BimScaler Blog – Building Information Modelling (BIM) has transformed the construction industry by offering a collaborative platform for managing project data and workflows. BIM enables the seamless integration of design, construction, and operational processes, resulting in better project coordination, cost-effectiveness, and quality assurance.
As BIM adoption grows, optimising BIM workflows has become an important factor in realising its full potential. For projects to be completed successfully, mistakes to be avoided, and productivity to be increased overall, BIM workflows need to be applied to the project.
Construction professionals can streamline communication, minimise rework, and promote better decision-making throughout the project lifecycle by optimising BIM workflows.
Let’s take a closer look at BIM workflow, including its key components and process optimisation strategies.
Before we dive into the optimisation, let us first learn about the BIM workflows.
BIM workflows are the systematic work processes that integrate 3D modelling, data management, and collaboration tools to enhance project efficiency and accuracy. Inside the BIM workflow, there are some important key elements that you need to be familiar with.
Plannerly lists data management, standardisation, automation, collaboration, and integration as some of these. In addition to those five essential components, training is another important element that can enhance your BIM workflow.
Data Management
Effective data management is the backbone of BIM workflows. It involves establishing standardised protocols for data creation, storage, exchange, and retrieval, ensuring data integrity and accessibility throughout the project lifecycle.
Collaboration and Communication
BIM workflows thrive on seamless collaboration and communication among project stakeholders. Implementing robust communication channels and fostering a collaborative culture are essential for ensuring efficient information exchange and decision-making processes.
Process Standardisation
Standardising BIM processes is crucial to maintaining consistency and quality across projects. This includes defining clear roles and responsibilities, establishing best practices, and implementing guidelines for model development, coordination, and quality control.
Technology Integration
Integrating various BIM technologies, such as modelling software, project management tools, and cloud-based platforms, is essential for streamlining workflows and enabling real-time data access and collaboration.
Reporting and Documentation Automation
Automation can help reduce human error, save time, and improve overall project efficiency. Automating reporting and documentation processes can help project teams ensure the accurate and timely delivery of information to stakeholders.
Training and Skill Development
Investing in training and skill development for project teams is paramount to ensuring effective BIM implementation and workflow optimisation. Continuous learning and knowledge sharing foster a culture of continuous improvement and innovation.
While optimising BIM workflows is critical for construction project success, it is equally important to ensure that employees are familiar with BIM software and workflows. We covered this in our previous article, where we looked at the common challenges associated with BIM training and discussed effective solutions to them.
Simply click on the link below to go to the article.
Learn More: BIM Training Difficulties: Common Challenges and Effective Methods To Consider
Assessing BIM Maturity and Readiness
Now we already know what the key elements of the BIM workflow are.
The next step is to assess your organisation’s BIM maturity and readiness.
This assessment identifies areas for improvement and provides a roadmap for implementing effective strategies.
Key factors to consider include:
- Organisational Infrastructure: The company should have the necessary infrastructure to implement BIM. This includes both the physical infrastructure (like hardware and software) and the human resources (like trained personnel).
- Attitude Towards Technology: The company’s attitude towards new technology is crucial. A positive attitude can facilitate the adoption of BIM.
- Expertise Understanding: The company should understand its expertise. This means knowing the strengths and weaknesses of the team in relation to BIM.
- Readiness Factors: The assessment should cover three aspects, namely, readiness factor vision, readiness factor rating, and readiness factor risks & actions.
- Customer Demand: According to some studies, customer demand is the main driver of BIM implementation. Therefore, understanding the market and customer requirements is essential.
- BIM Implementation Strategy: A clear and well-defined BIM implementation strategy is important. This includes a thorough review of existing processes, staff performance, IT infrastructure, and the company’s strategic goals.
To evaluate all of these critical factors, you must compare your current organisation to existing standards.
One of the BIM standards to which you can refer is the maturity standard developed by the CIC Research Group at Pennsylvania State University. The CIC research group provides the BIM Project Execution Planning Guide, which is a derivative of the BIM Maturity Assessment tool.
Thankfully, BuildingSMART has already simplified these standards in the form of tools, which you can use to easily assess your current BIM readiness.
