“By using BIM-derived RVT data, he extracted an XML schema that was then used to populate a WBS DB and inform our AWPS via an API for our 5D tool.”
We all understood that, right?
Although your colleagues may understand what you’re saying, your customer or audience may not. Here are some tips for speaking better BIM:
Death by “BIM-cronyms” Limit the acronyms—use the full term and don’t assume understanding on the other side of the table.
Know Your Audience Are they tech-savvy or not so much? Speak to the least informed member of your audience.
Simplicity Shows Mastery People appreciate elegant concepts and clearly stated workflows. If you don’t understand something, don’t pretend you do. It’s okay to say
“I don’t know”—it allows you to learn something new.
Talk to Processes when Possible Everyone appreciates stories to help illustrate concepts and toolsets. Use them with reckless abandon.
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right technologies for this client rather than showing all the technologies we have?”
though it’s meaningful to educate and share with owners what certain technologies do, it is also important when you are in a pursuit strategy to show expertise and value in the tools and workflows you propose. just as each construction project is custom, so should be the choice of tools.
In short, a best practice for marketing your brand of BIM should revolve around five key factors:
⦁ Make sure what you are proposing shows clear and demonstrable value.
⦁ clearly state whether this is a proven tool or process, a developing one, or an innovative one.
⦁ Show real results from the impact of implementation.
⦁ Give the owner what he or she wants or clearly state why you can’t.
⦁ Make sure you are offering something that you can deliver.
though some of these factors might come across as common sense, there is a consistent thread of logic that is tied to each one of these questions in defining whether a particular technology makes the cut to be included in an rFP response or a proposal to an owner. the exercise of thinking through these questions makes for more meaningful content in a proposal, as well as showing how an owner’s needs are understood and addressed.
Does What You Are Proposing Show Clear and Demonstrable Value?
this question gets to the core of what BIM strives for. another way of asking this question might be, “Is what you’re doing creating a better project?” answering the question of whether a tool shows clear value sounds simple enough. However, many construction management firms make the mistake of forgetting their audience, and though a team may be an expert at a particular tool or process, it doesn’t necessarily mean that an owner is equally educated or understands the value proposition. the use of acronyms and complex systems doesn’t help either. the information doesn’t need to be “dumbed down,” but it should be clearly illustrated as to what issue(s) a proposed tool and/or workflow fixes and why the outcomes are better than another method. as economist and author e. F. Schumacher says, “any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius—and a lot of courage—to move in the opposite direction.”
what is proposed shouldn’t just be tools, but rather the way a team thinks through delivering a project that can make it stand out. For example, the execution of a well-written BIM execution or information transfer strategy might show a team’s expertise in using both the tools, as well as uncovering a deeper understanding of the customer’s needs and how the team proposes to work together. this plan may give the team a competitive edge over another team who shows an array of tools with no clearly
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developed strategy into how the information will move, who has responsibility, or how work will be executed.
another consideration in asking the real value question is to think through how information will “flow” through the project and how information created in one place can either be connected to other systems or at least leveraged to reduce manual input times and redundant efforts. as the team is coming up with answers to the question of clear value, consistently ask, “So what?” does what you are proposing really matter to the customer? will they see value in it? Is it important to them? the answers to these questions will help steer you and your team to a customer-centric presentation and one that seems custom built for them—because it was.
Is This a Proven Tool or Process, a Developing One, or an Innovative One?
why is it important to identify the stage of adoption for technology tools? Because tools introduced in the wrong context may create confusion and risk to a project team.
Many times a firm or team makes a call to introduce a particular “widget” that looks
“cool,” attempting to set apart the firm from competitors. Yet the tool provides no clear value to the process or project overall. In many cases, the introduction of new technology into a project without thorough consideration of how it will help creates risk for the team. keep in mind that once a tool is shown and the owner is exposed to it, there is often an expectation of use. the potential risk of “BIM-washing” or
“Hollywood BIM” can do more harm than good in a project.
this is not to say that a firm shouldn’t introduce an innovative tool during the selection process, particularly if it could create significant value for a customer.
However, make sure the correct context is used when describing the tool and be straightforward in your amount of experience with the tool. Many times, owners like the idea of using a project as an opportunity to innovate or test new solutions because if they work, the owner can require that technology on future projects. However, owners need to know where a tool is in its adoption cycle to know what to expect.
