BIM STRATEGY

A clearly defined strategy is at the heart of a successful BIM implementation… once you’re clear. It’s only when you’re clear about what you’re hoping to achieve (beyond the somewhat simplistic notion of adopting and implementing BIM), that you can start to delve more deeply into what success looks like and what will be needed to make that success happen.

Bs – BIM Strategy

A business audit to understand existing BIM maturity is likely a good place to start developing a strategy. With a solid BIM business case in hand, it becomes possible to evaluate the tools that can help you deliver and how best to implement the software and technology. This in turn leads towards your BIM Execution Plan (Bep), which acts as a ‘digital method statement’ setting out the supply chain’s agreed approach to BIM implementation on a project.

NBS – Are you BIM ready?
A series of articles aimed at those considering BIM implementation and assessing their current state of BIM readiness.
David Philp – Implementing a company-wide BIM strategy? [video]

FOUNDATIONS

Foundations are the bedrock of efficient systems for communication, information exchange and data transfer. Only with these in place you can start to build advanced BIM processes.

Fr – Framework

Information is created at the start of a project and continues to evolve throughout the life of the built asset. Digital information and exchange will flow across the project time line – from briefing and design, through to construction and beyond into facilities management. Capturing and developing information effectively will ensure that design, regulatory, construction and supply teams are able to collaborate efficiently, making use of well-structured and integrated information.

FOUNDATIONS

Foundations are the bedrock of efficient systems for communication, information exchange and data transfer. Only with these in place you can start to build advanced BIM processes.

Co – Common methods

Sharing structured data is at the heart of BIM but this sharing is only possible if stakeholders across the supply chain are working to shared standards. In the construction sector, buildingSMART is the leading organisation devoted to identifying and delivering the standards needed. Of note are IDM – Information Delivery Manuals ISO/FDIS 29481-1:2010 and IFD – International Framework Dictionary ISO 12006-3:2007 which help formalise information exchange and shared standards terminology respectively.

buildingSMART
NBS – Standards in construction

FOUNDATIONS

Foundations are the bedrock of efficient systems for communication, information exchange and data transfer. Only with these in place you can start to build advanced BIM processes.

Pr – Procurement route

Your contractual framework should seek to establish the right environment for BIM. The UK Government’s Construction Strategy recognises that procurement is crucial to establishing a successful BIM implementation. Communication needs to flow not only between the client and principal contractor but also through to any subcontractors. You’ll need to consider how to approach model management, intellectual property rights and data management, responsibilities for errors (given the reliance on supplied data), liabilities and ownership of process and risk management.

FOUNDATIONS

Foundations are the bedrock of efficient systems for communication, information exchange and data transfer. Only with these in place you can start to build advanced BIM processes.

Ca – Capability and capacity

What skills and qualities will be required to implement BIM in your organisation? To what extent can these be developed or learnt and to what extent might they need to be imported or outsourced? Just as the BIM Execution Plan (Bep) demonstrates capability on a project, at the foundation stage of BIM implementation you need to demonstrate you have the capability to deliver what is required. Maintaining ‘business as usual’ while implementing any form of programme of change is also something that needs to be carefully planned and managed.

NBS – Are you BIM ready?
A series of articles aimed at those considering BIM implementation and assessing their current state of BIM readiness.

COLLABORATION

Developing better and more efficient ways of working through collaboration enables you to reap most benefit from the coordinated information that lies at the heart of your BIM implementation.

Cu – Culture and behaviour

BIM implementation is, above all, about change and change management and understanding existing culture and behaviour is, therefore, crucial to delivering successful outcomes. Changing an entrenched culture is likely to be hard work – you’ll need to win the hearts and minds of the people you’re working with and that is likely to require a canny mix of cunning and persuasion. Any process of change will likely incur some pain as resources are shifted away from existing areas towards others – so you need to be realistic about this. Focussing first on areas where small changes can bring big results is likely to be worthwhile.

NBS – Are you BIM ready? (Part five) and (Part six)

COLLABORATION

Developing better and more efficient ways of working through collaboration enables you to reap most benefit from the coordinated information that lies at the heart of your BIM implementation.

Po – Process

BIM isn’t just 3D CAD – it’s a process where a range of ingredients come together to deliver much more than a model that exists as a one-time output. The BIM process is best thought about as a living, breathing thing that can be expected to grow and develop across the project timeline and be interrogated, adapted, split and combined many times over. Understanding the process that you undertake on existing projects will help you understand how a BIM process might impact. It will also help you determine whether to integrate BIM into these existing workflows or take the opportunity to develop an entirely new process for project delivery with collaboration, coordination and trust at its heart.

NBS – Understanding BIM in a project management environment

COLLABORATION

Developing better and more efficient ways of working through collaboration enables you to reap most benefit from the coordinated information that lies at the heart of your BIM implementation.

Fo – Forms of procurement

Determining an approach to collaboration as early as possible in a project is strongly advised, even if a range of details are left unresolved until later stages. Such direction is likely to come from the client (and their advisers) initially and will inform the selection of procurement route (Pr), form of contract and the preparation of tender documentation.

The UK Government Construction Strategy recommends design and build, prime-time contracting or private finance initiative forms of procurement. Partnering (or alliancing) may also be used, typically on large, long-term or high-risk contracts.

NBS – Which procurement method?
NBS – PPC: The natural home for BIM and collaborative working

COLLABORATION

Developing better and more efficient ways of working through collaboration enables you to reap most benefit from the coordinated information that lies at the heart of your BIM implementation.

Di – Digital tools

‘Doing BIM’ is not just a case of buying one of the major modelling tools – there’s much more to it than that. You could easily produce a 3D building in your tool but choose to attach nothing but geometric information. To actually build what you design you need to reference a whole range of other kinds of information – from environmental performance calculations to building product manufacturer vendors’ data. A building information model is, therefore, just part of BIM. There’s not yet one tool that integrates a whole range of information into one perfect tool so you need to determine which tools you’ll use for which tasks and how data might flow between them.

Find out more about the NBS BIM workflow
NBS – Completing BIM Level 2

COLLABORATION

Developing better and more efficient ways of working through collaboration enables you to reap most benefit from the coordinated information that lies at the heart of your BIM implementation.

St – Standardisation and Interoperability

Unlike more traditional construction processes, BIM isn’t a one-time exchange of data – and should be thought of instead as many data exchanges over the life of a project. Good standards provide clear requirements that set minimum conformity specifications and strike the right balance between too many and too few varieties – in the best interests of both the product supplier and the consumer.

When it comes to BIM the UK’s BIM Task Group has published a variety of standards – notably BS 1192-4, PAS 1192-2 and PAS 1192-3 to encourage standardisation by focussing on the production, exchange and use of information as a means of delivering improved performance across the whole life of a building.

Interoperability is important too – ensuring you can use the outputs someone else in the project team has produced, because you’re all using standard formats.

NBS – Standardisation: The spice of life
NBS – BIM and interoperability

PROCESS

The process grouping takes inspiration from the Information Delivery Cycle from PAS 1192-2 and (in particular) Figure 2 in the document. By understanding what a best practice workflow looks like and how information can be universally structured you need to understand requirements across the project lifecycle and, in turn, how to ensure efficiency at each project stage.

