The business value of Building Information Modeling (BIM) was recently placed under the microscope by McGraw-Hill Construction, with their findings detailed in a 52 page SmartMarket Report published in 2009. You can get the full report in the BIM Special Section of their website, or you can continue reading below as I try to summarize some of the highlights:
Three BIM tidbits immediately jump out of their report:
- Almost 50% of the industry is now using BIM
- All BIM users plan significant increases in their use
- Majority are experiencing business benefits directly attributable to BIM
This should catch the attention of those that may be skeptical about the BIM paradigm shift, and/or answers to those asking the questions about who is using BIM and whether or not they are receiving any real business value from their investments. This information does not show that trend is simply upward; it shows that the trend is on a rocket ship! The full use and acceptance of BIM is on track to become an industry standard in HALF the time it took AutoCAD.
Additional findings point to the facts that companies are reaping higher ROI on their BIM investments, even during the lean economic times:
- Two-thirds of BIM users see positive ROI on their investment
- 93% of BIM users believe there is potential to gain more value in the future.
BIM is also being seen as a way to get a leg up on the competition:
- Half of the users are offering new BIM services to their clients
- Two-thirds say BIM is providing the ability to maintain repeat business
The caveat of BIM comes in the form of productivity improvements gained through the efficiencies it provides; primarily from clash detection, resulting in a reduction of errors and change orders.
The themes of productivity and profitability are taking shape in the BIM business case.
Spacesaver has embraced the BIM movement and has created Revit models for the BIM process.
McGraw Hill Contruction, 2010: www.bim.construction.com “Who’s using BIM, and Where Are They Getting the Real Business Value?”
