Beat the ‘High Risk, Low Margin’ Game: How BIM Can Help You Adapt and Thrive

BIM software

What does BIM really do for you? The truth is: more, every day. AS BIM technology develops, more and more firms are switching to the technology they trust to reduce cost and save labor.

 

Reddesk at Autoshift recently took a deep dive into the current state of BIM technology and its capabilities.  There has never been a greater need for cost- and time-saving technology. Only a quarter of construction projects from 2012 to 2015 came within 10 percent of their deadlines, according to KPMG’s Global Construction Project Survey.

 

The benefits of BIM are well-known: reducing errors by getting everyone on the same page, enhancing safety, and lowering costs. But it’s not just a cool tool in your arsenal. In recent years, BIM has become essential to modern building.  Like many firms, DPR Construction of Redwood City, California consider themselves early adopters of BIM. In 2007, they used the technology to construct Sutter health’s Camino Medical Group campus in Mountain View. Using BIM, they collaborated and implemented Lean principles to create a groundbreaking new facility.

 

Fast forward eleven years, and today DPR representatives say they “use BIM on 85% of our projects.”

 

It’s easy to understand why. According to the study, across the pond in the UK, BIM saved £800 million in construction costs over a one-year period.

 

However, it’s more than just cost savings. BIM also makes the building process run more smoothly, and helps firms handle risk in ways that wouldn’t have been possible even five or ten years ago.

 

Take Down Silos

With BIM, communication issues are resolved quickly—sometimes even before they start. With contractors, managers, architects, and owners all working from the same file, there’s less room for error.

 

Reduce Rework

Small changes add up when budgeting for a construction project. One unnecessary expense that can derail a budget is rework—that is, fixing the mistakes produced by data clashes. BIM greatly reduces these unexpected costs—or takes them out of the picture entirely.

 

Mitigate Safety Risk

In another leap forward, virtual reality technology, combined with BIM imagery, can now help workers visualize and prepare for safety risks.

 

Building with the basic calculus of the construction industry in mind is not easy. Razor-thin margins, plus high levels of unpredictability, can leave contractors struggling to meet deadlines.

 

However, as BIM technology advances, it is increasingly capable of helping you shoulder the burden of building in the ‘high risk, low margin’ economic climate of 2018.