As – Assessment and need

The starting point for your BIM implementation process, the assessment and need analysis draws on the information included in the existing Asset Information Model (AIM).

See Ma – Maintenance and use

PROCESS

The process grouping takes inspiration from the Information Delivery Cycle from PAS 1192-2 and (in particular) Figure 2 in the document. By understanding what a best practice workflow looks like and how information can be universally structured you need to understand requirements across the project lifecycle and, in turn, how to ensure efficiency at each project stage.

Eir – Employers information requirements

Employers Information Requirements take the form of a pre-tender document setting out the information to be delivered and the standards and processes to be adopted by the suppliers as part of the project delivery process.

Organizational Information Requirements (OIR) generate Asset Information Requirements (Air) which informs Eir. Similarly, Plain Language Questions (PLQs) will also generate Eir and in turn specify the Project Information Model (PIM). Clause 5 of PAS 1192 lists out a minimum set of contents for the Eir covering information management, commercial management and competence assessment.

NBS – Validating employers’ information requirements
NBS BIM Toolkit – Employers’ information requirements

PROCESS

The process grouping takes inspiration from the Information Delivery Cycle from PAS 1192-2 and (in particular) Figure 2 in the document. By understanding what a best practice workflow looks like and how information can be universally structured you need to understand requirements across the project lifecycle and, in turn, how to ensure efficiency at each project stage.

Ex – Execution

The process of delivering your BIM Execution Plan (Bep).

See Bep

PROCESS

The process grouping takes inspiration from the Information Delivery Cycle from PAS 1192-2 and (in particular) Figure 2 in the document. By understanding what a best practice workflow looks like and how information can be universally structured you need to understand requirements across the project lifecycle and, in turn, how to ensure efficiency at each project stage.

Bep – BIM execution plan

The BIM Execution Plan (Bep) is a document prepared by suppliers (and submitted pre-contract) to explain how the information modelling aspects of a project will be carried out in a structured and consistent way. More detail is added post-contract to explain the supplier’s methodology for the use of BIM in delivering the project.

The Bep should include common terminology for job titles, descriptions, responsibilities and process to ensure parity for all who need to refer to it.

Refer to PAS 1192-2 for guidance on production of the pre-contract Bep and Project Information Plan (Pip) (clause 6.2), the contents of the post-contract Bep and Task Information Delivery Plan (Tidp) and guidance on how documents used for information management interrelate (figure 8).

PROCESS

The process grouping takes inspiration from the Information Delivery Cycle from PAS 1192-2 and (in particular) Figure 2 in the document. By understanding what a best practice workflow looks like and how information can be universally structured you need to understand requirements across the project lifecycle and, in turn, how to ensure efficiency at each project stage.

De – Delivery

During the design and construction phase, the project information model (PIM) starts out as a design intent model. As a project progresses the model passes from design suppliers to construction suppliers and their supply chain. PAS 1192-2 Section 9 details the delivery process in more detail.

PROCESS

The process grouping takes inspiration from the Information Delivery Cycle from PAS 1192-2 and (in particular) Figure 2 in the document. By understanding what a best practice workflow looks like and how information can be universally structured you need to understand requirements across the project lifecycle and, in turn, how to ensure efficiency at each project stage.

Midp – Master information delivery plan

The Master Information Delivery Plan (Midp) is the primary plan for the preparation of project information (from the supplier’s perspective) required by employer’s information requirements Eir and is covered in PAS 1192-2 (Clause 7.3). It will list deliverables and set out when project information is to be prepared, by whom, and utilising which protocols and procedures at each project stage. Deliverables include (amongst other things) models, drawings or renders, specifications, equipment, schedules, room data sheets with some form of version change control being used across the document set.

PROCESS

The process grouping takes inspiration from the Information Delivery Cycle from PAS 1192-2 and (in particular) Figure 2 in the document. By understanding what a best practice workflow looks like and how information can be universally structured you need to understand requirements across the project lifecycle and, in turn, how to ensure efficiency at each project stage.

Ma – Maintenance and use

PAS 1192:3 specifies requirements of information management to achieve BIM Level 2 in relation to the operation and maintenance of assets (buildings and infrastructure).

The Asset Information Model (Aim) is the single source of validated and approved information that relates to the built asset, and clients, end users, and facility managers’ use it for the operation and in-use phases. It might relate to a single asset, a system of assets or even an organisation’s entire asset portfolio.

NBS – What does ‘Government Soft Landings’ mean?

PROCESS

The process grouping takes inspiration from the Information Delivery Cycle from PAS 1192-2 and (in particular) Figure 2 in the document. By understanding what a best practice workflow looks like and how information can be universally structured you need to understand requirements across the project lifecycle and, in turn, how to ensure efficiency at each project stage.

Cde – Common data environment

A Common Data Environment (Cde) is a single place you can put all the information about a project and easily share it with everyone… not just the geometric models, but broader project information too like documentation, registers and schedules. The cde can be implemented in many different ways (it might take the form of a project server, extranet or file-based retrieval system, for example). Clause 9.2 of PAS 1192-2 describes the Common Data Environment in more detail while BS 1192 provides status codes for the Cde.

PROCESS

The process grouping takes inspiration from the Information Delivery Cycle from PAS 1192-2 and (in particular) Figure 2 in the document. By understanding what a best practice workflow looks like and how information can be universally structured you need to understand requirements across the project lifecycle and, in turn, how to ensure efficiency at each project stage.

Dpow – Digital Plan of Work

The Digital Plan of Works (DPoW) is the articulation of the project delivery stages and the level of detail/ definition that needs to be delivered by each supplier/ discipline to the employer at any point of time.

The free-to-use NBS BIM Toolkit includes a free-to-use digital plan of work tool that enables the definition of who is doing what and when throughout a construction project.

See Digital Plan of Work grouping

PROCESS

The process grouping takes inspiration from the Information Delivery Cycle from PAS 1192-2 and (in particular) Figure 2 in the document. By understanding what a best practice workflow looks like and how information can be universally structured you need to understand requirements across the project lifecycle and, in turn, how to ensure efficiency at each project stage.

If – Information exchange

PAS 1192-2 defines Information Exchange (In) as a structured collection of information at one of a number of pre-defined stages of a project with defined format and fidelity.

NBS – Managing information exchange in collaborative environments: PAS 1192-2

PEOPLE

Only by having a committed set of individuals who communicate and collaborate well, bringing the right mix of skills to the task in hand, can you expect to achieve what you’ve set out to do when it comes to BIM implementation. Deciding upfront whether you have the right people (and whether they will be readily available to you and your project) will help determine the investment and timescales of your changes.

Cm – Communication

Your work on BIM Strategy (BS ) and Process (Po) will have helped inform your BIM execution plan (Bep) which should help give you a much clearer idea about what will need to be communicated, to whom and when. Effective communication relies on telling the right people, the right thing, at the right time, to make the information heard and actionable. Think about your contractors and clients as part of your project workflow but also think about your staff (and potentially your contractors and clients too) when thinking about what you need to share on the journey you’re about to undertake.

