BIM is getting much attention because it is so well aligned to providing value in relation to major converging conditions in the building professions:

•           Sustainability awareness and objectives

•           ‘New’ project delivery approaches

•           Advances in design technology

•           Globalization /  Distributed Teams /
                Consolidation

•           Competitive pressures and client demands

The industry is driving change

The building industry has become increasingly aware of the need to improve the way buildings are designed, delivered, and operated throughout their lifecycle.

Organizations such as the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology, the Construction Users Round Table, the American Institute of Architects,     
the Association of General Contractors, the Design                 Image courtesy: 
Build Institute of America, and many more have                  Jirsa Hedrick & Assoc.
undertaken to evaluate and quantify these issues. 
And they are all actively advocating change to
improve the building process.

There are problems to be fixed

The essence of the findings from these efforts is that the traditional ways projects are designed, documented, and constructed causes:

• Waste
• Delay
• Re-work
• Unnecessary cost
• Lost opportunity
• Poor inter-disciplinary coordination
• Increased liability
• Lower quality

BIM can help you fix these problems on your projects.

There are benefits to be gained

                                                                                                        
BIM coordinates design, documents, and               Image courtesy: Thompson, 
delivery for your own work, and throughout         Ventulett, Stainback & Assoc.
the project team.

BIM integrates the work, processes, and information for:

• Multiple disciplines
• Multiple companies
• Multiple project phases

Saving Time

Teams that have changed to BIM save time.

During design, there is increased opportunity for design iterations, as information                         Image courtesy: Seoul National
 is exchanged between disciplines quickly.                     University of Technology
Project documentation requires less time
wasted on grunt work. Professionals can spend less time documenting decisions and more time making them. Everyone can avoid redundant effort. And construction can better support fast-tracking, tightly managed schedules, and the shared risks and rewards of design/build.

Improving Quality

Teams that have changed to BIM improve the quality of work.

Improved coordination between documents, between disciplines, and across the entire team reduces errors and omissions. With coordinated documents and well-captured design intent, the enhanced design process makes for a far more informed design environment. 

In addition BIM enables you to pursue better quality buildings, through issues such as:

• Integrated practice
• Sustainable “Green” design
• Innovative use of  materials and methods
• New and exciting building geometries

Enhancing Profitability

Teams that have changed to BIM enhance profitability and competitiveness.

• Lower the bottom line: Effectively applied man-hours, efficient deliverables, and lower error and omission remediation costs can all dramatically impact                      Image courtesy: 
  profitability. Moreover, the increased predictability                PLH Architects
  of managed costs can be realized in lower contingencies.
  Many BIM practitioners can even point to lower insurance premiums as a result of reduced project claims.
  
  
• Raise the top line: With a faster delivery of service, more competitive quality of work, and tighter bidding for design and construction services, BIM enables more profitable practice.