What is a BIM Manager? The interest in Building Information Modelling has increased within the construction industry over the past few years, driven primarily by the 2011 government mandate on all public sector projects. And it is becoming widely heralded as being an essential part of improving efficiency within the construction industry.
But when BIM is not implemented and managed correctly, BIM can be a burden, especially in an industry that has long had a reputation for disconnected stakeholders and responsibilities. The solution, you may say is a BIM Manager.
But what does a BIM manager ‘actually’ do? And why is it so important to have one?
What is a BIM Manager?
‘BIM Manager’, ‘BIM Co-ordinator’ and even ‘Information Officer’ has crept into construction vocabulary in recent years. For many companies, BIM Manager is a role associated with driving change with digital ways of working. The role is varied and differs from sector to sector and from company to company.
Especially as it can apply to not only those working in architecture, construction but also the manufacture of products for the construction industry.
What does a BIM Manager do?
As previously mentioned, the role of BIM Manager can vary, however there are some similarities.
A BIM Manager has a high-level of responsibility regarding the planning, design, delivery and operation of assets. But a big part of the role is about change management, getting the most out of the technology, people, process and policies that underpin changed ways of working to deliver the outputs needed for collaborative construction.
What kinds of skills do you need?
Some BIM managers will have a background in tech, while others will have upskilled in response to a business need.
Some BIM Managers will have come to the role with a history of developing policy and process and implementing change. Yet others will have come to the role with more of a focus on information management.
How do you train up a BIM Manager?
Many training courses, such as our BIM for Managers course, provide delegates with an overview of BIM Standards, BIM Adoption and the methods and procedures required to be seen as BIM compliant. The course also covers the CDE (Common Data Environment) and information management within a BIM process.
What makes a good BIM Manager?
A good Manager not only has a good well-rounded knowledge of construction but also has a good overarching perspective of the project, especially when projects involve numerous stakeholders with a range of different specialities and interests. Understanding the technical elements is important but so is understanding the bigger picture.
A critical part of a successful project and therefore a successful BIM manager is communication and explain and influence situations. It’s more than managing models, drawings, and BIM applications; it’s managing people, whether it be the architect, engineer or owner.
Many managers have been appointed due to the growing business need and come to the role with various background knowledge such as an in-depth understanding of the design process, a history of developing policies and processes, implementing change or even a focus on information management but in all honesty, a good BIM Manager will require a broad set of skills that covers all these area in order to successfully drive the change necessary to manage and coordinate an effective BIM project.
A critical part of a successful BIM project is communication and collaboration between all parties, it’s more than managing models, drawings, and BIM applications; it’s also about managing people.