PEOPLE

Only by having a committed set of individuals who communicate and collaborate well, bringing the right mix of skills to the task in hand, can you expect to achieve what you’ve set out to do when it comes to BIM implementation. Deciding upfront whether you have the right people (and whether they will be readily available to you and your project) will help determine the investment and timescales of your changes.

In – Investment

BIM implementation is not just about investment in the terms seen in our TECHNOLOGY grouping – the software, hardware and infrastructure/storage and even training. If you’re running ‘business as usual’ alongside a significant process of change you need to factor in the cost of potential dual-running and the diversion of key personnel. It’s vital to be realistic about the kind of investment you’ll need to implement your BIM strategy. You may need to bring in additional staff or outsource work and all these decisions will have a price tag attached. Be realistic about the pros and cons of a phased approach to implementation and what’s needed in terms of time and money to get things to happen and at what stage the investment will be needed.

PEOPLE

Only by having a committed set of individuals who communicate and collaborate well, bringing the right mix of skills to the task in hand, can you expect to achieve what you’ve set out to do when it comes to BIM implementation. Deciding upfront whether you have the right people (and whether they will be readily available to you and your project) will help determine the investment and timescales of your changes.

So – Soft skills

Soft skills, the personal attributes that enable someone to interact effectively and harmoniously with others, are easily overlooked but well worth considering when assembling your project team and those who will act as champions. Are the right people in the right posts and do they have the attributes you need, not just today, but towards the later stages of your BIM implementation programme? As BIM puts collaboration to the fore you need team players who are good at communication, making decisions, are suitable flexible, and are adept at creative problem solving both individually and as part of a team.

PEOPLE

Only by having a committed set of individuals who communicate and collaborate well, bringing the right mix of skills to the task in hand, can you expect to achieve what you’ve set out to do when it comes to BIM implementation. Deciding upfront whether you have the right people (and whether they will be readily available to you and your project) will help determine the investment and timescales of your changes.

Ch – Change process

Your approach to getting your organisation from where it is now to where you want it to be requires a process of change management.

Think about your reason for change and capacity for change but don’t neglect the change process itself. How will you overcome the baggage that people currently have, either through lack of change management, lack of training or fear that the results will lack quality or cause problems? Will you bring about change all at once, will it sit alongside ‘business as usual’ will there be key milestones? What can people expect throughout the process?

PEOPLE

Only by having a committed set of individuals who communicate and collaborate well, bringing the right mix of skills to the task in hand, can you expect to achieve what you’ve set out to do when it comes to BIM implementation. Deciding upfront whether you have the right people (and whether they will be readily available to you and your project) will help determine the investment and timescales of your changes.

Cp – Cooperation

Any change process (Ch) requires cooperation to make it happen. Cooperation among staff and cooperation with external bodies, organisations and suppliers and eventually new ways of cooperating with clients and contractors as part of your new project workflow to ensure a quality BIM model and effective end results.

PEOPLE

Only by having a committed set of individuals who communicate and collaborate well, bringing the right mix of skills to the task in hand, can you expect to achieve what you’ve set out to do when it comes to BIM implementation. Deciding upfront whether you have the right people (and whether they will be readily available to you and your project) will help determine the investment and timescales of your changes.

Sh – Share success

Change can be hard work and throw up unforseen (or even forseen) problems – that’s why it’s vital to share success to keep motivation high and also show the interim and eventual benefits as they start to unfold. Your champions will be vital to communicating these messages across your business – to the right people, in the right time, in the right way. Take time to understand (and establish ways for staff to feedback on) how new ways of working are making a difference. Think outside of your own four walls – could your success stories form part of your customer or client marketing plans? Would other organisations benefit from understanding more about what you’ve achieved and how?

PEOPLE

Only by having a committed set of individuals who communicate and collaborate well, bringing the right mix of skills to the task in hand, can you expect to achieve what you’ve set out to do when it comes to BIM implementation. Deciding upfront whether you have the right people (and whether they will be readily available to you and your project) will help determine the investment and timescales of your changes.

Ci – Champion

Establish a network of critical friends in the right places across your organisation to help you communicate effectively and oil the wheels of progress. These champions should bring understanding of your current process and procedure and be able to act as a conduit to feedback issues and concerns at an operational level. As you start to see the benefits of change in your organisation you can start to consider how you can bring clients and suppliers with you on your journey.

PEOPLE

Only by having a committed set of individuals who communicate and collaborate well, bringing the right mix of skills to the task in hand, can you expect to achieve what you’ve set out to do when it comes to BIM implementation. Deciding upfront whether you have the right people (and whether they will be readily available to you and your project) will help determine the investment and timescales of your changes.

Av – Availability

Want to deliver your BIM implementation by Christmas? Are the staff you need to implement various aspects of your project free and available to hit your deadline? If three big deliverables are due in November, diverting time and attention, you need to be realistic about whether your deadline is feasible. If you’re also pushing through an IT project that will tie up the entire technical team, will you be able to implement the new software and infrastructure needed for your project?

PEOPLE

Only by having a committed set of individuals who communicate and collaborate well, bringing the right mix of skills to the task in hand, can you expect to achieve what you’ve set out to do when it comes to BIM implementation. Deciding upfront whether you have the right people (and whether they will be readily available to you and your project) will help determine the investment and timescales of your changes.

Sp – Support

What support will you need and when? Do you need more people? A better understanding of a technology? The ears of a particular specialist? Think carefully about what you need to bring about change and whether what you need is likely to be available at the right time.

It’s tempting to bring in external support at various stages to allow for ‘business as usual’ but may have the adverse effect of meaning your experts can’t effectively shape processes, storing up problems down the line which then take more time to unpick.

PEOPLE

Only by having a committed set of individuals who communicate and collaborate well, bringing the right mix of skills to the task in hand, can you expect to achieve what you’ve set out to do when it comes to BIM implementation. Deciding upfront whether you have the right people (and whether they will be readily available to you and your project) will help determine the investment and timescales of your changes.

En – Engage

It’s important to engage with the right people both inside and outside of your organisation. Dragging everyone in to every single aspect of the project is unlikely to be necessary but you will need to involve people from all areas of your organisation at some point. Think about how best to engage with different teams? Will existing newsletters, stand-ups and meetings allow you to get what you need or will you need to set up new methods of communication for the project as a whole, or discrete areas of business?

Think too about how you engage with clients and contractors – to communicate about what you’ll need and at what stage in a project as you move towards new and collaborative ways of working.

TECHNOLOGY

The TECHNOLOGY grouping focusses on what you need to consider when thinking about software, hardware (and appropriate training), not to mention the file storage required for your new digital files.

Sf – Software

When deciding which software and platforms to use, don’t limit yourself to the views and prior experiences of your immediate project team. Software and technology vendors will undoubtedly have something to say when it comes to features, integrations and success stories, but be sure too to talk to other practices to see what they’re using and learn from their implementation journeys. Get your head around what comes ‘out of the box’ and what takes more time, skill and bespoke know-how to implement!

