| Text | Update 09/04: Successfully Implementing BIM

You Need a Plan:  Five Steps to Successful Implementation of BIM Software in Your Firm

In a recent TV commercial concerning retirement strategies, the actor Dennis Hopper tells us, "...you need a plan!"  This advice is no less applicable when preparing to convert your office from 2D CAD to BIM software.  Undertaking such a paradigm shift without careful planning is perilous at best-especially in our current economic environment. 

This month we at Purple Cherry Architects find ourselves at our two-year anniversary of converting our entire CAD production efforts to using Building Information Management (BIM) software-specifically Autodesk Revit.  Looking back over the months, this experience has been very rewarding for us with many success stories.  However, the journey has not been without its bumps.  If we were to counsel a firm-perhaps one such as yours-on how to successfully manage this process from the start, our recommendations would include keeping the following five "BIM Realities" in mind:

 Reality Number One: Embrace the Fact That You Will Have to Re-think the Way You Work

The very nature and design of BIM software requires us as design professionals to re-think the methods we use to accomplish our work-both for production and management staff alike.  Unfortunately, in our enthusiasm to jump in and use new and exciting technology, we may have a grand vision for its benefits, but not always a realistic grasp of just how much of everything we do must change to realize that vision.  Our former methods of producing drawings won't always apply anymore.  Even our former methods of project billing won't always apply!  This change can be sometimes frustrating.  However, when fully embraced, it can produce a far superior result that what we could produce by using those former methods.

Reality Number Two:  Get Professional Training

The learning curve for BIM software can be steep. Because individuals' technological and architectural skills vary, you owe it to yourself to get professional training on the software-especially at the start of your conversion process. Proper training can flatten out a learning curve.  Lack of training will guarantee it remains steep.  Also, some of your staff most likely will "get it" right away, while others may require more effort to get there.  The staff that "get it" can be instrumental in helping to instruct those who don't.

Reality Number Three:  Don't Dabble With It-Commit To It

One of the surest paths to failure when converting to BIM is to "dabble" with the software without developing a plan and a commitment to use it on actual projects.  The nature of the change to BIM requires both a strong initial commitment and a strong ongoing commitment, especially when you start to hit those speed bumps-and there will be speed bumps.  However, their negative impact can be offset by staff commitments to learn the software and to find the most efficient way to use it within the office workflow.  At times this may mean jumping back into 2D CAD to meet a deadline.  However, use that contingency only as necessary since that choice can start to compromise your commitment to BIM-especially among staff trying to get the work done.  In addition, having a "BIM Evangelist" on your staff can help keep the enthusiasm and momentum high to make the new software work for you even during the rough spots.

Reality Number Four:  Don't Fight the Software-Learn to Work With It

Staff frustration with new software can be a detrimental factor in converting to BIM. One major source of this frustration is staff "not getting it," i.e., not having grasped how the software expects them to work.  Every software program has inherent methods of how to produce a given task.  However, human nature seems to be to try to do things "the old way" with the new software.  This approach often causes staff to "fight" with the software, thus causing frustration.  The willingness of staff to re-think their methods to conform to the methods inherent in the software is one of the best ways to guarantee success with BIM.

Reality Number Five:  Be Willing to Invest Development Time Outside of Billable Projects

We have a saying at Purple Cherry Architects, "You live and die by your library."  Having a library of well thought out BIM components covering a broad spectrum of your design work will enable you to build a comprehensive BIM model in a fairly short period of time. However, it is unrealistic to think that you will be able to afford the billable time within each project to develop every library component you wish you had for that project.  Two ways to offset this are (1) by having the technically savvy staff willing to commit time outside of billable project time to develop BIM library components, and (2) find some of those components on the Internet, hopefully in a form that is readily usable for you.

Looking back over the last two years at Purple Cherry Architects, converting to BIM software has given us greater ability to produce highly integrated designs and documentation, and much more effective visualization of our designs for both client and contractor alike.  At times we still do a small project or two in 2D CAD if it makes more sense economically.  However, there is no question in our minds that BIM is the future of our industry.  We are glad for that and for our efforts over the last two years to achieve that goal.