BIM, Clients, Leaders of the Revolution
[Posted in LinkedIn on December 11, 2014]
Previously on.., I discussed the need for the construction industry’s clients to step forward and become leaders in the BIM revolution. Assuming that is now a taken, and that BIM is indeed a revolution, let us look at the next steps for a new build client that does not have a large mature BIM team and capability. For ease of reading I will call an example company LTS Jones Ltd.
What are the success factors for the implementation of BIM. The board of LTS Jones Ltd have decided it is a good idea, so how do we measure success? Normally, we would look straight to the bottom line. Is the implementation profitable? However, BIM is more complex than that. For a start, going forward, BIM should be free at point of sale. BIM should be so integrated into the normal day job that it is impractical if not impossible to collect and separate the majority of BIM related costs. The BIM generated savings could also be elusive to capture, partly because of the argument, 'We would have spotted that without all of this fancy BIM stuff'. Perhaps that is the case, but perhaps not. Yes, there are specific savings which have been separately identified, but the majority of the complex savings will only become apparent with statistics.
BIM implementation is fundamentally a change program. It is 70% about people. We could be diverted at this point to talk yet again about the title. BIM, Better Information Management, Information Flow Management and Modelling (IFMandM), Collaborative Information Exchange and Modelling, (CIEM) or perhaps Collaborative Information Management and Modelling, (CIMM). However, delving into the name yet again would be a distraction.
So, step back a little. The board of LTS Jones Ltd has decided to adopt BIM, not because of any government instruction, but because of the safety, efficiency, time, quality, and cost improvements that it brings, together with the enhanced wellbeing of its staff. The government instruction helped LTS Jones Ltd board appreciate and understand the benefits though! The early realisation of those benefits must therefore be a key. “If benefits are there to be had, let us have them, even if not at 100% to start with.”
Perhaps there are two routes at this point. Traditional, plan, prepare, trial, test, review, pilot implementation, review and full implementation. Or another, more organic, jump in and swim.
Let us consider the normally prudent traditional option, and think about the obstacles and blockers. Establish the starting point and the required outcomes. This will provide the path between the two points, the process and the resources required to deliver the outcomes.
Not losing sight of the government’s requirements with respect to BIM maturity level 2, which would of course be an objective of a well formed implementation plan. However, not all of maturity level 2 is to date, fully prescribed.
Another outcome would be about the information to pass to the operations and maintenance, or FM fraternity. The format, structure, content, and level of detail would be required. However, that is also not yet known by most clients. I have in the past used the phrase, “Like asking someone what car they would like, when the wheel has not yet be invented in their world.” An alternative on the same track that I heard recently is a quote from Henry Ford. “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.” The result is that not only is the desired outcome not yet defined within the LTS Jones Ltd’s organisation, but it is very unlikely that it would be able to establish what the ideal outcome should be, in a reasonable timescale. This is not a criticism, but I consider it to be realism. There are too many factors and unknowns at the outset to make this a feasible proposition.
Two of the primary outcomes are therefore unobtainable at the outset. This makes setting the path clearly to the required BIM outcomes very difficult.
The result is that even from a process improvement point of view, the traditional methods are unlikely to work. Add to that the other ingredient, which is that it is a change programme, and significant organisational and cultural change programmes normally take ten years, the traditional approach is not an appropriate method.
However, the jump in and swim, or thrown in the deep end, is more likely to bring the BIM benefits sooner. Provided always that proper support and lifeguards are in place! LTS Jones Ltd should start with what they know, and what is available. Use the BIM help hired to get the best starting position possible. There are the CIC Protocol, among others, and the 1192 BS and PAS series. These are very good starting points. However, some elements will remain elusive at this time. Adopt as much as possible, and aim towards the remaining elements for the future. Ultimately LTS Jones Ltd will want to be BSI / ISO compliant.
Maximisation of the BIM benefits at the earliest time will inevitably lead to the best outcomes for LTS Jones Ltd even if there is rework and remapping of data required at a later date.
Using the latter method, we can return to the measures of success. These can then be measured by the number of LTS Jones Ltd’s projects that implement BIM well, and the uptake of BIM by LTS Jones Ltd’s staff and his supply chain. Reiterating, BIM is about people, as much as 70% about people. People and their behaviours will decide the rate of adoption, and the success of BIM. This will enable some degree of measurement and control over something which is intrinsically fluid and in a state of flux.
LTS Jones Ltd, one of many clients leading the revolution has taken another step, or giant leap. Together with the hired BIM help LTS Jones Ltd has created a viable graduated BIM implementation strategy and a progressive change programme. This in itself is a significant achievement. The effort, input, dedication, time and expertise to get here should not be underestimated.
It does not feel a lot like a revolution yet. There is not a body of people to lead.
Time to get the supply chain involved. This will be interesting, as there is a real possibility that the supply chain will know more about BIM than our example client, LTS Jones Ltd. Easy then, just hand all of the actions and responsibilities down to the supply chain. However, this is inappropriate behaviour. We would not give a contractor a project to build a bridge without him having demonstrated a capability of successful bridge building. Simple resolution, test for BIM experience and competency during pre-qualification.
However, are there many BIM experienced contractors currently in the market place and is their experience with the correct flavour of BIM? We have not dealt with the flavours yet. That is another issue altogether. Are we also excluding too much of the market place by asking for a BIM track record? I think it is the equivalent of the recruitment advert for a graduate …, experience required. Or to use Mr Henry Ford again, having a PQQ requirement of; ‘having experience in the assembly line technique for the mass production of cars’, shortly after the technique had been developed. Such restrictions in the early days would be bad for the industry and probably detrimental to the employing organisation, the client, our LTS Jones Ltd. In a few years’ time it will be appropriate to ask for experience, but not yet.
How to engage with the supply chain to get the best results and how high to set the BIM bar, are subjects for another discussion.
For the avoidance of doubt LTS Jones Ltd is entirely fictional and any similarity to any person or entity is purely coincidental. No animals were harmed in the making…