Be sure to factor in the systems you’re currently working with when choosing new options – while complete replacement is one approach, it may not necessarily be the right one – playing to the strengths of a multitude of systems or dovetailing with existing work practices at various points may be worthwhile.

Once decided, be sure of the development roadmaps of the software you’ll be using. If a new release will solve some frustrations it may be worth waiting a few months, alternatively, if an unknown quantity is just around the corner, perhaps falling a release behind might be wise?

TECHNOLOGY

The TECHNOLOGY grouping focusses on what you need to consider when thinking about software, hardware (and appropriate training), not to mention the file storage required for your new digital files.

Ha – Hardware

Closely linked to the decisions you’re likely to be making on software, don’t forget to consider the impact on existing hardware (or the cost of purchasing and installing new). It may be tempting to pinch some pennies and make-do with existing kit but this may be foolhardy longer term. If going for new, typically ‘the bigger, the better’ is the way to go when it comes to computer components – whether it’s the processor clock speed, the amount of RAM, size or speed of hard drive. Another thing to consider is the potential brought about by cloud hosting and storage solutions. By relying on external kit to do the heavy lifting work and more-moderately specced kit back at base is becoming a more realistic and affordable proposition for some.

TECHNOLOGY

The TECHNOLOGY grouping focusses on what you need to consider when thinking about software, hardware (and appropriate training), not to mention the file storage required for your new digital files.

Tr – Training

New software (or using existing software for new things or in different ways) will likely require training. Depending on existing skills and knowledge you may be able to cascade training down from existing experts in-house, alternatively there’s likely to be a whole range of vendors and consultants willing to talk you through the basics or tailor something very, very specific to your needs. Be mindful that not everyone will need to know everything – but most (if not all) should understand how processes and deliverables fit together as part of the bigger picture.

Don’t forget that BIM is about much more than software… there’s a job to do to explain what BIM is, what benefits it brings, and what its impact will be on the way things are right now. These first principles are key to bringing people along on your journey, empowering them to let go of the past and get involved. Don’t forget training on soft skills too.

TECHNOLOGY

The TECHNOLOGY grouping focusses on what you need to consider when thinking about software, hardware (and appropriate training), not to mention the file storage required for your new digital files.

Fi – File storage

As you move toward implementing platforms and software and the processes that will use them you should have a much greater understanding of what kind of files you’ll be generating for each project. There’s a tricky balance between opening up relevant systems and storage to allow for collaboration while being sure that security is sufficiently locked down to avoid the potential of damage – be it unintentional or malicious. As the amount of digital data you produce is set to increase, consider your approach to fail-safe and back-up from the start. How and when will data be mirrored or snapshots taken and where will it be stored? Consider too your approach to file formats and naming conventions to allow your systems to easily query and anticipate what’s what and ensure that they’ll be able to use them at the appropriate points of a project.

TECHNOLOGY

The TECHNOLOGY grouping focusses on what you need to consider when thinking about software, hardware (and appropriate training), not to mention the file storage required for your new digital files.

Ir – Infrastructure

Your infrastructure is the network of systems that keep things moving as part of your BIM workflow.

As you make decisions on software, hardware and security, you’ll need to ensure that a whole range of systems and outputs ‘talk to each other’ in the right way, in the right time and output in the right formats.

More fundamentally, you need to understand every point of your infrastructure to troubleshoot or design-out potential weak-links at various points in the procedure and ensure there’s suitable resilience and fall-back.

STANDARDS

The STANDARDS grouping takes in a range of standards, procedures and supplementary documents that have been developed to ‘bake in’ the kinds of considerations and assurances that will help you devise and then implement a successful BIM strategy.

Cd – Capital delivery phase

Building on the existing code of practice for the collaborative production of architectural, engineering and construction information, defined within BS 1192:2007, PAS 1192-2:2013 is a specification for information management for the capital/ delivery phase of construction projects using BIM.

It is during this phase that the majority of graphical data, non-graphical data and documents, known collectively as the project information model (PIM), are accumulated from design and construction activities.

STANDARDS

The STANDARDS grouping takes in a range of standards, procedures and supplementary documents that have been developed to ‘bake in’ the kinds of considerations and assurances that will help you devise and then implement a successful BIM strategy.

Cl – Collaborative business relationships

BS 11000 shows you how to eliminate the known pitfalls of poor communication. It also defines roles and responsibilities and supports collaborative decision-making – making your partnerships all the more valuable to your business.

BS 11000-2:2011 helps you to establish and improve collaborative relationships. It does this by giving guidance for the effective implementation of BS 11000-1, which sets out a framework for collaborative business relationships.

Additional advice can be found in BS 1192:2007+A2:2016 (Collaborative production of architectural, engineering and construction information. Code of practice).

STANDARDS

The STANDARDS grouping takes in a range of standards, procedures and supplementary documents that have been developed to ‘bake in’ the kinds of considerations and assurances that will help you devise and then implement a successful BIM strategy.

Li – Library objects

BS 8541-1, 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6 provide recommendations for defining format and content for library objects to support project briefing, design, tendering, construction and management of built assets. The focus of each part is as follows:

BS 8541-1:2012 (Library objects for architecture, engineering and construction – Part 1: Identification and classification – Code of practice)
BS 8541-2:2011 (Library objects for architecture, engineering and construction – Part 2: Recommended 2D symbols of building elements for use in building information modelling)
BS 8541-3:2012 (Library objects for architecture, engineering and construction – Part 3: Shape and measurement. Code of practice)
BS 851-4:2012 (Library objects for architecture, engineering and construction – Part 4: Attributes for specification and assessment – Code of practice)
BS 851-5:2015 (Library objects for architecture, engineering and construction – Part 5: Assemblies – Code of practice)
BS 8541-6:2015 (Library objects for architecture, engineering and construction – Part 6: Product and facility declarations – Code of practice)

STANDARDS

The STANDARDS grouping takes in a range of standards, procedures and supplementary documents that have been developed to ‘bake in’ the kinds of considerations and assurances that will help you devise and then implement a successful BIM strategy.

Op – Operational phase

PAS 1192-3:2014 (Specification for information management for the operational phase of assets using building information modelling)

STANDARDS

The STANDARDS grouping takes in a range of standards, procedures and supplementary documents that have been developed to ‘bake in’ the kinds of considerations and assurances that will help you devise and then implement a successful BIM strategy.

Pt – Protocol

Having a protocol in place sets the foundations for everyone to work collaboratively and exchange information and should dovetail with your robust quality assurance procedures.

In response to the UK government’s BIM strategy the Construction Industry Council published the CIC BIM Protocol (and a range of supporting documentation) which highlights the minimum legal and commercial requirements that apply when using BIM on a project. It seeks to clarify rights, responsibilities and liabilities of each party involved and a prototype production and delivery table to demonstrate which models a client requires at which stage of a project, who is responsible for information at each data drop and the required levels of detail.

The Construction Project Information Committee’s CPIx Protocol has seen the development of a range of BIM strategy templates in consultation with the government BIM Task Group. The templates, currently in beta cover, a BIM Execution Plan, Assessment Form, Supplier IT Assessment Form and Resource Assessment Form. The templates are all in accordance with PAS 1192-2.

