Can BIM Aid Construction Companies Bag More Projects

Digital transformation has swept into the construction industry, with powerful solutions like BIM experiencing widespread adoption. Reports state the BIM market may grow at a CAGR of 15% in the next 4 years. In a sector where challenges across profitability, project management, worker safety, and risk management are rife, BIM opens up new ways of approaching the design and documentation of various types of building projects. By delivering an intelligent digital representation of the physical and functional characteristics of a facility, it empowers designers, installers, and cost consultants to take a comprehensive view of the actual elements of a construction project. This has long been known to help companies optimize material costs, plan (and deliver) projects better, and be more sustainable. This post isn’t about that though. It’s about how BIM can help them win more bids!

Read on to find out how!

Opening doors to a new way of project management

BIM is so much more than just a point technology system; it is a complex design and construction platform that provides architects, engineers, and construction professionals the insight and tools needed to plan, design, construct, and manage the infrastructure while creating innovative buildings of the future.

The numerous benefits BIM offers are well known, but bear repeating just the same for the impact they could have on bid preparation and economic success:

• Improves communication and collaboration between construction workers and managers while paving the way for greater efficiency making time estimates easier and more predictable.
• Enhances estimation across materials, shipping, labor, and more – making costs more predictable and manageable
• Eliminates on-site rework, saves time thereby keeping committed schedules on track, budgets in check, and maximizing ROI
• Streamlines the construction workflow while reducing the chances of human error, project delays, and costly repairs making it easier to bid with confidence
• Supports easy interoperability and flexibility, and facilitates customization for higher quality results thus increasing the transparency of progress monitoring and providing early warnings of things going off track and the reason for the delay
• Aids in the timely and successful execution of complex construction projects by improving communication between all the stakeholders and establishing a single frame of reference  

Shorter project lifecycles = more opportunities to close

Of all the capabilities that modern BIM systems offer, the key promise of the solution in the context of making plans and estimates is the same: to shorten the construction project lifecycle and bring predictability to the process. This means many things:

• Better collaboration: BIM technology is key to bagging more projects in an increasingly competitive industry. Cloud-based BIM solutions allow designers and engineers to unlock efficiencies through a centralized project management system.   By always staying on the page, they can be updated about the latest timelines and budget, work together to resolve errors in real-time while avoiding costly mistakes and reducing rework. Fewer errors and rework can help construction companies project a more professional image and build customer trust that can lead to stronger ongoing relationships.
• A single source of truth: Since all relevant information, including models, estimates, and design notes are stored in a single repository, architects and engineers no longer have to engage in back-and-forth calls and emails to discuss issues and opportunities. They can refer to a single source of truth to make critical decisions and improve the speed and efficiency with which they bring projects to closure. Providing this degree of transparency about ongoing work to the project owners (developers, government agencies, etc.) can be a great differentiator.
• Standardized workflows: Through streamlined workflows, BIM helps in creating and managing all of the information on a project – before, during, and after construction. Such standardization eliminates the need for engineers to depend on manual or repetitive tasks to progress the project through its lifecycle, helping accelerate the speed and accuracy with which projects are completed. The project owners get access to the most complete and updated information at all times in an easy to visualize manner, showing you in the best possible light.
• Streamlined risk management: The ability to construct buildings based on the most up-to-date plans and workflow makes visualizing problems easier. Since BIM allows contractors to virtually construct projects, they are in a better position to identify roadblocks and plan for workarounds - before construction starts. You can not only predict potential construction hazards; they can also prevent them by adjusting the design. This is an obvious advantage for project delivery, but highlighting problems early in the cycle in such a transparent manner can also help the project owners make decisions on project expansions, future phases, etc., and open up new opportunities.
• Faster construction: Because BIM allows companies to create interactive models that clearly state how the project will look in the real world, it enables better visualizations and transparent project details. Because these models are a true reflection of the actual project, it helps in removing doubt while enabling faster decision-making. Companies can accelerate the design process while saving substantial time in construction. What’s more, finishing a project on time (or before time) speeds up eventual ROI as the structure can be used immediately. Your reputation improves, resources get freed up, and cash flows get unlocked, all of which can help in getting more business.

Obviously, there is no doubt about the fact that BIM delivers immense value to construction companies: right from improved quality and function of design, increased understanding of solutions, better collaboration and documentation, better planning, improved productivity, and more. BIM 3D models and real-world representations make it easy to visualize the project. These benefits help in eliminating the chances of construction issues, delays, and rework, and allowing companies to finish projects faster, but BIM also helps companies win more bids, and set themselves up for success.