These are challenging times economically for the country and also for the construction industry, especially in view of the Government's recently published strategy for public procurement, and the central role for Building Information Modelling (BIM) in the goal of reducing construction cost by 20% within the lifetime of this Parliament. These challenges are bringing BIM more into the spotlight as a foundation for Project/ Building Lifecycle Management.

The announcement of Paul Morrell, the Government's Chief Construction Adviser, in May 2011, made clear indication that all suppliers would have to adopt a BIM workflow within five years when undertaking government construction projects.

What is BIM?

BIM (Building Information Modelling) is the process of creating and managing Virtual Building™ data during its life cycle. Typically this uses three-dimensional, real-time, dynamic building modelling software to increase productivity in building design and construction. The process produces the Building Information Model, which typically encompasses building geometry, spatial relationships, geographic information, and quantities or properties of the buildings components.

Building Design Professionals adopting an ArchiCAD BIM workflow claim that it is more than just software technology, but an innovative way for architects, engineers and other design professionals to work collaboratively. This sharing of data increases efficiency and profitability across the whole supply chain.