BIM Task Group Newsletter 21st Edition

www.bimtaskgroup.org
Newsletter, 21st edition | Week ending 9th June 2013
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Where you immediately converted to BIM.
Actually, no. Some people ‘get it’ first time
but when I first heard of BIM (If I recall correctly
from a NESTA report) I was very sceptical
and resistant. However, I have a passionate
interest in (strategic) Lean construction
and Design for Manufacturer and Assembly
(DfMA) and I had a ‘Eureka’ moment on the
connectivity of the ideas and I have not looked
back. There is no shame in being a doubter -
the only shame is false pride stopping a person
from altering their view in light of emerging
evidence. I think many people will start by
being sceptical and, should I be any yardstick
to go by, they will need time to rationalise BIM
to their own vision and model of good quality
construction delivery (this period of adjustment
is necessary and one reason why we provided
a four-year lead-in to to the programme) the
important thing then is to act decisively.
How did BIS get involved with the BIM
programme?
Looking back from what has been achieved to
date and taking into account the fact it is only
comparatively recently that BIM has become
part of the lexicon for most people, it is difficult
to believe that the idea of a BIM implementation
strategy was hatched out over a conversation
with Mark Bew and colleagues back
2009. Then, as now, BIS encourages officials
to follow their instincts on new ideas and I
agreed with Mark to establish a working group
to devise a strategy within 6 months to inform
the Government Construction Board. Not
knowing what the result would be, my boss
here agreed to ‘carve-out’ a bit of time from
the programme to allow the work to progress
- in what, surely, must be counted as one of
the pivotal decisions in UK BIM. This work
turned into what is widely termed the ‘BIS
BIM Strategy’ and then adopted by the Government’s
Construction Strategy and the now
familiar joint Cabinet Office/BIS programme.
Why has the programme be successful?
Firstly the people, The BIM-team are fantastic
and a true exemplar of how the Civil
Service and Industry can work together as a
single team. I have the greatest respect for the
talent, vision and leadership of Mark and Paul
Morrell (who have done so much) and to the
Construction Industry Council. But lets just
give a bit of nod to the Civil Servants/public
officials across government who quietly have
‘done their bit’.
Secondly it is a sound strategy, which requires
clients to clearly set out their data requirements
whilst leaving the industry to respond commercially
(and in being non-proprietary in terms
of BIM tools).
Thirdly, over the last few years there has been
a growing desire within industry (and the
client base) to accelerate change away from
the ‘old ways’ - BIM was in the right place at
the right time. In this and many other ways
I recognise we have had been fortunate - we
grabbed the fortune given to us and used it to
the advantage of the BIM project. The team’s
motto was ‘keep going’ forward.
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How is important do you think BIM is to the
future of the UK construction sector?
BIM (in it widest definition of tools, process
and culture) is a big part of the change agenda
for the industry (and their clients) but it has to
be set within an overarching approach to construction
which brings in other ideas - including
‘lean’ thinking and improved procurement.
It almost goes without saying that it has to be
used ‘intelligently and knowledgably’. It also
about clients and industry working as a team
and I would like to say that there is no ‘I’ in
BIM ...but alas.
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