Wednesday 25 May 2016

Challenges of BIM Manager

Build information modelling (BIM) is evolving at a rapid pace as more and more companies begin to adopt and utilise BIM for their projects. From the conceptual stage, through to design, implementation and the entire project lifecycle, BIM facilitates better decision making. The new BIM concept guarantees faster project building, improved communication and better problem solving, all whilst being more cost effective than the earlier versions.

When BIM was introduced in the architectural world, it was challenging for the companies to incorporate BIM due to unskilled professionals, who had little or no experience to work on BIM. As it gained popularity and with increasing number of companies realising its worth, the demand for having a BIM manager superseded all other requirements. Prime prospect of a BIM manager is understanding how and when to apply different BIM workflows in projects.

Few years back the construction industry witnessed an evolution of CAD Managers becoming BIM Managers, a transition which was necessary for advancement of BIM processes. The fundamental role of a BIM Manager remained similar to that of a CAD Manager – ensuring timely delivery of the projects without exceeding the budget constraints. But it was the core responsibilities that were more importantly redefined which included maintaining coordination of modelling work, maintaining the integrity within the project and reporting and managing the BIM process. However, a BIM Manager’s role was not limited to such tasks; it had to cover larger avenues than just managing the BIM related tools and software. The role demanded them to be more versatile and quick thinkers so as to adapt to the ever changing work environment. They had to ensure seamless coordination with the companies who do not utilise BIM at the same time maintain integrity of the models used in the project.

What helped BIM Managers to flourish was the acceptance of BIM as an industry standard over the world with governments beginning to mandate BIM in their projects resulting in BIM becoming a pre-requisite for major tenders. Industry professionals soon realised the ability of BIM was to significantly reduce cost and increase the over-all quality of the work. But the BIM Manager’s role demands quick learning because of the ever evolving construction and architecture industry especially in the past decade. Listed below are three prime challenges faced by BIM Managers:

1. People Management – 

The digital 3D BIM model facility requires specially trained personnel as the processes change constantly and therefore the contracts need to be updated accordingly. The role of a BIM Manager had to grow parallel to such an evolution of construction industry and with the acceptance of BIM. The BIM manager’s role is that of a multipurpose one in the construction industry at present. In BIM-supported construction projects the BIM Manager’s role is responsible for defining the roles and responsibilities, imparting knowledge, instilling trust amongst the team members and facilitating and fostering effective, supportive team culture.

2. Defining Policies - 

The BIM Managers must define clear technical policies which would form the base for the model development and exchange. A BIM Manager must be able to lay down clear policies on the project guidelines and contracts, the building standards of the respective region, the responsibility of deliverables and intellectual properties and risk and insurance implication during the duration of the project.

3. Technological Outlook – 

The fast and ever evolving construction industry demands new technologies to be imparted into the processes to keep pace with the competition or to overtake it. A BIM Manager must define an appropriate and cost effective hardware and software set up for utmost utilisation of 3D models, which would further enhance the data exchange, data storage and overall data management. A BIM Manager must also take charge of certification of suitable hardware and software, defining data structures and user specific workspaces and most importantly ensure uninterrupted high speed internet connectivity.

A BIM Manager’s role and challenges are not limited to the above specified ones but traverse the vast boundaries of the entire BIM process. There is no specific course that can train an individual to become a BIM manager, but there are a few leading training centers that provide online Revit training and AutoCAD courses in Mumbai, which can lead individuals to gain professional knowledge on BIM which can assist them in becoming successful BIM Managers.

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