Many FMs have heard about building information modeling (BIM), but a small percentage have actually worked with it firsthand.
According to a survey from The British Institute of Facilities Management (BIFM), 39.8% of FMs have some experience of being involved in a BIM project and just 20% have direct experience of writing or implementing an Asset Management Strategy.
Building information modeling offers substantial paybacks for the facilities management industry and 83% of respondents in the survey agreed with this notion, insisting that BIM will help support the delivery of facilities management, indicating it is already having an impact, or will do so, in the next five years.
The problem may lie within education. 72% say the FM industry is not yet clear what BIM is, and 67% disagree or strongly disagree that the FM industry is well prepared to deal with BIM projects.
Thought leaders in the industry are starting to notice.
“BIFM recognizes this is an important requirement to do more to help support people who are starting on their BIM journey and want to get up to speed,” says BIFM Research and Information Manager Peter Brogan.
There are several ways to learn more about BIM and its many applications. The National BIM Guide for Owners is a handy guide founded on the foreign, federal, state and local BIM guides that currently exist, but geared to a generic facility with uniform requirements.
