BIM: From COST to IMPORTANT INVESTMENT (application of BIM making the difference)

The most important Construction Magazine in Mexico “OBRAS”, has honored us by publishing our column on how we have become considered a Construction Item to an Important Investment to our Clients.

The use of BIM in our Management Platform including Administration and Safety has establish our services of Construction Management in Latam second to none.

Below the column published please scroll down for translation in English

            

The 4 biggest disadvantages of a Designer, a Construction Manager or Contractor start with not having processes or procedures in place; secondly, not following them; thirdly, not auditing them and lastly, not updating them. In other words, everything circles around standards, manuals, methods which is the only way performance is increased.

BIM is not the exception, it is very important where to use it, but its most important how is being used. For example, we apply BIM as a big part of our Management Platform to our construction projects, others can use it for prefabrication purposes or even design purposes. No matter how you use it you must have processes.

BIM Pros and Cons: Knowledge> recently we’ve been invited to several bids just to provide very basic tasks of what BIM does, reducing all the value of what BIM provides to a minimum. This is a costly mistake, the lack of knowledge. For example, to provide BIM we must model in a software, the cost of modeling is higher if the BIM analysis is requested “basic” such as clashes or even rendering, thus devaluating the service. The cost of analyzing further BIM and providing other processes will increase the value of BIM substantially raising the benefits for a lower cost.

Training > Today there are many companies in Mexico that talk about BIM, this made me remember when Project Management was the talk of the day, everybody wanted to be a PM from that point on, also, many companies started providing PM services without any good knowledge of best practices or processes (in Mexico). The result of this was a devaluation of the PM service and lack of credibility. With BIM, something similar will happen, many companies will provide BIM without proper processes or methods, this will devaluate the service and will add tremendous risk to Investors. Training the professionals is key to value the service and do it properly.

Additional Cost> There is a general perception that BIM should be an additional cost to the project, this shouldn’t be the case, right now BIM should be used by all participants including Designer, Project Manager and Contractor its cost of implementation is less than the return that they will have in efficiency and effectiveness (All participants knowledgeable in BIM have an immediate return). For example, in our company, as Construction Managers, we do Constructability Reviews and also Review the Quantities of Materials, with BIM we are able to do this a lot more efficient and effective saving time, and therefore cost doing what we are suppose to be doing. Designers shouldnt be using 2D anymore, Contractors should be using Apps and Mobil Technology.

There should not be additional cost using BIM unless some of the participants do not know how to use it, then this is made “by others”

What was always viewed as a cost to the project now we are viewed as an investment. We average between 5% to 15% of cost savings, we have also recorded 20% savings on time applying BIM properly and we are getting better and better each time.

BIM is a cultural revolution and the direct benefactor is the Project and Project participants that use it. It can be implemented in any type of project big, small, complex, less complex, with direct benefits, indirect benefits, cost or no cost, tangible or intangible benefits. However, more than a tool it is a process, it’s a methodology; a mindset that requires planning, implementation, update and training.

@pizaconsulting ; www.pizaconsulting.com ; info@pizaconsulting.com

Written by: Damian Piza, Certified Construction Manager, Masters in Construction Administration and member of the CMAA Technology Committee. LEED AP, OSHA +30.