companies. We find
that in a number of
companies, they are
making the jump to BIM
software but they are
not making the jump to
BIM. By this I mean
they are training up BIM
Modellers to use the
software but they are
treating the BIM
software as just a 3D
modelling software
and a replacement for CAD.
This happens when the senior management of a company don’t
engage with the BIM process. Senior management realise that they have to make
the jump to BIM software because they are tendering for a job or have won a job
with a BIM requirement. But they don’t realise the potential of BIM software
and the BIM process.
This causes a number of issues. The modellers do the BIM
training they go back to their desks and are expected to deliver drawings as
quickly as they did a few days before in CAD. They have no time for a learning
curve on the new software, or to set the new software up correctly and then
everybody get frustrated and the software gets blamed.
What is happening here is that BIM is seen just a software
and they don’t realise that BIM is a process. BIM is a process of sharing and
collaboration. The BIM software whether it is Bentley, Autodesk , Graphisoft or
other is just an authoring tool for the BIM process. Senior management, project
managers and design team leads need to be training in BIM as well as the
modellers. They may not be using the software but they need to know how the
whole BIM process works. They need to understand that in BIM you are virtually
building the building. It will take longer to model the building but the
benefits of being able to schedule, create plans, sections and elevations from
anywhere in the model, do analysis or pass the model into analysis software.
BIM needs to be implemented from the top down in a company
and senior management need to allow the modellers time to setup the BIM
software and allow for a learning curve for the users. As I have mentioned in
previous blogs projects need to be planned and this planning needs to be taken
into consideration. A company should pilot the BIM software and process on a
smaller project that does not have very tight deadline. This will allow the BIM
software and process to blend its way into the company and integrate with the
company standards and processes.
Here at Siscín we do courses for the modellers and non-modellers
in companies, our courses go through the BIM process, what’s involved, planning
a project, staffing a project, what the BIM authoring software can deliver and
using project review software.
If you feel this training is something your company could do
with please contact either myself or Michelle at info@siscin.ie
or my own e-mail dan@siscin.ie.
If you have any questions on anything in this blog or
any other blog please feel free to contact me at dan@siscin.ie
