Collaborative BIM projects require fundamental changes in business practices among architects, builders, owners, business product manufacturers (BPMs), users, and all other facility stakeholders.
BIM required adoption of many principles existent in LEAN/integrated project delivery methods such as IPD for major new construction, and JOC (job order contracting) for repair, renovation, sustainability projects for existing buildings and minor new construction.
Traditional exchange barriers, common with design-bid-build and design-build must be removed.
- Project goals must be clearly defined by the Owner, and acceptable to all constituents.
- Project participants have an adequate level of competency in BIM and associated project delivery methods, as well complementary knowledge domains.
- Collaboration, communication, transparency, and shared risk/reward must be common components, and a life-cycle perspective employed vs. “single project/engagement” or “hit and run” mentality.
While emphasis to date has been upon “model-based” planning, in reality, “management-based” planning or process-based planning is the important aspect relative to BIM. Building Information Modeling, should have been defined as Building INFORMATION MANAGEMENT, with collaborative project delivery methods and complementary knowledge domains (CAFM, CMMS, CPMS, BAS, and GIS… to name a few… appropriately integrated.
A view of the BUILDING INFORMATION MANAGEMENT, or better yet a BUILDING INFORMATION MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK, is should below.
is also shown.
via 4Clicks.com – a leader in construction cost estimating and project management software of integrated project delivery methods.
Images 1 and 2 from “Change Agents AEC Pty, LTD 2011”
LEAN Construction Project Delivery Methods - Job Order Contracting, IPD, 5D BIM 
Great Stuff. Totally agree with defining BIM as Building Information Management. I’m currently looking at impacts of BIM on electronic communications, E-mail in particular, within the industry. Do you think BIM will have an effect on E-mail? Can existing electronic communication practises in construction project teams be adapted to improve collaborative working using BIM?
BIM will drive enhanced electronic communication/collaboration in the AEC sector, as will existing and “new” technologies. Cloud technology, for example, will allow better parsing of data such that only relevant information is sent to respective recipients, thus productivity improved….
BIM is a facility management tool, it’s value existent throughout a buildings life-cycle.
Tools are available to patch together systems and methods to enable building stewardship from both financial and use perspectives.
Integrating these “tools” through a common framework including process and associated standardized data, metrics, etc., while non-trival and never ending, is doable for those that understand the need and are up for the challenge.