A move to Building Information Modelling (BIM) should include the setting of data standards and a library of reusable components
Setting the BIM standard Thinking about investing in Building Information Modelling (BIM)? Consider including a shared data standard, writes Nick Harris from UK technology service provider CADline.
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n my previous article I talked about the confusion we are encountering from small and medium sized organisations as they consider their options for adopting Building Information Modelling (BIM). Many companies are finding themselves under increasing pressure to develop a BIM strategy in response to client and competitive pressures. CADline continues to field enquiries from customers wishing to buy BIM, but the type of organisation contacting us in this way is widening. Significantly, an increasing number of component manufacturers in the construction industry supply chain, which traditionally use software
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such as Autodesk Inventor to create product designs, are being asked if they can provide BIM data by their customers. I have talked about our approach to simplifying the adoption of BIM within an organisation by deconstructing the process and focusing on the aspects that have the most impact on developing an effective BIM capability. In most cases the company will have identified the BIM toolsets that will deliver improved productivity to the organisation and will have given training requirements some serious consideration and decided on a comprehensive training and support programme. The third piece of this jigsaw is process:
how to create, manage and communicate this new BIM data. More importantly what data will be shared? To what extent is collaboration with customers and partners using BIM data necessary? Whatever the answer is to these questions a BIM standard is advisable — as well as a library of reusable components that conform to a quality and format specified by the standard. The complexity of the standard and how far reaching it is in guiding BIM activity depends on the extent to which BIM data is shared. Companies that continue to deliver ‘lonely BIM’, which is mainly concerned with
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16/7/12 14:51:47