STANDARDS

The STANDARDS grouping takes in a range of standards, procedures and supplementary documents that have been developed to ‘bake in’ the kinds of considerations and assurances that will help you devise and then implement a successful BIM strategy.

Pe – Prequalification questionnaires

PAS 91:2013 has been developed with the objective of streamlining and reducing the cost of prequalification in construction procurement processes. It provides a set of questions to be asked by buyers of potential suppliers to enable prequalification for construction projects.

It also specifies requirements for the consistent use of those questions across projects of varying sizes.

STANDARDS

The STANDARDS grouping takes in a range of standards, procedures and supplementary documents that have been developed to ‘bake in’ the kinds of considerations and assurances that will help you devise and then implement a successful BIM strategy.

Fm – Facilities management

BS 1192-4:2014 (Collaborative production of information. Fulfilling employer’s information exchange requirements using COBie. Code of practice)

STANDARDS

The STANDARDS grouping takes in a range of standards, procedures and supplementary documents that have been developed to ‘bake in’ the kinds of considerations and assurances that will help you devise and then implement a successful BIM strategy.

Qu – Quality management systems

The ISO 9000 family addresses various aspects of quality management and contains some of ISO’s best known standards. The standards provide guidance and tools for companies and organisations who want to ensure that their products and services consistently meet customer’s requirements, and that quality is consistently improved.

ISO 9001:2015 sets out the requirements of a quality management system.

STANDARDS

The STANDARDS grouping takes in a range of standards, procedures and supplementary documents that have been developed to ‘bake in’ the kinds of considerations and assurances that will help you devise and then implement a successful BIM strategy.

Bsdd – buildingSMART data dictionary

Not a standard in the strictest sense of the word, rather an implementation of ISO 12006-3:2007 (Building Construction – Organisation of information about construction works [Part 3: Framework for object-orientated information]).

The standard specifies a language-independent information model which can be used for the development of dictionaries used to store or provide information about construction works. It enables classification systems, information models, object models and process models to be referenced from within a common framework.

buildingSMART, as part of their work championing openBIM standards, have developed the buildingSMART data dictionary, essentially a library of objects and their attributes. Its aim is to ensure a more efficient building process by using standard definitions so that, regardless of language, a “door” means the same thing in Iceland as it does in India. Moreover, by mapping relationships between objects as well as their property definitions, a range of benefits can be realised.

STANDARDS

The STANDARDS grouping takes in a range of standards, procedures and supplementary documents that have been developed to ‘bake in’ the kinds of considerations and assurances that will help you devise and then implement a successful BIM strategy.

Dg – Digital security

Sharing information securely without inhibiting collaboration is what lies at the heart of PAS 1192:5 2015 – a specification for asset owners developed by the Centre for Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI) working with the UK BIM Task Group.

The standard acts as a specification for security-minded BIM, digital built environments, and smart asset management.

NBS – Implementing a security-minded BIM approach

STANDARDS

The STANDARDS grouping takes in a range of standards, procedures and supplementary documents that have been developed to ‘bake in’ the kinds of considerations and assurances that will help you devise and then implement a successful BIM strategy.

Ds – Design management systems

BS 700-4:2013 (Design management systems. Guide to managing design in construction) was published on 31 December 2013 (replacing BS 7000-4:1996)

The new standard provides guidance on the construction design process at all levels and establishes principles to ensure the design management process is more efficient by providing the principles and a common reference for company and project protocols.

STANDARDS

The STANDARDS grouping takes in a range of standards, procedures and supplementary documents that have been developed to ‘bake in’ the kinds of considerations and assurances that will help you devise and then implement a successful BIM strategy.

Ifc – Industry foundation classes

Industry Foundation Classes (Ifc) is a neutral, non-proprietary data scheme developed by buildingSMART to define, describe, exchange and share building and construction information.

In other words, Ifc provides the guidelines to determine what information is exchanged about an asset – essentially, the rules (the model specification) for sharing the right data.

IFC is not controlled by a vendor or group of vendors and is instead an open file format specification, registered as ISO 16739:2013 which consists of the schema specification and reference data (referenced as definitions of property and quantity names and descriptions) with a suBS et of this data being used to provide ‘model view definition’.

The conceptual scheme is defined in EXPRESS data specification language and data is exchanged and shared using clear text encoding of the exchange structure (though alternative formats are permissible providing they conform to the schema).

STANDARDS

The STANDARDS grouping takes in a range of standards, procedures and supplementary documents that have been developed to ‘bake in’ the kinds of considerations and assurances that will help you devise and then implement a successful BIM strategy.

Br – Briefing

BS 8536-1:2015 (Briefing for design and construction. Part 1 – Code of practice for facilities management [Buildings infrastructure]) aims to involve the operator and the operations team and their supply chain from the outset, and then extend this involvement through delivery through to operations and defined periods of aftercare.

STANDARDS

The STANDARDS grouping takes in a range of standards, procedures and supplementary documents that have been developed to ‘bake in’ the kinds of considerations and assurances that will help you devise and then implement a successful BIM strategy.

Am – Asset management

Three standards now exist as a definition of good practices into the optimised management of physical assets, drawing on the success of PAS 55, and taking this further as an international standard.

BS ISO 55000:2014 (Asset management. Overview, principles and terminology) introduces the critical concepts and terminology needed to develop a long-term plan that incorporates an organisation’s mission, values, objectives, business policies and stakeholder requirements.

BS ISO 55001:2014 (Asset management. Management systems – Requirements) specifies the requirements for an effective Asset Management System.

BS ISO 55002:2014 (Asset management. Management systems – Guidelines for the application of ISO 55001) offers interpretation and guidance for implementation of your Asset Management System.

STANDARDS

The STANDARDS grouping takes in a range of standards, procedures and supplementary documents that have been developed to ‘bake in’ the kinds of considerations and assurances that will help you devise and then implement a successful BIM strategy.

Idm – Information delivery manual

ISO 29481-1:2010 (Building Information Modelling – Information Delivery Manual – Part 1 Methodology and Format) specifies a methodology and format for the development of an information delivery manual (IDM)

The methodology seeks to co-ordinate and unite a flow of construction processes with the specification of information required by the flow and what format this information should take.

The standard has interoperability in mind as it seeks to promote digital collaboration between partners in the construction process and provide accurate, reliable, repeatable and high quality information exchange.

ISO 29481-2:2012 (Building information models – Information Delivery Manual – Part 2: Interaction Framework) provides a methodology and format for the ‘co-ordination’ acts between partners in a construction project across the project lifecycle.

The standard describes the interaction framework (and what format the framework should be specified in) and provides an appropriate way of mapping responsibilities and interactions to provide a process context for information flow.

ENABLING TOOLS

The ENABLING TOOLS are responsible for bringing your Building Information Modelling deliverables to life. They’ll help build up a range of graphical, non-graphical and associated project documentation throughout the lifespan of your project in sufficient detail that they can be used and queried throughout.

