Cadalyst - March 2008 - (Page 42)

aecinsight Making Change Although some contractors might prefer to work with models delivered by architects and engineers, few designers currently deliver such models. Even when contractors know that architects and engineers have created BIM models in-house, the vast majority of A/E deliverables still arrive in the form of conventional drawings and/or 2D CAD files. On the other hand, many contractors say they would remodel architects’ or engineers’ models even if they were delivered. In part, this procedure is due to lack of interoperability among diverse modeling packages (the designer models in software X, the constructor in software Z, and yet the models cannot be reliably translated). This incompatibility also involves differences in the way architects and engineers model for design intent versus contractors’ modeling for means and methods of construction. Builders also must replace or significantly reconfigure their existing estimating and scheduling software to sync with newly adopted modeling tools. This adjustment requires retraining estimators and schedulers who used the original tools in the old ways. New staff positions likely will be created to manage these efforts. Titles of these emerging positions hint at the responsibilities: virtual construc- tion manager, model manager, BIM manager, and so on. New, computer-centric roles spill over from contractors’ offices to job sites, where new personnel may join the project team as VC coordinators or the like, or where incumbent project staff such as superintendents and/or assistant superintendents may take on model-management roles for their respective projects. Fringe Benefits Although statistically significant samplings of hard data aren’t yet available, the anecdotal evidence among contractors using VC/BIM is that the benefits are sufficient to justify the substantial organizational changes required. Such benefits include reduced waste through more precise ordering and timely delivery of materials, avoided change orders through better coordination and more consistent documentation, and enhanced collaboration with all project partners. c Industry analyst and consultant Jerry Laiserin helps AEC/O businesses — and the technology providers who serve them — build smarter through the integration of technology strategy and business process. E-mail him at jerry@laiserin.com. Advance your career in CAD management. Broaden your tech, business, and management skills with savvy insights and real-world advice from Cadalyst columnist Robert Green. 978-0-470-11653-1 www.cad-manager.com/book Wiley, the Wiley logo, and the Sybex logo are registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and /or its affiliates. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. 42 March 2008 | cadalyst | www.cadalyst.com http://www.cad-manager.com/book http://www.paulaubin.com http://www.cadalyst.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Cadalyst - March 2008

Cadalyst - March 2008 Contents Editor's Window CAD Central Thicker than Water Safe Keeping — Backup Software Secures Your Designs AMD’s ATI FireGL Graphics Cards AutoCAD Civil 3D 2008 — Surveying, Civil Engineering, and Land Development Software Cool Software Utilities for Your Job History, Nonhistory, or Both? In the Eye of the Storm Builders’ Information Modeling CAD Cartoon Issue Indexes CAD from the Streets

Cadalyst - March 2008

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