**Asthe sector continues to perfect its use of BIM, the implementation of a BIM plan is becoming essential. This approach, which ensures the reliability of practices and the security of all processes, will enable territories to work more cohesively, and BIM orders to become more widespread. What's more, it facilitates the development of the skills of the players involved.**
BIM files provide access to extremely rich and detailed data sets, enabling effective collaboration between all project participants, from design to completion. A well-defined and balanced BIM plan, developed under the supervision of a steering committee, is essential to deploy BIM effectively.
Take a few minutes to read on and learn everything you need to know about executing a BIM plan.
What is a BIM execution plan?
Definition and objectives of the BIM plan
A BIM plan is now an essential component in the implementation of many construction projects, especially those that are complex and large-scale, involving a large number of stakeholders.
This plan is crucial to securing the entire process and ensuring that all stakeholders have the same information to collaborate effectively and move the project forward. It aims to maintain a clear overview of the project by incorporating clear and balanced definitions of each stage and role.
This framework not only helps make practices more reliable, but also facilitates territorial cohesion and the widespread use of digital technology through BIM.
The 10 key components of the BIM Plan
The BIM execution plan includes several essential components that facilitate its functionality:
Project definition: A detailed description of the project's objectives, scope and deliverables.
Roles and responsibilities: Clear allocation of roles, responsibilities and tasks for each player involved in the project.
Steering committee: Set up a group to oversee implementation of the plan, coordinate activities and resolve problems.
Collaboration procedures: Protocols for information exchange, practices and coordination between players.
Norms and regulations: Regional or international requirements and standards to which the project must conform.
BIM deliverables: Identification of digital deliverables specific to each phase of the project.
Data management: strategy for structuring, storing, sharing and securing digital information.
Training and skills upgrading: Planning the training needed to ensure that teams master BIM tools and practices.
Risk management: Identification and mitigation of project-specific risks.thi
Monitoring and continuous improvement: Methods for monitoring progress, evaluating performance and improving BIM practices.
The need for a BIM Plan for design offices
Communication is a key element in any collaborative project, especially in the construction sector. Although essential, a design office involved in a large project is only one link in the chain. By setting up a BIM plan, everyone involved is aware of their role and when they need to perform it, while understanding the expectations of other teams and companies. All this contributes to the development of skills and the coordination of all players, thanks to clear and balanced definitions.
A steering committee can guide the implementation of the plan by securing the entire BIM ordering process, helping to deploy BIM smoothly and efficiently. This makes it possible to generalize the use of digital technology and make practices more reliable thanks to precise definitions, while reinforcing territorial cohesion.
The different types of BIM working drawings
BIM working drawings can be divided into two types: pre- and post-contract. The information contained in these working drawings will vary according to the type of project
Pre-contract BIM plan
Pre-contract working drawings are the initial drawings presented at the tender stage. The supplier outlines its approach, capabilities and other important information. The exact details of this pre-contract BIM plan can be formulated directly by the supplier, or meet the customer's requirements in the Employer Information Requirements (EIR) document. This plan must contain clear, balanced definitions to make practices more reliable and enable more accurate BIM ordering, while at the same time generalizing the use of digital and establishing consistency with standards.
Post-contract BIM plan
Once the contract has been awarded, a detailed BIM execution plan, also known as a post-contract BIM plan, is drawn up to confirm the roles of each player and establish details for deploying BIM effectively. A master plan is often attached to specify practices and deliverables. Individualized information delivery plans help determine who is responsible for each deliverable. The post-contract plan is essential for coordinating all players through an organized approach, fostering the skills development of the teams involved and the cohesion of the territories.
What are the advantages of a BIM Plan?
Project management optimization
A BIM plan serves as a detailed document that helps all stakeholders to identify and exploit the functions that BIM offers at each phase of the project. It ensures that all stakeholders are informed of the latest advances, and maintains a clear plan of objectives for each project milestone.
Improved coordination between players
The BIM plan favors efficient and rapid communication, clearly defining who is responsible for communicating data throughout the various production phases. This clarified structure assigns specific responsibilities and helps make practices more reliable.
Save time and cut costs
Although establishing a common plan may seem time-consuming at first, it establishes key deliverables, procedures and other data that streamline the BIM process. This helps all stakeholders stay aligned, and can lead to significant time and cost savings in the long term.
Improving project quality
A single BIM plan helps to avoid polarization of work and multiplication of plans and ideas, which is crucial for large projects or those carried out on an international scale. Each geographical area may have different protocols, standards or regulations, and a single plan enables a standardized approach that improves the overall quality of the project.
Reliable practices thanks to clear definitions
By establishing clear, balanced definitions, the BIM plan helps to make practices secure and reliable throughout the project. This is essential for the widespread use of digital technology, and to ensure that all stakeholders understand and apply the same standards and procedures.
Enhancing team skills
The BIM Plan supports the development of team skills by providing a framework for continuous learning. Teams can develop their understanding and effectiveness in using BIM, which strengthens all stakeholders through increased training and practical experience.
How do you set up a BIM Plan?
To implement a BIM plan, there are a few key steps to follow in order to deploy BIM effectively:
The process begins with the definition of pre-contract and post-contract BIM plans. The pre-contract plan is used to demonstrate the supplier's capabilities at the tender stage, while the more detailed post-contract plan confirms everyone's roles for smooth coordination.
Another step is to set up a steering committee. This committee must clarify the roles of the various players and ensure effective communication between all stakeholders. The committee provides strategic direction, ensures the reliability of practices and oversees the development of team skills.
By bringing all stakeholders together under a single plan, this approach optimizes cohesion, secures procedures, and aligns each player to generalize the use of digital and effectively deploy BIM control.
BIM around the world: cohesion and regulation
Different countries are taking different approaches to BIM, reflecting specific standards and regulations. For example, Wisconsin was the first US state to mandate BIM for major public projects in 2010. In Europe, the UK requires all public projects to follow BIM Level 2 standards, establishing clear guidelines for BIM working drawings. Similarly, the Scandinavian countries and France have adopted early standards to harmonize the use of BIM, fostering better collaboration and quality in construction projects across the continent.
The use of BIM is clearly expanding worldwide. A BIM plan can help anyone involved in the project to make the best use of it. Over the coming years, we have no doubt that the use of BIM will become commonplace. So it's important to be proactive in this area and to establish a plan quickly. What steps has your team taken to adopt a BIM plan?
