How BIM will affect the construction industry
BIM is not new and has a history going back fifteen or more years. However, rather like the development of the flat screen TV, what once was an expensive novelty with little functionality and enjoyed by the few, will soon become mainstream as its benefits are proven and its uptake gathers critical mass.
BIM is some way off the ‘magic pill’ some promise in the press for the construction industry. The momentum however is undeniable; everyone who procures capital projects for the government, or works or aspires to work on government contracts will need to embrace BIM.
Aside from the Government, the private sector has been quietly enjoying the benefits of BIM on an ever increasing scale over recent years, with more and more Frameworks and major players demanding BIM as a prerequisite for inclusion on Supply Chains.
In terms of hard cash the protagonists of BIM (in contracting) report improvements in efficiency and ‘bottom line’ figures in excess of 5 to 1. I.E. every £1 invested in BIM will deliver £5 on the bottom line.