The Reaction
I just avoid bidding on projects that require BIM Coordination
This is the response from some contractors as they sift through the available projects to bid. Seeing the requirement of BIM Coordination on a project will cause some to avoid bidding the project. Smaller contractors have been able to get away with this method for the past few years. General Contractors on most residential and small commercial projects are not requiring BIM. There are even some large projects that can still be bid without providing BIM capabilities, but those projects are getting scarce.
The Reasoning
Contractors with this perspective typical view BIM Coordination as an evil additional step that just costs them money from their bottom line and wastes time. Depending on the BIM Coordination team, there could be some truth to that! A successful BIM Coordination effort requires three things:
- A qualified BIM Coordination Leader
- Accountable BIM Coordinators representing each building trade
- Sub-contractors that find the value that BIM Coordination brings
If any of these three pieces are missing from the process, it can become a challenging part of the construction process. This contributes to the “kicking and screaming” contractor’s opinion that BIM Coordination is a necessary evil.
The Solution
The challenge for the “kicking and screaming” contractor is two-fold:
- As time goes on, there are fewer projects to participate in that do not require some form of BIM Coordination
- Avoiding projects that require BIM Coordination makes it very difficult to grow your business
In order for this contractor to grow and survive, there needs to be a trust for the process. Obviously there is some value to BIM Coordination, otherwise the large General Contractors would not be pushing to include this effort on their projects. It can certainly be intimidating to hire, train, and invest in equipment and software, to find out what these benefits are. Partnering with an experienced BIM Coordinator that can represent you at the coordination table can be a valuable way to step into the BIM waters. This coordinator can step you through what benefits BIM Coordination can bring to your construction effort.
Other posts in this series:
Introduction | Part 2 of 3 | Part 3 of 3
You might find these blogs beneficial in choosing a good BIM Coordinator to partner with:
Who Should Represent You? | Be A Team Player
Introduction blog to this 3 part series