Strategies for BIM Workflow Optimisation
Once you have assessed your organisation’s BIM maturity and readiness, you can implement the following strategies to optimise BIM workflows:
- Develop a BIM Execution Plan: Create a comprehensive BIM Execution Plan (BEP) that outlines project-specific goals, roles, responsibilities, and protocols for BIM implementation and workflow management.
- Implement Standardised Processes: Establish standardised processes for model development, coordination, quality control, and data exchange, ensuring consistency and efficiency across projects.
- Leverage Technology Solutions: Invest in advanced BIM technologies, such as cloud-based platforms, virtual reality (VR) tools, and automated model checking solutions, to streamline workflows and enhance collaboration.
- Foster Collaboration and Communication: Encourage open communication and collaboration among project stakeholders by implementing collaborative platforms, regular meetings, and knowledge-sharing sessions.
- Provide Training and Support: Offer ongoing training and support to project teams, ensuring they have the necessary skills and knowledge to effectively utilise BIM technologies and optimise workflows.
- Continuous Improvement: Continuously monitor and evaluate BIM workflows, gathering feedback from project teams and stakeholders to identify areas for improvement and implement necessary changes.
How to Structure a BIM Workflow Optimisation
Structuring your BIM workflow for optimisation involves steps of implementation and collaboration with project teams and stakeholders.
In their blog post, GRAITEC mentioned that one of the most important steps before performing any optimisation is the identification process and establishing optimisation goals. Without any goal in mind, your BIM workflow optimisation will be less effective and may not produce the desired results.
So, how do you structure a BIM workflow optimisation initiative? Here are some of the steps that can be your guide:
- Identify a Benefit: Determine the specific benefit you want to achieve through BIM workflow optimisation, such as reducing errors and omissions on all projects by 10% this quarter.
- Set a Goal: Establish a measurable goal for your optimisation, such as deploying a model checking tool to review one project’s models each week and measure errors.
- Set Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): Track KPIs to measure progress towards your goal, such as deploying a model checking tool to review one project’s models each week and measure errors.
- Find Root Causes: Identify the root causes of errors and apply countermeasures to prevent them from happening again.
- Train Project Team Members: Provide training to project team members on solutions for resolving errors, such as a study session each month on the workflow.
- Track Future Occurrences: Track future occurrences of errors and confirm they have been resolved, or develop a new countermeasure to address the cause.
- Determine What Was Learned: Figure out what you and your team learned from the optimisation and determine what needed to change to achieve the goal.
- Communicate Progress: Communicate the changes to team members and show them how their efforts helped achieve the goal and improved the overall BIM process.
- Measure and Evaluate Performance: Use BIM metrics to measure and evaluate your performance, including lead and lag indicators, to analyse and understand how teams are winning or need improvement.
- Repeat the Process: Repeat the process for the next opportunity to address issues and continue to improve the BIM workflow.
As we continue to optimize BIM workflows and invest in employee training, it’s essential to prioritise another critical aspect of BIM adoption: data security.
Construction projects are becoming increasingly vulnerable to cyber threats and data breaches as they rely more on digital models and collaboration platforms. In our previous article, we discussed the various aspects of data security in BIM, identified potential risks, and provided best practices for protecting sensitive project data.
Make sure to check that by clicking the link below
Learn More: Data Security in BIM: Understanding its Aspects, Risks, and Best Practices
Conclusion
Optimising BIM workflows is a task for construction professionals who want to maximise the benefits of BIM and improve project efficiency and success. Understanding the key elements of BIM workflows, assessing BIM maturity and readiness, implementing effective strategies, and structuring a comprehensive optimisation initiative can help organisations streamline processes, foster collaboration, and drive innovation in the construction industry.
Optimising BIM workflows can be complicated. That is why you should look for a partner who can guide you through these challenges and maximise the benefits of BIM implementation.
Introducing BIMScaler, your trusted BIM implementation partner!
Our CAD and BIM management services will assist you in streamlining your workflows, improving collaboration, and maximising the benefits of BIM. With a team of experienced BIM experts and a deep understanding of the latest technologies and best practices, BIMScaler can help you increase your BIM maturity, develop tailored BIM Execution Plans, and implement strategies to optimize your BIM workflows.
