Is anyone doing BIM?

BIM is the life-cycle management of the built environment supported by digital technology.

Practicing BIM has the following minimum requirements:  collaboration, a robust ontology, metrics, and some level of digital support/integration.

According to the latest McGraw Hill Construction “SmartMarket Report”  71 percent of those surveyed are now “using BIM…” .   Well then!   There your go!   The answer is “Yes”!   Folks are doing BIM.  In fact the MAJORITY of those surveyed are doing BIM!

NOT. NO. and NO WAY!   BIM was not defined in the report in any detail and no specific critical for respondents “doing BIM” was incorporated, nor was there any level of independent auditing or assessment.

Are Owners, Contractors, AE’s, and/or all stakeholders of the built environment collaborating and using a robust, transparent ontology?   Certainly not.   Are truly collaborative construction delivery methods such as Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) and Job Order Contracting (JOC) being used by 71% of the AEC market?  Not the last time I checked.

In point of fact, our industry is singularly resistant to collaboration.  We are also, to a large extent technology adverse, if not technology challenged.

In the meantime, the built environment continues to negatively impact our economy and our environment with little significant progress toward improvement of fundamental business practices.

There is hope.   Cloud computing is a disruptive technology.  We have already seen the impacts of FACEBOOK.  Just wait until cloud computing becomes mainstream in the AEC sector.   Laggards will be “dragged kicking and screaming” into the new collaborative AECOO world (architects, engineers, constructors, owners, operators…), or they will no longer participate.

Thoughts?