaking what does this mean to the business of architecture?
The project managers will want to know how it affects them. Will it really allow them to get work out sooner or with less staff?
The coordination of drawings, detail and grid bubbles is greatly appreciated. They are also interested in coordination between consultants and how a team might share the data. What does this mean to the process of architecture?
The architects and designers that will be using the tool are generally concerned with the user interface, tools sets and how long it will take to learn. They also will be asking questions about how to create specific detailed models. What does this mean to the design and documentation of architecture?
TRAIN
When implementing a technology like BIM it is advisable to have dedicated training. While on the job training proves to be a great learning experience, it can also be detrimental. When there are deadlines and revisions flying about, trainees tend to want to jump back to their comfort zone, 2D CAD.
The training should be organized and tailored to cover firm’s specific topics and issues. Having general training to cover the basics of the tool can be helpful initially, however, having an expert in the firm covering firm specific issues will pay dividends later. This technique requires an “on-call” trainer that also serves to answer questions and support the users. This technique has proven successful on several occasions. As pilot projects progress; evaluation data should be recorded, monitored and analyzed for later study.
SUPPORT
Once the plan is complete and communicated and when training is finished the implementation is not complete. Firms should plan on maintaining and updating information through ongoing support. It is advisable to have regular meetings to discuss issues anywhere from new techniques to changes in structure and beyond. Additionally, you will want to set up support network and protocol. Users will need to know where they can turn to get questions answered as they arise.
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