Proven tools and processes are the foundation for development in a firm using BIM. For example, an owner may want to better understand how a firm will mitigate risk in trade coordination or inventory management. Having the ability to walk an owner through proven processes and show the outcomes is invaluable and establishes the credibility of a firm’s ability to perform. additionally, proven outcomes also allow a firm to give examples of previous projects where workflows created value, mitigated risk, or saved the day. In marketing BIM and technology, the more a firm can show with examples, the better. Yet, it is also important to show how these tools connect and talk with one another. as firms become proficient at a particular deliverable, it is always beneficial to show how they continue to push the envelope and look for improved ways to deliver work product.
developing tools and processes are often the hidden gem where there has been some degree of use or piloting though a tool or process may not be fully proven yet.
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developing workflows offer the ability to show an owner a construction management firm’s progress in determining the value of new tools and processes. Quite often in rFP responses, and even in interviews, the ability to show the rigor and study of testing various tools provides insight into a firm’s innovation cycle and defines what a firm believes will be valuable for its business and its customers. this clarity can create a common alignment with owners; in all likelihood they have experienced similar strategies in making the efforts needed to stay up on the latest technology to create value.
Selecting innovative tools and developing new processes are the fun parts of using technology in construction. they allow the opportunity to shift mind-sets from traditional methodologies to look at better ways of working together and building systems that streamline the flow of information. In some respects, innovation is a tricky business because there are so many potential ways of doing the same thing. usually it’s a combination of tools, processes, and behaviors that can be adjusted to alter results. Most companies look to innovation as a major component to sustained growth and value.
where innovation occurs is a much larger subject than I’ll cover in this section, since it pertains to a host of factors and motivations, some personal, some business driven, and some out of curiosity. the aec industry at large is looking at ways to improve the visibility and value around innovation in events such as the aec Hackathon (Figure 3.2) and the enr Futuretech conference that bring together bright minds from all areas of the design and construction industry to investigate and solve problems through the use of technology. events such as these remove competitive barriers between firms and allow for cross-functional teams to apply their experience and knowledge to solve common issues that persist in our industry.
Figure 3.2 AEC Hackathon
Imagecourtesy: aec HackatHon
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Innovative ideas come in all shapes and sizes. Some changes are smaller in nature and may represent incremental improvements. In lean terminology, these iterative changes use kaizen or constantly improving systems with the goal of perfection. these incremental changes may appear to be insignificant when looked at individually, but when viewed as a series of iterative improvements or, even better, as a culture of innovation that rewards these ideas, there is potential for marketing the progressive nature of a firm.
other innovations are big shifts that suggest that some traditional construct needs to be challenged to provide superior value. these large-scale ideas may challenge something fundamental, like the way an estimate is generated and issued or how schedule information is received from the field. In large-scale form, these innovative ideas have a history of changing the game in the way construction is delivered. Many owners have rallied behind new ideas and concepts offered from a project team and look to the better use of BIM as one of these shifts for mitigating risk on a project (Figure 3.3). again, it’s important to know the customer and ensure that a proposed offering is appropriate. However, in many cases the use of innovation in a project can set a firm apart from the crowd and get a team excited about the opportunity to use their project as a platform for industry growth.
Image © mcgraw HIllSmartmarket report
Figure 3.3 Impact of risk-reducing strategies
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Can You Show Real Results from the Impact of Implementation?
one of the single largest challenges with BIM is showing hard metrics that justify the return on investment (roI) for its use. capturing metrics against a baseline would be much easier if you were using BIM in a manufacturing setting or a more controlled and redundant environment. However, as each construction project is unique, it’s often difficult to justify savings over typical methods because it can be argued that traditional methods may have worked just as well.
