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BECOMING MANUFACTURERS
BIM READY:
GUIDE TO BECOMING BIM-READY:
THE RISKS OF DOING NOTHING
THE RISKS OF DOING NOTHING
1 #BIMReadyWP
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2 BACKGROUND
BACKGROUND
Building Product Manufacturers (BPM) were sustainability. Many have been anticipating that
particularly hard hit during the Great Recession these new BIM software tools, associated training
that struck the U.S. economy in 2008. With the and an overall process re-engineering of the
economy spiraling downward, commercial building design-to-construction workflow would become the
projects were either de-funded or put on indefinite focus of every new commercial project. Indeed it
hold. Because of this setback, many BPMs became is expected that most new commercial building
extremely conservative financially and very insular projects will be constructed using BIM.
in their sales & marketing.
Although, BPMs are more aware of the BIM trend,
Despite these economic setbacks, Architecture, they are surprisingly unaware of how this change
Engineering and Construction (AEC) firms used the affects the way their products get specified, when in
economic slowdown as an opportunity to re-tool the process and how lockingin the specification
their operations by adopting Building Information becomes more of a reality. The punishing
Modeling (BIM). BIM is a new approach to recession has made BPMs understandably frugal
design and construction in which all disciplines and content with exercising their traditional selling
collaborate to create a complete, virtual model of processes. However, with the increased use of BIM
the building, long before ground is broken. and the fact that design engineers, fabricators and
contractors are expecting manufacturers to provide
This change in software tools and processes richer product information in a variety of BIM
allows designers to discover, among other things, formats, it seems that doing nothing is no longer an
errors in the design before construction begin, option for BPMs.
avoiding costly change orders. More importantly,
design engineers are able to utilize manufacturer-
specific products in their design to analyze their
impact on key goals such as energy usage or
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3 KEY INDUSTRY MOVEMENTS
The adoption of integrated, 3D design & analysis once the owner takes occupancy. Energy usage,
tools for BIM in the AEC business is analogous sustainability and better facility management
to the transformation of the aerospace and are just some of the areas in which owners are
automotive industry in the 80s. Products could setting specific targets and demanding results
be designed faster, manufactured more efficiently in the finished building. It is these demands by
and errors discovered digitally long before actual owners the ultimate funders of projects which
production. This massive change put a variety of has changed the trajectory for BIM from mere
pressures on parts manufacturers in the supply productivity tools to a strategic imperative for the
chain. Suppliers had to quickly adapt their own industry.
businesses processes in order to continue to
participate and remain relevant to the Tier 1 The much expected transition to BIM has arrived,
aerospace and automotive manufacturers. The signaling the need for BPMs to adapt. Not unlike
wide spread adoption of 3D CAD, ERP systems, the aforementioned suppliers in aerospace and
electronic ordering, just-in-time deliveries, for automotive, BPMs need to invest and re-tool to
example, created significant data and process provide BIM-ready product information, in multiple
challenges for suppliers. To just sustain revenues, formats, to customers throughout the design-to-
parts manufacturers were forced to adopt similar construction process. An inevitable transition for a
tools and processes and deliver new data formats very traditional industry steeped in risk mitigation
and structures to comply with the new ways of the slow, steady and static. But the genie is out
Tier 1 buyers. of the bottle, especially for owners. For the AEC
supply chain BPMs in particular it is no longer a
Fast-forward 30 years and there is a similar question of whether to act but how, when, and with
transformation within the Commercial Building what investment plan.
sector. These changes are driven by the need for
efficiency in not only the design of the building but
through the need to model and understand the
buildings ongoing operations and maintenance
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4 CHANGES IN THE AEC INDUSTRY
It is worth considering some of the recent changes With these rapidly changing demographics in mind,
in the AEC industry. BIM has played a significant doing nothing increases the risk of becoming at
role in some while others are related to the best, a second choice vendor, at worst, irrelevant.
changing expectations of an Internet-driven society.
The way to avoid being passed over by younger
Changing Demographics members of the AEC industry requires the following:
Develop an understanding of the tools and
processes your customers are adopting, how
your products get specified and how you can
stay specified through the bid.
