Using BIM isn't enough

With the rise in popularity of BIM, we hear about how brilliant BIM is: how it is efficient, makes it easier to catch mistakes, and saves money. Many organizations have purchased BIM programs such as Revit or Tekla, trained their employees, and started modelling projects. While this is an important part of the process, it is not enough.

 

Think about it like Excel: you can tell your employees to use Excel, but if they only use it as a grid then they aren’t even scratching the surface of what the program can do. It is exactly the same with BIM.

 

What can you do to make the most of BIM? Here are the three steps to take:

1. Labelling

First things first: to ensure high quality data, you need to make sure it is all labelled consistently across your organization. For example, all walls of the same type should use the same code, no matter the employee or the project.

2. Management

Once you have correctly labelled data, this data needs to be managed correctly. Ensure the same BIM methodology is used across the organization: how projects are modelled, where they are saved, how they are supervised and by whom.

3.Utilization

Steps 1 and 2 create the foundations for making the most out of BIM in your organization. The utilization process is where you reap the benefits of your high quality data. Create models in minutes, calculate quantities quickly, manage the logistics of deliveries and much, much more.

BIM-based workflow

The three stages of BIM form the basis for a BIM-based workflow in your organization. Use them to create clear and consistent guidelines, specific to your organization, that instruct employees how to work with BIM.

 

“Introducing BIM creates an opportunity to build a high-quality workflow from scratch. Take the time to create strong foundations from which anything is possible – just like in construction itself”

 

These sorts of guidelines lay the foundations for quick and efficient work later. As the use of BIM develops and more BIM-based tools and apps are created, your organization will be able to implement them immediately and truly make the most of BIM.

Get started!

How have you implemented the 3 stages of BIM? Are you ready to reap the benefits?

BIMSearch is an app that makes all the data of a BIM model available in just one click. Add it to your organization’s workflow to make calculating quantities and managing site logistics easy and efficient.