In many instances of BIM, roI can be explained in terms of time and money saved. these metrics may include faster turnaround times to complete analysis, increased efficiency to send and access information, and reduced hours dedicated to particular tasks. although these metrics are solid and quantifiable, the more esoteric roI questions that contribute to a project’s success, such as increased collaboration, better visualization, and better quality, are more difficult to address. Project team members may validate some of these assumptions through their experiences in working together on projects through case studies and surveys. aside from these “fringe”
metrics, BIM continues to be accepted, even if some benefits are not measured. So how can the use and resulting impact of BIM be measured on a project? one answer is in the deliverables.
the easiest way to determine the impact and roI of implementing a technology is to compare the time and money that went into producing a new deliverable versus a traditional deliverable. For example, say your team is considering integrating a new mobile application technology that would allow field staff to generate and respond to rFIs, punch lists, and material tracking through a tablet Pc. By looking at a traditional method of this workflow, you can use a matrix chart to see that comparison in a simple way. You can use a matrix like the one in table 3.1 to show the proposed value of a tool when pursuing work and proposing new technologies as well as to validate whether the assumptions made during the pursuit phase were accurate and whether efficiencies and benefits are being realized downstream.
analysis at this level sets clear expectations for how a tool should be used and what should be achieved. these expectations can then be checked as the project progresses. In any construction project, some activities can be improved upon, which can then be evaluated to see if they met expectations.
the analysis aspect of answering the question of “can we show real results from this implementation?” is one part of a two-part equation. the other major component is using experience and case studies. examples of previous successes and integration and related stories of outcomes help validate efforts and best answer the question when marketing BIM or other technologies. of course, the best solution is to substantiate these claims with outside input such as client or subcontracting partner feedback that can further reinforce the outcome of a decision or process. this input is not only powerful in marketing, but it is also a powerful tool in learning how to improve.
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▶ Table 3.1 RFI technology comparison matrix
Description Traditional Proposed (app) Benefit
RFI creation Photos are captured in the field on a camera and uploaded to a laptop. Drawing markups are made on a copy and scanned as a PDF.
Specification clarifications are highlighted and attached to the description of the RFI.
Approximately 10 minutes per RFI.
RFIs are created from the mobile application. The app attaches pictures directly from the device’s camera roll. The app links to drawings and specs stored on a cloud server and can be accessed directly from the tool.
Approximately 4 minutes per RFI.
The mobile app will save time in uploading and attaching photos and referring to documents.
However, Internet connectivity is required and users will need to familiarize themselves with the new tool. Saves approximately 6 minutes per RFI.
Punch lists The CM* walks the project and identifies issues by marking issues on a printed plan. Additional photos are taken with a camera and associated with the resulting Excel spreadsheet issued to subcontractors.
Approximately 9 minutes per punch list item.
The CM uses the app to open a model of the project where issues can be tagged in 3D.
Photos are taken from the application and hosted directly with the associated punch list item.
Additionally, the tool automatically logs and numbers the responses as well as tracks response times. Approximately 4 minutes per punch list item.
The team will pick up efficiency both in the creation of the punch list and in response times by providing a single interface that team members can use to see and respond to issues.
The tracking ability will ensure that reasonable turnaround times are being met. Saves approximately 5 minutes per punch list item.
Material tracking
The CM meets with the project’s subcontractors to identify materials needed and scheduled deliveries in Excel. As materials arrive, their location and quantity is verified and individually tracked with a barcode.
The barcode software requires the use of a special scanner to manage inventory. Approximately 15 minutes.
The CM uses the app to input the materials and delivery times. The CM receives a reminder when materials are to arrive. When they arrive, inexpensive barcodes can be attached to materials and scanned using the tablet’s camera feature.
Photos of damaged material can be associated with materials as well.
Approximately 7 minutes.
By using the app, the team can reduce the time taken for logging and processing materials.
Additionally, the application may save the team money by not having to purchase scanners and inventory software. Savings of 8 minutes per material package tracked.
* CM = construction manager
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Is This What the Owner Wants?
don’t fall prey to the temptation to apply a cookie-cutter solution for every customer.
this approach is lazy and you miss the opportunity to take what makes a particular project unique and capitalize on it through the use of a focused technology strategy. this is not to say that a firm shouldn’t standardize their platforms, but in selecting which tools and processes will be used to execute a deliverable it is important to consider the question, “Is this really what the owner wants?” In many cases, it may be a more efficient way of working that benefits the construction management team the most, and this is fine. However, in pursuing work it is the teams who take into account the owner’s needs and deliver customer-centric product that will make one firm stand out.