Ivana Kermen, Technical Specialist in the area of architecture, engineering and construction at Autodesk LATAM, argues that all those who wish to delve into the future of global construction should soak around the BIM methodology, also known as Building Information Modeling.
This methodology allows developers to explore designs before works are built; the intelligent 3D models and data that drive this process make critical aspects of projects easier, such as coordination, communication, collaboration, as well as better visualization that streamlines approvals. There is also a benefit in environmental impact, thanks to proactive sustainability analysis that also helps meet requirements for certifications, such as LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design).
Join the movement
Around the world, design and construction companies are looking towards BIM, planning how to do the adoption in the best possible way, worried about the negative impact on their ability to compete if they don't make this transition sooner rather than later. However, some of them are also concerned about how difficult it will be to adopt this process.
Autodesk's experience has allowed us to witness many companies that have successfully adopted BIM. While there's not just one right way to do this, we've identified 10 steps that will help both speed up the process and reduce the disruptions that can accompany change and we want to introduce them below:
10 steps to BIM
First Step: Know what BIM is. Designate one or two people in the company to learn more about how it will affect your team. For example, in the 2D world, many companies leave the details to the last phases of the design process, in this case many of them must be solved much earlier.
Step Two: Communicate change to your people. High-level positions in the company must take a leadership role in letting employees know of the shift towards BIM. The message should be "we're moving to BIM, because it's critical to our future" and not "we're talking about BIM." Be sure to communicate the anticipated benefits to your company and customers. It will be easier to unify the team around a compelling vision for the future.
Step Three: Consider the software and hardware needs. BIM is not software; is a collaborative process that is based on intelligent 3D information models. But you will need software to create these models. Take the time to explore the available offering, and consider whether your current hardware has enough processing power.
Step Four: Develop a change management plan. To document from a high level how to anticipate the established BIM workflow changes, who needs training, when it will be delivered, and how they will support the rest of the team when they have questions and doubts. Executive support is probably the most important element; organizational change happens faster and more successfully when you help people adopt new ways of working.
Step Five: Start a pilot program, and provide training to the team. For most companies, it makes sense to run a pilot project using BIM. Instead of doing dozens of small projects each year, you can consider finishing a pilot and taking into account the lessons learned in it, before running several more experimental ones.
Step Six: Document preferred processes. As your pilot project (or projects) progresses, it's good to have BIM processes documented as a team. Consider your preferred results and what your team's needs are to support them. It's tempting to try to create standards during or before the run of a pilot. But your ideas about standards will evolve as you use BIM.
Step Seven: Cultivate BIM Champions. You will find that some people in your company are excited about the new process, maybe they even learned about it, as part of their education or while working at another company. Try to assign BIM champions in each pilot project, and provide the additional training and support they need to assist their peers in adopting the process.
Step Eight: Train and transmit to other teams. When people are about to start a BIM project, then train them. A common mistake is to give company-wide training at a time, but the transition to BIM is project by project, over the course of a year or two. People in later projects forget a lot about what they learned in training, which may have happened a long time ago.
Step Nine: Integration with other models. The greatest benefits of BIM will be evident when sharing models with other companies that also work in this process. The integration of the models into a single shared one accelerates the coordination process and opens the door to a new level of collaboration.
Tenth Step: Expand and innovate with BIM. As you use BIM, you'll find new visualization, coordination, and analysis capabilities. Look for ways to turn these new capabilities into valuable service offerings and new customers. Communicate the value of BIM to current and potential customers, let them know you're on your way to meeting requirements, and having a complete BIM-based offering.
Get started today
These steps are certainly useful to start with, but they are only suggestions and should not be seen as something rigid. The steps should be followed in the order that makes the most sense for the types of projects being performed. There are many steps and you can decide to skip or alter some, it all depends on how you want to execute your project and the difficulties or facilities you find within it.
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