Bt – BIM Toolkit

The NBS BIM Toolkit is a free-to-use project management tool that allows you define who is doing what and when on any construction project.

By providing step-by-step help to define, manage and validate responsibility for information development and delivery at each stage of the asset lifecycle, the toolkit is an indispensable way of meeting the requirements of BIM Level 2.

The toolkit was developed by NBS for the UK Government as one of the key deliverables of BIM Level 2.

NBS – NBS BIM Toolkit

ENABLING TOOLS

The ENABLING TOOLS are responsible for bringing your Building Information Modelling deliverables to life. They’ll help build up a range of graphical, non-graphical and associated project documentation throughout the lifespan of your project in sufficient detail that they can be used and queried throughout.

Lod – Levels of detail

Level of Detail refers to the level of graphical data present at a particular stage of work.

See also Levels of information (Loi)

NBS – BIM Levels of Detail

ENABLING TOOLS

The ENABLING TOOLS are responsible for bringing your Building Information Modelling deliverables to life. They’ll help build up a range of graphical, non-graphical and associated project documentation throughout the lifespan of your project in sufficient detail that they can be used and queried throughout.

Loi – Levels of information

Level of Information refers to the level of non-graphical data at a particular stage of work.

Level of Data	Geometric data	Level of Information
1	Approx dimensions and concept graphics for visualisations.	The project requires a boiler. Initial options described.
2	Generic boiler system, space arrangement, clearance zones, input/output.	System description and initial requirements specified for performance of boiler.
3	Development of detail, dimensional constraints for technical design, materials and finishes.	System selection and detailed performance requirements with reference to standards.
4	Technical design proposals, detailed spatial coordination of related systems.	Technical system specification, including components to permit product selection.
5	As-built installation and co-ordination, future use as maintenance information.	Detailed specification of manufacturer’s product including testing, operation and maintenance.

ENABLING TOOLS

The ENABLING TOOLS are responsible for bringing your Building Information Modelling deliverables to life. They’ll help build up a range of graphical, non-graphical and associated project documentation throughout the lifespan of your project in sufficient detail that they can be used and queried throughout.

Cs – Classification

When it comes to Building Information Modelling, classification is a systematic arrangement of headings and sub-headings for aspects of construction work including the nature of assets, construction elements, systems and products.

Uniclass 2015 is a unified classification system for the UK industry covering all construction sectors. It contains consistent tables classifying items of all scales from a facility such as a railway down to products such as a CCTV camera in a railway station.

Uniclass forms part of the NBS BIM Toolkit as increasingly used by a range of software tools to provide classification information.

NBS – NBS BIM Toolkit – Classification
NBS – Uniclass 2015 – An update

ENABLING TOOLS

The ENABLING TOOLS are responsible for bringing your Building Information Modelling deliverables to life. They’ll help build up a range of graphical, non-graphical and associated project documentation throughout the lifespan of your project in sufficient detail that they can be used and queried throughout.

An – Analysis tools

With a wealth of digital data at your disposal making sense of it all and what it is telling you is crucial to getting the most out of the BIM process. BIM analysis tools allow you to perform a range of analyses in the design and development of an asset at various points during its life.

For example, early in the project an energy model may provide answers when it comes to orientation, form and occupancy levels and the asset’s energy requirements. Later on thermal performance, wind flow, lighting levels and pedestrian flow may be of interest.

A range of analysis tools are available – some standalone and others that integrate with another software product.

ENABLING TOOLS

The ENABLING TOOLS are responsible for bringing your Building Information Modelling deliverables to life. They’ll help build up a range of graphical, non-graphical and associated project documentation throughout the lifespan of your project in sufficient detail that they can be used and queried throughout.

Cafm – Computer-Aided Facilities Management

One of the benefits of BIM is that it encourages a whole-life approach to construction projects and should provide a wealth of data that can be handed on to those responsible for facilities management.

A CAFM software tool typically provides the ability to manage, report, track and plan facilities functions. This in turn allows a facilities team to ensure the organisation’s assets are fully utilised at the lowest possible cost as well as the operational and strategic management of the building.

CAFM systems may include (or interface with) CAD systems, BIM Models and Computerised Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS).

ENABLING TOOLS

The ENABLING TOOLS are responsible for bringing your Building Information Modelling deliverables to life. They’ll help build up a range of graphical, non-graphical and associated project documentation throughout the lifespan of your project in sufficient detail that they can be used and queried throughout.

Ct – Cost tools

Many BIM authoring platforms can automatically calculate quantification of items, areas, surfaces and volumes of the asset and export to spreadsheet but they cannot produce a cost estimate.

Tools used for quantity takeoff and estimating are usually linked to BIM authoring tools via plug-ins. These plug-ins are able to export embedded BIM information into a quantity takeoff tool to automatically extract information and quantities from the 3D geometric data.

Quantity takeoff typically updates automatically as the base model is updated by the project team and this, in turn, will inform cost estimation.

A tool like NBS Cost Tracking allows you to add valuations, perform tender analysis and track construction phase costs.

ENABLING TOOLS

The ENABLING TOOLS are responsible for bringing your Building Information Modelling deliverables to life. They’ll help build up a range of graphical, non-graphical and associated project documentation throughout the lifespan of your project in sufficient detail that they can be used and queried throughout.

Pg – Programme tools

Programme tools are used to schedule works and by contractors on a project.

ENABLING TOOLS

The ENABLING TOOLS are responsible for bringing your Building Information Modelling deliverables to life. They’ll help build up a range of graphical, non-graphical and associated project documentation throughout the lifespan of your project in sufficient detail that they can be used and queried throughout.

Ad – Administration tools

Not every tool is unique to BIM. BIM projects can easily make use of the kind of digital files in use in everyday office life. From portable document format (pdf) files to spreadsheets to word processing tools, sometimes these formats are better equipped to provide additional information at various stages in your project and they can easily be linked to from appropriate places. While there are a range of well-known packages that can output these kinds of files, many free-to-use packages can also export to these formats too.

ENABLING TOOLS

The ENABLING TOOLS are responsible for bringing your Building Information Modelling deliverables to life. They’ll help build up a range of graphical, non-graphical and associated project documentation throughout the lifespan of your project in sufficient detail that they can be used and queried throughout.

Au – Authoring tools

BIM authoring tools (sometimes called BIM platforms) are tools used in the design for generating data for multiple uses. The common users of these tools are: designers, 2D to 3D conversion teams, and subcontractors.

Although generic authoring tools exist covering the basics of architecture (structural and MEP, for example), some tools are specific to a discipline. Parametric authoring tools use a combination of graphics and information. Such tools are used during the design phase until the construction documents phase. Vendors including Autodesk, Graphisoft, Bentley and Tekla are among the main players in this sector – most tools work in a similar way but will have their own idiosyncrasies.

When choosing an authoring tool you need to think about interoperability with other tools and those used across the supply chain – some may not offer such functionality such as the import and export of Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) information.

ENABLING TOOLS

The ENABLING TOOLS are responsible for bringing your Building Information Modelling deliverables to life. They’ll help build up a range of graphical, non-graphical and associated project documentation throughout the lifespan of your project in sufficient detail that they can be used and queried throughout.

