Policy to Practice: BIM as a tool for project success?

The need to embrace technological advancements and digitise manual processes is critical in transforming any industry to keep up with the gruelling pace of a changing, evolving and dynamic world. This is no different in the construction industry, with Building Information Modelling (BIM) being a leading tool that is mandated in all public projects and required for many private ones. From the introduction of BIM into project processes back in 2011, the UK government’s core drivers focussed on “reducing asset costs, achieving greater operational efficiency, facilitating greater efficiency and effectiveness of construction supply chains and assisting in the creation of a forward-thinking sector.”

Introducing BIM as a dynamic and collaborative working process to gain efficiencies and increase project success is a game-changer, if it is utilised correctly. Immense effort was expended by multiple bodies to strategise the idea, conceptualise the process and produce frameworks, guidance documents and, more recently, even ISO standards (ISO19650) to dictate and validate how best to implement BIM into project workflows. These are critical policies required to standardise the application and implementation of BIM.

However, when you consider the implementation of BIM, many sources outline a top-down approach and suggest tasks like: “Get your directors on board, assemble a BIM team, define your BIM standards, and then implement” – and boom, success is yours! Sounds easy, right? But there seems to be a missing link around how this high-level overview effectively translates to the ground-level application of BIM by the businesses and people expected to implement it.

Currently, more and more responsibility for implementing BIM and driving its benefits is being passed down the supply chain and landing in the laps of contractors and, more importantly, their trades. However, these companies are often not structured in a manner that allows for easy change or adoption of new working processes and deliverables, and they find it difficult to fulfil these obligations.

Nevertheless, by carefully considering and strategising their approach, companies can successfully adapt their traditional work processes and delivery methods in a practical and achievable manner that allows them to enter the digital age. This is when they can truly understand and harness the benefits of BIM, whether or not it is a project requirement.

By adapting to BIM workflows and digitising information, construction companies can improve their current workflows, enhance their levels of efficiency, and gain an edge over their competition. As a result:

• designs are fully resolved at a much earlier stage to reduce risk and error on site,
• processes are automated to streamline outputs,
• information is managed more effectively to ensure team collaboration, and
• deeper insight into designs allows for more efficient installation sequencing and project management.

BIM as a whole is enabling construction companies to go above and beyond, and to see and do a lot more as they break through limitations and extend their reach in ways that were previously unimaginable.

By incorporating BIM, and more importantly, implementing it effectively, construction companies can step into a new realm of opportunity and push the boundaries of project delivery and streamlined workflows.

About Michelle du Plessis

Michelle is the Managing Director + Co-Founder at Shft. Shft power contractors and asset owners of all sizes to become leaders in Construction's digital future. Their mission is to be the digital bridge for the industry, so every contractor and asset owner has the chance to thrive in construction's future while still being able to stay focused on what they do best.