Session 3.2
ISO 19650, Information Management, and Lean Culture
Synopsis:
As a BIM Manager, I often encountered misunderstandings and improper implementation of Building Information Modeling (BIM). Adopting the ISO 19650 standard’s definition of BIM and incorporating Lean principles can lead to more effective implementation and improved project outcomes. The goal is to move beyond a narrow understanding of BIM and achieve its full potential.
Follow me in my journey redefining BIM (and why not rename it too) and deploying ISO 19650 at Intel using the Lean Culture.
Learning Objectives:
1. Understand the history and evolution of Building Information Modeling (BIM) and its potential benefits.
2. Learn about the ISO 19650 standard and its definition of BIM
3. Explore the role of information management in BIM and the importance of integrating diverse disciplines and stakeholders.
4. Understand simple concepts of Lean culture and their potential for improving the effectiveness and efficiency of BIM processes.
Body:
As a BIM Manager, I have often found that my peers or coworkers are not always on the same page when it comes to understanding BIM. This is not necessarily because one party is right and the other is wrong, but rather because something is missing in our shared understanding of BIM. But what is that something? What did Building Information Modeling mean when it first appeared in the early 90s, and what is its purpose? I have found that understanding the history of BIM can help us understand what we are missing in our current understanding and implementation of it.
According to Finith Jernigan in his book “”BIG BIM little bim”” (2007), “”BIM is increasing efficiency and making us more sustainable. There are less mistakes, better outcomes and fewer risks. BIM is profitable. BIM is not about a software. It is about how people think about and use technology. BIM is a new way of doing business.”” While BIM has the potential to bring many benefits, it is too often misunderstood and improperly implemented. In my daily work, I have received many calls from many AEC firm saying, “”everyone says you will save money if you do BIM, but why are we losing money?”” These firms are often mandated to use BIM on their projects but are not seeing the expected benefits. This could be because BIM is not being implemented properly, but it could also be due to a lack of understanding or agreement on what BIM is and how it should be used.
I have met with peers who can only see BIM in the context of their own field. I have also seen firms hiring BIM managers with job descriptions that are more suited to BIM coordinators, and BIM managers who believe that their main responsibility is maintaining 3D models and running clash detection.
In my search for a more comprehensive and holistic understanding of BIM, I turned to the ISO 19650 standard. This standard provides a definition of BIM as “”the use of a shared digital representation of a built asset to facilitate design, construction and operation processes to form a reliable basis for decisions.”” This definition, which falls under the chapter of information management, would it suggest that BIM manager should be now referred to as information managers? As the focus is on managing and sharing information throughout the project as ISO 19650 define information? That it can take many forms, beyond just a 3D model, including emails, RFIs, and Excel files for example. This expands the scope of BIM beyond the traditional focus on geometry and spatial data.
The principles of Lean culture, which involve continuous improvement, questioning, redefining, and optimizing processes, are also essential for properly transforming our BIM processes. By adopting a Lean culture, we can more effectively and efficiently utilize BIM to achieve improved outcomes. By understanding and properly implementing these principles in my own work, I have been able to more fully realize the benefits of BIM. By integrating information management and Lean culture into our approach to BIM, we can go beyond the narrow acronym of BIM and adopt a more holistic and effective approach to its implementation.