BIM from the TOP Down

  Here at Siscín we do BIM training for

  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