BIM benefits

Generally, BIM is recognized as providing a wide range of valuable benefits including:

• Design: improved coordination of design and deliverables between disciplines; improved project understanding through visualization; improved design management and control, including change control; and improved understanding of design changes and implications through parametric modelling.
• Compliance: ability to perform simulation and analysis for regulatory compliance; and ability to simulate and optimize energy and wider sustainability performance.
• Costing/economics: ability to perform cost analysis as the design develops, and to check for adherence to budget/cost targets; ability to understand cost impacts of design changes; and improved accuracy of cost estimates.
• Construction: reduction of construction risks through identification of constructability issues early in the design process; early detection and avoidance of clashes; ability to model impact of design changes on schedule and programme; and ability to integrate contractor/subcontractor design input directly to the model.
• Operation and management: creation of an FM database directly from the project (as built) model; ability to perform FM costing and procurement from the model; and ability to update the model with real-time information on actual performance through the life of the building.