Mo – Model viewers and checkers

Many collaboration and construction management tools have inbuilt model viewers. That said, with so many software tools that can be used to produce models, and given the need for heavy collaboration, most software vendors provide viewers or checkers to allow contributors across the supply chain to access files in native formats without any potential loss of fidelity that might come from exporting down to an open standard.

Many of these viewers and checkers are free, with some premium versions offering additional functionality such as model checking for clash-detection purposes based on rule-based checking for compliance and validation of all objects in the model.

See also Standardisation and Interoperability

BIM Task Group – Free BIM Viewing Tools

ENABLING TOOLS

The ENABLING TOOLS are responsible for bringing your Building Information Modelling deliverables to life. They’ll help build up a range of graphical, non-graphical and associated project documentation throughout the lifespan of your project in sufficient detail that they can be used and queried throughout.

Se – Specification tools

The coordinated data environment (Cde) will include graphical and non-graphical information and a range of associated documentation.

Specification tools have a crucial role to play in developing the non-graphical information which will evolve over the project timeline.

A range of specification tools are available, with the more sophisticated ones, allowing the project team to co-ordinate the specification and design using plugins (or add-ons) that add this functionality to your BIM authoring tool(s). Some tools will also allow for information to be published in a range of different views, reports and file formats, such as XML or data schemas like COBie.

ENABLING TOOLS

The ENABLING TOOLS are responsible for bringing your Building Information Modelling deliverables to life. They’ll help build up a range of graphical, non-graphical and associated project documentation throughout the lifespan of your project in sufficient detail that they can be used and queried throughout.

Fl – File sharing and collaboration

File sharing and collaboration are at the heart of the Common Data Environment (Cde) that provides document management. Many solutions for document management will run as applications in the cloud allowing you to work from your desktop, the internet or a mobile device. These tools should allow the project team to share a wide range of information including contracts, schedules, specifications, reports and model information. These tools will vary in sophistication – some offering simple upload and export functions, others providing deeper auditing and security controls.

RESOURCES

Whatever stage you’re at on your journey towards BIM implementation, there’s a heap of useful resources you can take advantage of each and every step of the way. From vlogs and videos to social sharing and opinionating, the global BIM community are keen to share their wisdom and the trials and tribulations that come with revolutionising construction.

Su – Surveys and Reports

Surveys and reports are a good opportunity to take a step back from the day-to-day implementation of BIM and take stock of the wider industry – whether in your home country or further afield.

The National BIM survey from NBS is now in its sixth year making it one of the longest-standing pieces of research when it comes to BIM in the UK. You can download a full, free copy of this year’s report (packed with analysis and articles) from our weBS ite.

NBS has also looked outside the UK with international studies taking the temperature when it comes to BIM readiness and also produces a range of other useful surveys – including regular looks at construction contracts and legal issues.

Elsewhere, many of the big research organisations, construction companies and software vendors are also good sources of insight and analysis on all aspects of digital construction.

RESOURCES

Whatever stage you’re at on your journey towards BIM implementation, there’s a heap of useful resources you can take advantage of each and every step of the way. From vlogs and videos to social sharing and opinionating, the global BIM community are keen to share their wisdom and the trials and tribulations that come with revolutionising construction.

Vi – Videos

It may be hard to believe but there are videos available online that don’t feature feline-focussed hilarity. Video sharing sites like YouTube are also packed with a range of instructional videos covering pretty much anything you might want to know more about – and BIM is no exception. An online search should point you towards a wealth of material – both longform and ‘snackable’ that both show and tell on all things BIM.

You might also want to take a look at video content here on theNBS.com, peruse the B1M site (packed with lots of short videos on a range of BIM essentials), and take on board a heap of tricks, tips and product info from Jeff, the Revit Kid.

RESOURCES

Whatever stage you’re at on your journey towards BIM implementation, there’s a heap of useful resources you can take advantage of each and every step of the way. From vlogs and videos to social sharing and opinionating, the global BIM community are keen to share their wisdom and the trials and tribulations that come with revolutionising construction.

Ev – Events

As great as online communication is, taking some time out of the office and coming together with specialists and your peers can still be of great value. To this end, there are a host of construction industry events and trade shows – some with a sole-focus on BIM, others which feature it as part of a broader remit.

Our article on the construction industry expos and conferences you have to attend in 2016 is worth a look, while browsing the sites of professional institutions, software vendors and those with an interest in BIM are surely to unearth a range of interesting opportunities – on both the regional, national and international stages. Eventbrite is also worth bookmarking to see what might be happening right on your doorstep.

RESOURCES

Whatever stage you’re at on your journey towards BIM implementation, there’s a heap of useful resources you can take advantage of each and every step of the way. From vlogs and videos to social sharing and opinionating, the global BIM community are keen to share their wisdom and the trials and tribulations that come with revolutionising construction.

Fu – Forums and user groups

Collaboration in the BIM community is fuelled by a range of physical and virtual forums and user groups – where people come together to share ideas, opinions and views, often in very niche areas.

Some groups worth seeking out include the BIM Forum which has a particular focus on the AEC industry and boasts a range of online forums and real-world conferences and the UK BIM4 Community Groups who champion BIM across a number of specialist areas (covering everything from retail to infrastructure to, in the case of BIM2050, the future!).

International groups (such as the Institute for BIM in Canada or BIM-MEP AUS) are also worth keeping an eye on.

RESOURCES

Whatever stage you’re at on your journey towards BIM implementation, there’s a heap of useful resources you can take advantage of each and every step of the way. From vlogs and videos to social sharing and opinionating, the global BIM community are keen to share their wisdom and the trials and tribulations that come with revolutionising construction.

Sc – Social media

The BIM community is never short of a thought to share or a useful resource to pass along… making it ideally suited to social media. Whether on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn there’s a world of status updates, links to useful resources and impassioned debates just a search term away.

If you’re looking for interesting folk to follow then Construction Manager’s #BIMtwitter50 is a good place to start, as is Building Design Magazine’s #BDTwitter100. In building up a list of followers you may soon encounter the #UKBIMCrew hashtag that is increasingly being surpassed by the one for #GlobalBIMCrew – not exclusive cabals, these hashtags are a handy way of seeking out what’s going on across the BIM community.

#BIMTransferSeason is also worth a look come New Year’s Eve as Casey Rutland tracks the head-hunting trends on Twitter as they apply to BIM-related knowledge in “The List”.

As you’d expect NBS is also active and engaged on social media – you can follow us on Twitter @theNBS or stop by the NBS page on LinkedIn.

RESOURCES

Whatever stage you’re at on your journey towards BIM implementation, there’s a heap of useful resources you can take advantage of each and every step of the way. From vlogs and videos to social sharing and opinionating, the global BIM community are keen to share their wisdom and the trials and tribulations that come with revolutionising construction.

Bl – Blog posts

There are a host of companies and individuals blogging about BIM and, as such, ‘of the moment’ posts passing comment on the latest happenings or reviews of events and expos are in plentiful supply allowing you curate your own mix of wisdom and opinion.

