Abstract
The BIM scope of a project still has many ambiguities, challenges, and known difficulties related to internal and external politics and other human factors. Project stakeholders usually have overlapping but in most cases different interests, e.g. tendering consultants and contractors want clearer definitions to be able to minimize their risk when submitting an offer, while clients sometimes prefer ambiguity to retain contractual flexibility and mitigate potential liabilities—a strategy that can, in many cases, result in unintended consequences. BIM is a front-loaded tool, hence preparation and initial stages are intense and crucial, while stakeholders used to traditional projects try to expedite the process adding unjustified pressure and constraints on the BIM teams at each side. What are the options either in terms of technology, standards, or processes to mitigate or resolve these problems? How can the longstanding openBIM vs closedBIM battle be resolved? The podcast explores possibilities in terms of technology, standards, and processes to mitigate or resolve issues related to BIM administration.
Pre- and Post-Contract BIM administration
International examples demonstrate that the expense of BIM design is recouped twice over during construction. To understand how this happens we need to look behind the curtains, by using the famous graph of Patrick MacLeamy.
In every project, the ability to control the cost diminishes as time passes, at the same time, the cost of design changes grows exponentially. Commonly, with the traditional workflow, the majority of the issues are discovered during Stage 5, peaking in Stage 6. With the desired workflow, more efforts are spent in the preparatory phases, more accurate information is available, and issues are discovered and addressed earlier. The total effort under the 2 workflows is about the same, however there is a polarity between them when it comes to cost control. The ability to control cost is very high early in the process but drops dramatically as the project moves through Stages 4 and 5, while at the same time, the cost of design changes is very low in the beginning but rises exponentially.
In the BIM-driven delivery process, the various stages have different time requirements. In this diagram, the launch of each phase and their expected timeframe to the next stage are compared. It is apparent, that in the desired workflow, emphasis is shifted towards preparation, as a result, later stages (Stage 4-5) can be concluded faster, while not impacting the launch of Stage 6 – Construction. This is also important because typically in project processes the project budget is approved at the early stages.
Project Preparation
The obvious value proposition – among others – is solid information-based decision-making, that reduces the number of construction issues and results in more reliable production and cost forecasts as well, not to mention the many benefits and value in post-handover stages. Design decisions based on trustworthy and accurate information require longer preparation – to explicitly define what information is required in what format and at what point of the project.
Besides the advantages, this shift carries pain points as well:
- Receiving information earlier means the design consultant or contractor has to generate it earlier – this often conflicts with country legislation and/or best practices.
- Although generating the information earlier does not mean that such design effort has to be repeated at a later stage (when it is traditionally generated), but sub-contracts are often not aligned with such a shift, thus creating tension.
- The mutual agreement on the execution of BIM-related scope can be lengthy and its inclusion in the design or construction contract can delay its signature or if this agreement runs parallel to the actual project delivery it can trigger debates and complicate the administration of the contract.
- Project stakeholders can get nervous if they are not familiar with the dynamics of BIM-driven projects as compared to traditional project delivery they see progress and milestone completions later in the project timeline.
Fortunately, BIM standards offer mitigations and even comprehensive solutions to these pain points.
The BIM Standard
ISO 19650 is a robust standard package that governs the processes and tools for information requirements definition and BIM-driven project delivery.
Documents in the client domain serve to define requirements. Evidently, the purpose of the BIM Execution Plan (BEP) is to explicitly define the information requirements, and to identify the BIM uses and related methodology, and collaboration standards of the project. A robust BEP provides clarity and transparency for the scope and streamlines project delivery.
The Expert
Ákos Hamar – BIM Expert, Co-Founder & Global Partner Manager, Plannerly
Ákos has more than 20 years of experience in various areas of the BIM/VDC domain. In 2017 together with Clive Jordan, a former colleague at Vico Software, they founded Plannerly.
Plannerly – The BIM Management Platform
With a focus on ISO-19650 BIM compliance, Plannerly offers a comprehensive solution for streamlined project management: creating project agreements effortlessly, customizing project plans using templates, and transforming them into project-specific agreements through automated processes.
Conclusion
At the end of the podcast, listeners should gain a basic understanding of the pros and cons of BIM-driven project delivery, and the standards governing this process, with a focus on the BIM Execution plan. The invited expert will also share his insights on how the common problems and pain points related to these subjects can be addressed with technology and best practices.
Podcast Agenda
Questions
- How did you arrive to start Plannerly?
- What is your definition of the BIM Execution Plan (BEP)?
- Which are the most crucial aspects of the successful development of a BEP?
- 7 years ago ISO19650, the standard framework for BIM management was launched and several updates were also released since. Given the maturity of the standard is it required to approach BEP development differently per project type or per different country? Or is there a one-fit-all solution?
- What can the main stakeholders (the client, the building operator, and the design consultant or contractor) do to facilitate this process?
- Based on your experience, what are the 3 main tools to assist the subjects we discussed? (and the term tool here can be related to both processes or technology as well)
- What are the main trends you envision that will influence the development of the industry in the near future?
