Why does the building industry need to know about BIM and what are the benefits

BIM is the next big thing in the industry. There are already early adopters who have been using BIM for a few years, but the majority of the industry is playing catch-up. If companies are going to compete in the public sector and increasingly in the private sector, then they need to have BIM capabilities. This knowledge is not just for the architect and lead contractor, but will affect any organisation involved in design work to a great degree plus other trades to a lesser degree.

Public sector frameworks are now asking for BIM capabilities. Some new frameworks have put a 10% weighting on this section, so it is essential that the industry understand what BIM is and why. BIM will impact on business conducted going forwards, with clients demanding it on projects, the SoftLandings element for the handover from a project to a client, the lead contractor demanding it from their supply chains, and so forth. Some companies have commented that they will do BIM if the client will pay for it. This is the wrong approach. The BIM process will over time, become integrated into the company process and the benefits that BIM will bring will become more apparent.

But it is not just the industry who has to adapt to the new world. Clients will play a more important role going forward, and there are activities that they need to lead on. A client cannot just say “I want this project to BIM level 2”, without defining what they want, how they want it and so forth in a structured, documented manner.

The “What’s in it for me?” question is important. There are a number of tangible and intangible benefits in an ideal BIM world such as

· Better client engagement

· Better procurement from both client and lead contractor

· Better costing

· Better collaboration

· Less waste

· Fewer clashes

· Improved margins

· Increased business opportunities.

The question that companies need to think about is “Will you survive and grow in the BIM world without implementing BIM?”

The FutureFit BIM project is providing free business support to eligible SMEs across the South East who are looking to implement BIM. For more information, contact Julian Carter by emailing [email protected]