Introducing a new strategy into your business can be a daunting task, but it’s an essential part of keeping your business competitive in a crowded marketplace and building information modeling is quickly becoming the standard among construction companies.
Integrating BIM into your company can make your business more appealing to clients in a wide variety of ways, and it might not be as hard as it seems! A firm that works using BIM strategies will find that their cost and time estimates are more accurate, their models are more detailed, their work is more efficient, and much more.
HOW CAN BIM HELP?
When determining how to best integrate BIM solutions into your firm, your first task should be deciding in what ways BIM can be useful for your business. Developing a custom plan is the best way to smooth out the transition period, so be sure to take into account all aspects of your unique business.
TYPES AND PRICES OF BIM TOOLS
There are a number of types of BIM software and tools on the market, priced anywhere from free and open-source to up to $12,000. Obviously, the free BIM tools available generally have less features, but they can still make a big impact depending on the size of your company. Check with your local government, because you may even be eligible for subsidies or tax credits. Convincing senior-level stakeholders of the possible benefits of BIM may also be a good way to reduce initial costs.
BIM TRAINING
As with any new strategy, it’s important to make sure all your staff is kept up to date and well-prepared for any changes. Training in BIM techniques is widely available and often comes included with BIM software. You may even want to consider contacting the creators of your specific BIM tools to see if they offer training directly.
Planning out training sessions well in advance and creating a structured schedule will help ensure your employees absorb as much information as possible. Once you’ve trained some of your staff, you can then assign further training sessions to them to continue the growth. Be sure to check regularly for updates and changes to ensure your firm is on the cutting edge.
Once your team is comfortable with your new BIM strategies, you’ll be able to customize your software to your business’s standards. Your firm may specialize in construction for a certain kind of building, and most BIM software will allow you to customize to those specifications. Creating a content library of commonly used prefabricated objects can also increase efficiency of your projects.
Contact Smarcon to learn more about how BIM can improve your projects.
