New BIM Roles and changing job dynamics in the construction sector
BIM Services have been the foundation of digital transformation in the construction industry. This holistic process of creating and managing information for a built asset has seen a surge in demand in the past five years. Countries like UK, Denmark, France have mandates in place which have ensured BIM migration while various environmental, economic and social factors have provided the AEC companies the push to adapt BIM and be more innovative and competent.
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However, in response to the mainstream BIM adoption new job roles and titles have emerged. It can be argued that a majority of these job roles fundamentally fall under the scope of traditional jobs but are only being carried out in a different method. Nevertheless, the importance and demand of BIM has brought about a shift in job roles and responsibilities that are requisite to efficiently manage BIM workflows.
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BIM Manager:
The titular role of BIM manager could be little ambiguous at time and may change depending on the company. Ideally, the BIM manager is in charge of implementing the BIM project and determining standards, setting business procedures etc. The BIM manager is also ideally the one supervising the entire project and he is the one who appoints BIM coordinators and BIM specials in a given project. The BIM manager must also have significant knowledge of tools and technologies that will be used in the BIM project. This includes BIM software like Revit, Tekla to BIM collaboration platform to BIM management software. Since the BIM manager is the one guiding the whole project he must always ensure that he is updated with the current market trends, technological advancements etc. Finally, in a given company depending on its size there could be a single or multiple BIM managers.
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BIM Coordinator:
Following the BIM manager the next comes the BIM Coordinator, who plays an integral role in the BIM team. The BIM coordinator is the connecting link between the BIM manager and the BIM technician. They support the BIM manager in outlining and analysing rules as well in defining contractual aspects. They also communicate with clients in order to gain exact project requirements based on which BIM Execution Plan is created by them which determines project timelines, work and resource allocation. The BIM Coordinator must be a keen judge of character so that he can determine individual strengths and get the maximum out of people. Finally, just like the BIM manager the BIM coordinator must also be aware of the technology and the work progress as people will come to them to solve issues when needed.
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BIM Technicians:
The BIM Technicians or the BIM modellers form the very lifeline of any BIM team. They could be from any discipline of construction like architectural, structural or MEP. The other requisite for BIM technicians is the understanding of BIM software like Revit, Tekla, ArchiCAD etc. They should also have deep domain knowledge that would provide them the information and expertise to accurately model. Finally, they should be aware of company policies and BIM standards based on which the project takes place.
Thus, the rising surge of Building Information Modeling has led to the formation of BIM teams. These teams have the capability to take on the projects of large magnitudes which would increase the speed and efficiency of onsite construction.