Know how product information is used
effectively in these tools and processes be
the vendor who improves productivity with
A younger generation, well versed in the power of complete data.
technology, is moving into leadership positions Adapt your own processes in Sales and
within consulting engineering firms and contractors. Marketing to reflect your customers changing
These digital natives are: demands be a player in the NEW supply
Focused on productivity and efficiency within chain.
their operations
Expect to use software tools to solve most Building Construction Owners Have
problems Growing Expectations
Possess a 24/7 mentality expecting to find Low bids and the final project cost will always
what they need, whenever they need it remain top-of-mind, but the benefits of BIM are
Seek out vendors who are easy-to-do- becoming evident to owners. The ability to analyze
business with, having little regard for legacy a design for flaws long before ground is broken
relationships or brand saves on costly change orders during construction.
#BIMReadyWP | www.ThomasEnterpriseSolutions.com
5 CHANGES IN THE AEC INDUSTRY
However, there are longer-term benefits beyond the Mandates for BIM-ready Data in the U.S.
cost to construct: and Abroad
Increasing demands by owners to meet As the productivity and efficiency benefits of
energy efficiency targets, sustainability and BIM become more apparent, large owners are
LEED status. These drive early specifications requiring the availability of BIM-ready product
especially for performance-oriented products information from manufacturers as a pre-
that become tough to swap-out at bid time. requisite for both specification and bidding. It
A consolidated BIM model of the as-built should come as no surprise that government
building is becoming the goal of owners who agencies in various regions are the largest
want to better manage their facility over its collective owners and are decidedly behind the use
lifetime. Products requiring maintenance and of BIM.
repair remain highly visible within the BIM
model providing an opportunity for BPMs to
capture ongoing revenues.
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6 CHANGES IN THE AEC INDUSTRY
With these entities requiring the use of BIM It is evident that the AEC industry has changed
for design development and construction and BIM plays a significant role in the design and
planning, doing nothing risks both the inability construction process. Presently, not becoming
to get specified at the start of a project and stay BIM-ready can be detrimental for a BPMs future
specified as product choices are analyzed to meet business. Therefore, it is important for building
performance and sustainability goals. This trend product manufacturers to understand what they
is likely to continue, and more rapidly, as projects need to truly be BIM-ready.
rebound from the recession.
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7 BIM REQUIREMENTS FOR A BUILDING PRODUCT MANUFACTURER
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8 BIM REQUIREMENTS FOR A BUILDING PRODUCT MANUFACTURER
U
nderstand what your clients expect to find Creating one format (Revit) for one audience (De-
and download. Anticipate their needs and how signers) is not equivalent to doing something.
it fits into their workflows or processes so that BPMs risk being specified in the project only at de-
they return to your site knowing it is easy to sign development and becoming difficult to sustain
use and authoritative. during fabrication and construction due to the lack
of properly formatted data. In addition, as analysis
But we are BIM-ready. We have Revit tools for energy/water usage, sustainability and
files! so on become more prevalent, having data to feed
these software tools will become critical to staying
specified.
#BIMReadyWP | www.ThomasEnterpriseSolutions.com
9 CONCLUSION
CONCLUSION
Weve established the fact that doing nothing To stay specified and qualify for bidding on a
is not a very strategic option. The changing commercial project, it is imperative that a BPM
demographics and 24/7 expectations of provides clients with the exact data and information
clients point toward the increasing use of BIM they need in the exact format they need it in.
tools throughout the design, fabrication, and Doing so provides significant differentiation from
construction phases of commercial building competitors and establishes a BPMs website and
projects. Indeed the largest owners leading the brand as being authoritative and current.
way - government agencies - are making BIM
product details a prerequisite to bidding on their Losing early specification opportunities or being
projects. shutout of bids are just two of the risks associated
with complacency that can directly impact revenue.
With many Architecture, Engineering and Doing nothing to adapt and re-engineer Sales
Construction (AEC) firms re-tooling their & Marketing in this new world of BIM risks a
processes and adopting a variety of BIM software decline in market share, a diminishing brand and
tools, it should be clear to BPMs that the way in a business that becomes disconnected from its
which their products are specified is changing customers.
significantly and that change is required. This
change, like that which was faced by the suppliers BPMs need to learn what their customers are doing
in the aerospace and automotive industry in throughout the design-to-construction process.
the 80s, requires a commensurate re-tooling of Understand the impact of their change in process.
processes and structures within the BPMs own Make their web experience and the delivery of
organization. Becoming BIM-ready and remaining multi-format, digital product information a strategic
actively competitive requires that product priority. Become the company to do business with
information, the website and the sales process because you have become as BIM-ready as your
itself be re-architected to fit the new landscape and clients.
become an active part of the day-to-day operation
of the business. Becoming BIM-ready is not a one-
off project.
#BIMReadyWP | www.ThomasEnterpriseSolutions.com