BIM in Collaboration

BIM is an example of collaborative, information-rich, design practice. Future technologies are likely to be even more collaborative and even more information. Adopting BIM means establishing a continuous flow of information, as with BIM, information is collected digitally to be available when it is needed, wherever it is needed, during every phase of the building process.

Getting the information right not only improves client outcomes and increases the efficiency of projects, it also reduces professional risk, allowing a tight description of what is to be built, so reducing the scope for dispute.

Collaboration enables information sharing, reducing the number of disputes and improving the delivery of the client’s objectives. BIM collaboration process can be described as an identification process of different construction phases for a single project. Another part of this definition is the understanding of the process of data and information sharing between different construction phases.?

There is a risk of collaboration falling apart at the first hurdle if that collaboration is not clearly described in contracts. Who is responsible for what and when, and with whom do they collaborate needs to be defined as without this, a collaborative relationship can quickly become an adversarial one. As AEC project teams become increasingly dispersed, effective information sharing will make or break the holistic, project-centric BIM process.