BIM FOR THE SMALLER PRACTICE

by

Andrew Beaman

3 June 2019 at 12:27

There IS a light at the end of the tunnel

Photo by Brent De Ranter on Unsplash

Why is it important for smaller firms to consider their journey towards Building Information Modelling?

It astounds me how fast the world is moving. Sometimes I feel like I’m on a Rocket Ship and I just want to get off. But what happens if you get off, or even worse, what happens if you don’t even get on? Getting left behind in this modern world can result in a reduction of your professional relevance and inability to compete with the new kids on the block. BIM for smaller firms is now more relevant than ever.

Im using Revit, that means I’m using BIM right? Ummm, no. Sorry. BIM is utilising a system to divine, model, construct and manage a building from cradle to grave. Using 3D modelling software is only part of the picture. While the premier softwares such as Revit and ArchiCad have integrated systems to provide information to the relevant invested parties, at the medium to small scale practice, rarely is it being used to capacity. In Australia, our journey to complete BIM integration has only just begun and for smaller firms, it hasnt even registered a blip on the radar. But, because things move so fast, it is imperative to begin looking at how BIM integration can improve your work processes and implement measures to deliver a better product, more comprehensively and in a faster time frame. It means better structure for your team, more profit for your business and a happier workplace over all.

But, to change how I run my business now will cost me more time and money than I can afford! Everyone fears change as it is a step into the unknown, seems like a mountain you don’t need to climb and just represents headaches you can do without. Martijn de Riet in his article “BIM on a smaller scale” identifies reasons why smaller firms are hesitant to embrace BIM integration, thinking that it isn’t relevant to their set up. He also tells you why you should. You can read his article here: https://www.augi.com/articles/detail/bim-on-a-smaller-scale

In his piece for AUGI he touches on one particular pain point for which smaller firms feel when considering a BIM plan.

Small firms struggle with creating their own workflow from scratch. You bought the software, invested in training, and now you also need to spend serious time and budget on getting it to work? Create a library, BIM execution plans, modeling agreements and definitions, and so on. Small firms benefit from standardization. They have neither the manpower nor the budget to have somebody work on a company standard and template for a month. They want to buy something, put in their corporate identity (you know, have the section marker look like the boss wants it to look) and get cranking.

Standardisation is essential for having an effective workflow. If you have staff but no standardisation across the practice, its an Animal Farm that may achieve the objective, but its not pretty and costs you more than you realise to produce. Taking the time and effort to create that standardisation for your practice is hours (many many hours) and a lot of money.

This is where QARC4Revit can eliminate this pain point. Our template system has created the standardisation you need across your office. Every sheet is set up to include everything needed for complete documentation and green notes to tell you how to implement those items. Schedules and Legends have been created, notes and details have been provided. We have even given you check sheets for your staff to follow to ensure they provide a complete set of documents. In addition, our delivery system of content ensures you receive quality 3D models and details that work as required, responding to schedules and automatically populating sheets. All you have to do is model the building, and the job is practically done for you. As the BIM manager, you simply have to ensure your staff are using the system and that’s it. Job done.

QARC Systems is also constantly growing and evolving to solve the problems of BIM implementation for smaller practices. As you grow with QARC Systems, you will be automatically staying at the forefront of changes within the industry, ensuring you remain on the Rocket Ship (first class all the way!).

Download the QARC4Revit plug in and get started using our free content. https://qarcsystems.com.au/i-want-qarc/

Author

Andrew Beaman,

QARC Operations Manager

Believing that being prepared will always give you the best opportunity to succeed, Andrew has embraced everything Autodesk and BIM technology has offered to deliver the ultimate springboard for Revit users. He is currently the Operations Manager for QARC Systems, bringing his advanced knowledge of Revit to pair with his considerable history of Sales and Marketing experience.

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2 thoughts on “BIM FOR THE SMALLER PRACTICE

  1. Hi, can you please tell me if or when Qarc might be available for RevitLT users?

    1. Hi Barry.
      Unfortunately RevitLT does not allow plug-ins to be be installed on that system so we are unable to service LT users. However we are looking into how we might create a system for you. Keep checking back in with us and we will let you know when we have developed some further technology for you.
      Regards
      Andrew

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