5 Strategies to Maintaining a Lifecycle-Driven BIM Execution Plan
Building information modeling (BIM) is increasingly essential to the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of an asset, particularly as cloud-based BIM platforms enable seamless collaboration and data exchange throughout a project.
However, establishing a successful BIM workflow that effectively moves across an asset’s lifecycle requires a sound digital basis to realize true value – and that foundation begins with BIM Execution Plan or BEP.
A BEP can effectively align project teams, define responsibilities, and set standards for a digital model and related documents, framing strategies to resolve common challenges. It’s a project-specific guide to how people and tools will facilitate a successful project—but too often, that guide gets developed and then set aside.
A BEP that doesn’t ‘live’ through a project can lead to poor communication and coordination, preventing teams from leveraging BIM tools and technologies to their fullest potential and undermining efficiency, leading to rework, delays, and increased costs as well as legal and contractual risks.
Key Strategies to Ensure Your BEP Remains Relevant Across the Lifecycle of an Asset
Top Down Commitment
Leadership commitment is essential. Project managers and senior leaders must champion the BEP as more than a contractual obligation. This commitment will is the first step in embedding the BEP into the project team’s culture and processes. Specify roles, such as appointing a BEP manager, and tools for accountability, such as project management software to track updates.
Keep it Live
A BEP should be a living document that is central to the project – not an afterthought. It should be a ‘teammate’ rather than a checklist. For instance, when possible, incorporate BEP standards into familiar project workflows such as model reviews, clash detection sessions, and decision-making processes. These actions help project teams see the BEP as a resource.
A BEP should be a living document that is central to the project – not an after thought.
Measure Effectiveness
Because of the broad value across many stakeholders, a BEP must be able accommodate changes that occur project scope, schedule, design, and technology. Teams should establish a review cadence – such as at project milestones, phase transitions, or after scope changes – and assign individual’s responsibility to make updates to the BEP. It also helps to define key performance indicators (KPIs) to track the effectiveness of your BEP. These might include adherence to modeling standards, issue resolution rates, or data quality metrics.
Ensure Accessibility
The BEP impacts all project stakeholders – owners, architects, engineers, and contractors. Maintain a centralized and collaborative BEP to ensure accessibility and better coordination among the project team. Regularly share updates through tools or technologies that support centralized BEP management, such as common data environments (CDEs) or cloud-based collaboration platforms like Autodesk Construction Cloud or Plannerly. Empower the project team to take ownership of the BEP.
Educate and Train
It’s important to regularly train the project team about the defined BEP standards and guidelines as well as adjustments along the way. These training sessions might include in-person workshops, online tutorials, and hands-on exercises. Conduct quarterly training sessions tailored to project milestones or team roles. Look to champions and subject matter experts to share their knowledge and lead training sessions.
By maintaining the BEP as a living, collaborative framework, organizations can ensure it stays relevant, effective, and aligned with the evolving needs of an asset. This approach not only reduces risks and inefficiencies but also enhances collaboration and drives value throughout the asset’s lifecycle.
For more about practical strategies for a successful BEP, see the BIM Execution Plan (BEP): Keep It Front and Center for Project Success webinar led by technical specialists from U.S.CAD Jeff Thomas III, Luis Chavez, Jill Conlin, and Brian Perez. To speak to our teams about your specific projects and see how we can help you define and implement a BEP, contact us today.
