The construction industry is used to having the best tools for a job. From a hammer to a theodolite they expect to be able to make the best use of the most suitable equipment for the task at hand. However, a report by KPMG from 2019 found that most construction firms are waiting for competitors to take the first step toward the adoption of technologies to streamline their workflows and improve their data collection and utilisation. BIM is one of the principal areas where technology has already transformed the design and implementation of building projects and looks set to drive further change in the coming decade.

According to the 9th National BIM survey, BIM adoption actually fell back slightly from 71% to 69% in the year to May 2019. Over half of respondents to the survey gave the reasons for this as issues surrounding lack of access to the digital tools and support needed to exploit the opportunities of BIM. Another large group gave lack of expertise and training as the reason for the slow down in adoption. Many people enter the industry as a route to expressing their creativity in the design of buildings. A recent architecture graduate told us that he had barely picked up a pencil in the last few years as he had found a better outlet for innovation in the digital world. Unlimited space to produce images, 3D visualisation and the ability to collaborate with project partners through tools such as Driving Vision partners Plannerly had, he felt, enabled him to produce work of a quality that would have been beyond the tools of a previous generation.

Plannerly is a good example of the type of tool that enhances the potential for creativity and constructability. Plannerly is a cloud-based BIM management platform for architects, engineers, contractors and owners to simplify their project planning, execution and compliance workflows. It simplifies project management by consolidating BIM standards, requirements, sequencing, tracking and compliance. Tools such as this when used in conjunction with cloud based storage, which takes away the requirement for managing expensive in house servers, bring the benefits of BIM collaboration within the reach of all participants in a project.

One of the other points made in the National BIM survey in 2019 was that adoption rates would be higher but for the perception that project partners had no appetite to embrace BIM or lacked the resources to do so effectively. So, is the construction industry lagging behind in adopting technology? The true answer is no but some businesses have not advanced as far as they could because they have not taken advantage of the expertise and training available to them. To learn more about Driving Vision’s process and partners please get in touch.

Implementing BIM can be daunting, but Driving Vision is here to help you at the pace you are comfortable with. Get started by getting in touch now