1. Define your project
Establish your project requirements and deliverables from the outset, eg what are the required outcomes, who is creating or supplying the data, when does it need to be exchanged and who owns the process. The Digital Work Plan published by the government’s BIM Task Group describes the various data creation and management roles in a project team
2. Have a documented standards and protocols
Everyone providing data needs to work using the same basic rules to ensure consistency of data creation throughout the project. Use national standards where possible. These include BS 1192:2, which defines how documents should be built up, approved and signed off to avoid ambiguities.
3. Determine what information is needed and when
Define the required level of detail at each work stage. Avoid the temptation to add too much detail, the more you add the greater the complexity. National guidelines are available.
4. Create a model assembly diagram
This allows each team member to understand how the building information model is arranged — rarely will a single file work.
5. Determine what tools are being used
Ensure that if different authoring software is being used, all parties understand how to exchange data via IFC effectively and for the right purposes. Creating a matrix of software tools used on the project will help.
By David Jellings, director of the OPEN BIM Network, an alliance of clients, consultants, designers, contractors, software vendors and FM operators committed to collaboration via Open BIM. For more information, visit www.bimtaskgroup.org
