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Current Filter: >>>>>> A better vision of BIM Editorial Type: Technology Focus Date: 01-2014 Views: 5027 Key Topics: CAD BIM Key Companies: Bentley Systems Key Products: Technology Focus Key Industries: Government | |||
| Neville Glanville, industry sales director, Bentley Systems, explains why he thinks BIM could be seen as either a business enabler or technology red herring The government's decision to require that all suppliers involved in public sector construction projects use Building Information Modelling (BIM) tools and techniques by 2016 makes sense. This should help drive improvements in value and performance, whilst supporting environmental commitments by facilitating a more integrated approach to design, construction, and facilities management. However, misinformation is rife. BIM is not just about 3D data but about creating a holistic information resource that also includes 2D data sources, documents, spreadsheets, and more. Nor is BIM best realised by a single, lowest-common-denominator data model imposed on every organisation in the supply chain. BIM is a business process, not a technology. The key to realising the compelling BIM vision is simply ensuring that every individual and organisation has rapid access to the in-depth information required to drive effective cooperation and collaboration at every stage of the design, build, and operate lifecycle.
DRIVING VALUE The government's commitment to BIM is about driving better value from capital investment and realising a 20% reduction in lifetime costs. It is also about changing the culture between the client and the rest of the supply chain, replacing the traditional, rather adversarial business practices with a collaborative approach that should also drive innovation. The key to realising this vision is to create simple, effective cooperation among the design, construction and operations aspects of the infrastructure lifecycle. Overcoming these traditional silos provides a chance to reduce duplication, minimise errors, streamline processes and facilitate collaboration. Commitment to BIM is growing fast. However, it is apparent that there is considerable confusion about what the adoption of BIM actually means to organisations at different stages of the supply chain. While the majority of new bids now demand some level of BIM compliance, requirements are often opaque at best.
INFORMATION SHARING VIA INFORMATION MOBILITY Unfortunately, the message being disseminated across the industry is that BIM is a design-led initiative that is dependent upon construction companies adopting the same 3D tools as their design partners (and vice versa) to create a single source of project information. This is untrue at many levels - from the 3D assumption to the single data source approach. The single data model is not only expensive and hard to achieve, it also doesn't work. Organisations that have tried this model have quickly discovered that information becomes federated because of the many disciplines involved, and the single model descends into multiple uncontrolled data silos. Let's set the record straight: BIM, when done correctly, is about information sharing enabled by information mobility (across engineering disciplines and the infrastructure lifecycle). It provides contractors and owner operators with access to key design data that can be used to transform effectiveness throughout the construction and operations processes. Yes, it drives better use of 3D across the industry, but not only 3D. 2D data remains important, as does information held in documents, spreadsheets, and other databases, all of which contribute to a holistic BIM approach.
ASSET MODEL
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