How truly constructible data puts you in control of your business

A truly constructible model gives fabricators and contractors a deeper understanding of their projects before manufacturing or on-site work begins. Enhanced visibility, high levels of detail, information-rich data, clash detection, and automatic generation of deliverables from a constructible 3D model ensure accurate design, fabrication, and a building process with fewer errors.    

There is a light at the end of the tunnel. The construction activity in many countries is bouncing back after the pandemic. However, other challenges are appearing, such as material shortages and inflation, and the industry must figure out how to navigate them. 

Whether you’re a contractor or a fabricator, you might be worried about the limited availability of material, the escalating cost, and even the instability of knowing you can build or deliver something in specific geographies shortly. Situation and external factors are moving dramatically, and you are always at risk of being unable to execute your project as initially planned, reducing your profit margin, or even losing money. 

The bad news is that it does not look like these challenges will disappear soon. In fact, more changes might appear, and building material costs might increase. Given this volatile landscape, the need to make smarter decisions in designing, reducing waste, and manufacturing and estimating more efficiently has perhaps never been so critical. Fortunately, BIM has evolved in a way that provides you with truly constructible data that lets you better understand your project, make better decisions, and take back control of your business despite continuous challenges. 

Accurate data for exact estimates and improved profitability

Inaccurate estimates can be detrimental to construction projects, so it’s crucial to create estimates as accurately as possible. In many ways, the profitable success of a project is determined from the initial tender and bidding stage.

If a project costs more than you initially expected, you’ll likely make less profit or even lose money. Similarly, if you overestimate the costs, you will likely fail in competitive bidding if your competitors produce a more accurate estimate. If you want to win, you need to estimate smartly. 

You can benefit from having a central source of information: the 3D model. You will get even more benefits when the model is truly constructible. The main difference between a regular 3D model and a truly constructible model is the level of information and detail behind the model. A truly constructible model goes beyond just dimensions and shapes. A constructible model allows you to be as detailed as possible. Its visual capabilities let you break any communication and understanding barriers among the various construction project stakeholders and players. 

A constructible model gives you the level of detail and visibility that helps you see and understand your quantities. You can use the model to make changes and adjust quickly and immediately inform the rest of the team about these changes. But the most significant benefit of using a constructible model is the ability to see various scenarios and the repercussions on cost and risks to make smarter decisions accordingly.

A truly constructible model lets you connect and integrate your data. By doing so, you can enable collaboration within your team, meaning that relevant people can look at the model, comment, suggest changes, and add value to the planning and estimation process. It can also facilitate the work by automating processes while reducing human errors and guaranteeing quality data. You can, for example, automatically generate a bill of materials and ensure the data is error-free. Therefore, you can confidently bid and extract quantities while protecting your profit.  

Enhancing the procurement process with automation and accurate data

BIM is not a new thing. However, many companies are still finding their way to integrate their BIM software into daily operations to transform their business. Compared to traditional methods, BIM software is easier to use, offers an enhanced level of visibility, and enables efficient traceability. 

BIM is sometimes misunderstood as a technical tool. However, BIM is an entire procedure that must be understood to successfully implement. The correct implementation of BIM can immediately benefit and enhance the procurement process, ensuring that accurate data is available to key stakeholders and that procedures are automated to avoid errors.

When you acquire material, components, and services from a third party, you might be looking for the best prices, proper quality, and suitable delivery time. You cannot execute a construction project alone. In many cases, your project depends on a significant amount of subcontracted work, which might be affected by many external circumstances. You might be managing a lot of information and changes with various partners simultaneously. A truly constructible model is essential to keep all the information in one place as a source of truth for you, your team, and your partners.  

A truly constructible model includes information such as building geometry, quantities of building components, material specifications, fittings, costs, and finishes that can be used for procurement. It provides you with the information you need to define the quantities and improve the coordination of the procurement process during the design and construction phases, including many activities such as purchasing, sourcing, and planning the required workforce.

Rich-data model for efficient fabrication and execution on-site

High levels of accuracy are imperative to fabricate, manufacture and execute on-site more efficiently. It's no secret that errors made at the fabrication stage can lead to material wastage, project delays, and the all-important profit margin taking a hit. Similarly, if you find a mistake when your team is on-site ready to pour or erect the structures, you might need to change your plans and delay your project, causing cost increases. 

A truly constructible model offers you enhanced visibility, high levels of detail, and information-rich data. By creating a truly constructible model, the fabricators and contractors can better understand the project before manufacturing or building on-site. This, combined with features such as clash detection and automatic generation of various deliverables such as drawings, schedules, and other documentation from the constructible 3D model, can enable a more accurate design, fabrication, and building process with fewer errors.

Teams overcome communication barriers and misunderstandings when the model is shared with relevant stakeholders. Individuals and groups can look, review, and participate in the planning process, which helps identify possible risks and avoid costly surprises. 

BIM may not be able to solve every problem. Indeed, there is no magic recipe for managing the supply chain bottlenecks and rising price issues faced by the construction industry. But BIM, especially a truly constructible model, can provide enhanced accuracy, visibility, and traceability during fabrication, production, and other building processes to put you back in control of your business.

Visit our solution pages to learn more about how we can help with your next steps of the constructible process.