With so many blogs to choose from it’s hard to single out just a few, but the following companies and individuals are well worth a look and should point you towards others…

Dr Stephen Hamil, NBS’s Director of Design and Innovation, is a regular poster to his Construction Code blog and it’s sure to feature on many people’s bookmarks. Stephen posts concise summaries from a range of BIM events and conferences and some great step-by-step guides to features and functions within a range of NBS services. Casey Rutland, an architect and associate director at Arup, presents a range of useful material on The CASE for BIM, while Anthony McPhee offers advice on Practical BIM.

Meanwhile, the BIM Blog run by UK architectural practice Bond Bryan offers a host of opinion pieces, tips and examples of Open BIM, as well as useful content on acronyms, file formats and a BIM jargon buster.

RESOURCES

Whatever stage you’re at on your journey towards BIM implementation, there’s a heap of useful resources you can take advantage of each and every step of the way. From vlogs and videos to social sharing and opinionating, the global BIM community are keen to share their wisdom and the trials and tribulations that come with revolutionising construction.

Bo – Books

Over the past few years the number of published works on BIM has significantly expanded. As BIM Levels have become more codified and BIM best practice more widespread, so too has been the desire to document and share learning from the journey so far.

Our reading list for BIM hints at some of the titles that are in the pipeline for the year ahead. Our article What is BIM? also contains a selection of recommended reading – whether you’re interested in a general primer, want to understand how BIM management works or the impact on small practices or even on matters such as construction health and safety. You’ll find these titles, and more besides, available from RIBA Bookshops.

DIGITAL PLAN OF WORK STAGES

The Digital Plan of Work (dPoW) is an expression of the delivery stages across a project (and the relevant level of detail and definition that needs to be delivered by each supplier/ discipline to the employer at each stage to ensure effective collaboration).

Sr – Strategy

This stage is used to ensure that the client’s Business Case and the Strategic Brief have been properly considered before the Initial Project Brief is developed.

DIGITAL PLAN OF WORK STAGES

The Digital Plan of Work (dPoW) is an expression of the delivery stages across a project (and the relevant level of detail and definition that needs to be delivered by each supplier/ discipline to the employer at each stage to ensure effective collaboration).

Bi – Brief

The preparation of the Initial Project Brief is the most important task undertaken at this stage. Other significant and parallel activities needed during this stage include developing any related Feasibility Studies, assembling the project team and defining each party’s roles and responsibilities and the Information Exchanges. These activities will help ensure that Concept, Definition and Design is as productive as possible.

The Initial Concept Design is produced in line with the requirements of the Initial Project Brief. The project team also develops a number of Project Strategies. Their importance at this stage will depend on how they are to influence the Concept Design. Examples include the Sustainability Strategy. The Final Project Brief should be issued as part of the Information Exchange at the end of this stage.

DIGITAL PLAN OF WORK STAGES

The Digital Plan of Work (dPoW) is an expression of the delivery stages across a project (and the relevant level of detail and definition that needs to be delivered by each supplier/ discipline to the employer at each stage to ensure effective collaboration).

Df – Definition

The Concept Design is further developed and the design work of the core designers is progressed until the spatial coordination exercises have been completed. This includes Cost Information and Project Strategies in accordance with the Design Programme.

DIGITAL PLAN OF WORK STAGES

The Digital Plan of Work (dPoW) is an expression of the delivery stages across a project (and the relevant level of detail and definition that needs to be delivered by each supplier/ discipline to the employer at each stage to ensure effective collaboration).

Dn – Design

The Technical Design is prepared in accordance with the Design Responsibility Matrix. By the end of this stage, all aspects of the design will be completed, apart from minor queries arising from the site during the construction stage. In many projects, Design and Build/Commission work occurs concurrently, particularly the specialist subcontractor design aspects.

DIGITAL PLAN OF WORK STAGES

The Digital Plan of Work (dPoW) is an expression of the delivery stages across a project (and the relevant level of detail and definition that needs to be delivered by each supplier/ discipline to the employer at each stage to ensure effective collaboration).

Bu – Build and commission

During this stage, the contract is completed on site in accordance with the Construction Programme. The procurement strategy and/or Schedule of Services will have set out the designer’s duties to respond to Design Queries from site.

DIGITAL PLAN OF WORK STAGES

The Digital Plan of Work (dPoW) is an expression of the delivery stages across a project (and the relevant level of detail and definition that needs to be delivered by each supplier/ discipline to the employer at each stage to ensure effective collaboration).

Hn – Handover and closeout

The project team’s priorities during this stage will be facilitating the successful handover of the construction or building in line with the Project Programme and, in the period immediately following, concluding all aspects of the Building Contract.

DIGITAL PLAN OF WORK STAGES

The Digital Plan of Work (dPoW) is an expression of the delivery stages across a project (and the relevant level of detail and definition that needs to be delivered by each supplier/ discipline to the employer at each stage to ensure effective collaboration).

Oe – Operation

Operation and end of life stages includes Post-occupancy Evaluation and review of Project Performance as well as other In Use duties as detailed in the Schedule of Services.

DIGITAL PLAN OF WORK STAGES

The Digital Plan of Work (dPoW) is an expression of the delivery stages across a project (and the relevant level of detail and definition that needs to be delivered by each supplier/ discipline to the employer at each stage to ensure effective collaboration).

Ed – End of life

Operation and end of life stages includes Post-occupancy Evaluation and review of Project Performance as well as other In Use duties as detailed in the Schedule of Services.

The Periodic Table of BIM

Strategy

Foundations

Collaboration

Process

People

Technology

Standards

Enabling Tools

Resources

Digital Plan of Work stages

Digital Plan of Work stages

BIM STRATEGY

Bs – BIM Strategy

FOUNDATIONS

Fr – Framework

FOUNDATIONS

Co – Common methods

FOUNDATIONS

Pr – Procurement route

FOUNDATIONS

Ca – Capability and capacity

COLLABORATION

Cu – Culture and behaviour

COLLABORATION

Po – Process

COLLABORATION

Fo – Forms of procurement

COLLABORATION

Di – Digital tools

COLLABORATION

St – Standardisation and Interoperability

PROCESS

As – Assessment and need

PROCESS

Eir – Employers information requirements

PROCESS

Ex – Execution

PROCESS

Bep – BIM execution plan

PROCESS

De – Delivery

PROCESS

Midp – Master information delivery plan

PROCESS

Ma – Maintenance and use

PROCESS

Cde – Common data environment

PROCESS

Dpow – Digital Plan of Work

PROCESS

If – Information exchange

PEOPLE

Cm – Communication

PEOPLE

In – Investment

PEOPLE

So – Soft skills

PEOPLE

Ch – Change process

PEOPLE

Cp – Cooperation

PEOPLE

Sh – Share success

PEOPLE

Ci – Champion

PEOPLE

Av – Availability

PEOPLE

Sp – Support

PEOPLE

En – Engage

TECHNOLOGY

Sf – Software

TECHNOLOGY

Ha – Hardware

TECHNOLOGY

Tr – Training

TECHNOLOGY

Fi – File storage