The UK Government’s chief construction adviser has characterised BIM as unstoppable. There is no doubt that BIM is certainly the ‘buzz word’ of the moment. Many polarised views have arisen as to BIMs arrival with some seeing it as the ‘silver bullet’ for construction and others of a somewhat pessimistic outlook. Whatever your view of BIM there is no doubt that it is rapidly reshaping the construction industry and changing the way construction is carried out.Recent reports indicate that the UK is fast becoming the market leader in BIM gaining recognition not only in the UK but the EU, meaning the work opportunities are perhaps far greater than envisaged. Those wanting a slice of the BIM pie need to put themselves ahead of the game. With Government mandating all public work to be completed through BIM by 2016, those that don’t may find themselves at a significant loss of business opportunities and market competitiveness. BIM is not only for the public sector however and Peter Hansford at a recent address at the ARCOM conference held in Reading earlier this month stated that the private sector are following suit, and are even perhaps ahead. Despite ever increasing awareness and the looming 2016 deadline, the majority however are still yet to engage with BIM.
Back in 2012 we reported on research conducted by Room4 on behalf of the NFB which evidenced that whilst most construction contractors are not engaging, those that are, are noticing considerable benefits. In some instances, 20% costs savings have been demonstrated as well significant time savings. The report also identified that whilst there is concern that SME’s will be left behind with only the big contractors being able to afford and carry out BIM, many are actually bucking the trend with the report finding that contractors with 51-100 employees reported working on more projects utilising BIM tools than their larger counter-parts.
Across the pond, McGraw Hill conducted an internet survey to gauge the practitioner perception of the value of BIM which elicited 2,228 completed responses from a variety of professions including, 598 Architects, 326 Engineers, 817 Contractors, 118 owners, 73 Building product manufacturers and 296 other industry respondents. The findings revealed that 77% of users perceived a positive ROI on their investment, 87% were experiencing a positive ROI and 93% believed there is more value to be realised in the future. Given the positive feedback from the US, engaging with BIM might therefore help put us ahead not only at UK and EU level but also worldwide.Collaboration is Key - Psychology not Technology
There has been a tendency to focus on the technological implications of BIM leading to some misconceptions. Having attended a number of various sessions on BIM during the last few weeks, including a number of research presentations and the BIM Task Group meeting, what is becoming increasingly apparent to me as I try to grapple with the underpinnings of BIM myself, is that it is (not at the moment at least) not just about technology. It is the knowledge sharing platform that BIM creates that is the key component. In essence BIM is just a process but one that requires people at the forefront to drive it. It requires people foremost, process second and technology last.
Collaborative relationships are vital to the successful delivery of projects and thus the knowledge platform will only be successful if there is mutual adjustment by all parties involved. This for some may be harder to get to grips with than the technology aspect. Whilst collaborative working has improved within industry in recent years, BIM requires taking this to another level. Trust must be developed and relationships nurtured. This requires a significant change in mind-set. The silo mentality currently adopted by industry is the biggest barrier to adoption. It could be said that the business case for BIM has been made. The biggest challenge is changing the mind-set of industry to get on board. The industry is on a transformational journey whether it likes it or not and in order to see BIM implementation through, managing change at both cultural and operational level is paramount. To stay competitive companies have to be mentally prepared for the upcoming transformation.
BIM will no doubt be a dynamic process, updated frequently resulting in a constantly evolving business environment. Adopting a proactive approach and ingraining it as part of your company strategy now will ensure minimum impact when and if change does occur and that you are mentally ready for the challenges that lie ahead.
There is no doubt there is still a long way to go with BIM. Many clients asking for BIM are unsure of what it actually entails and how it can be used to deliver their projects and so for industry this creates further challenges! Those engaging with BIM however will be better informed to inform the uninformed when they come knocking requiring BIM on projects. The earlier companies adopt BIM, the greater their catalogue of evidence demonstrating BIM capability will be. A critical success factor for collaborative working is also early involvement. In a fast growing market, those wanting to be at the top of tender lists need to start making headway. This takes more than just technological learning. It requires a shift in mind-set, not on an individual level but on an organisational level.
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