Startup advice to designers about to launch into building information modeling: “Jump in with both feet; halfway measures do not work best. Use BIM on an actual project with a technology-savvy team that won’t be intimidated by the software. Training works best if it is used it right away, so apply it as you go. Set up training sessions that use the actual project for work samples. Get outside help from a knowledgeable and effective trainer, perhaps found through your software vendor. Once started, stick with it. There will be some frustrations at first, but you’ll work through them. Set up an informal network of people both inside your firm and in other firms, who are wrestling with the same issues, a kind of support group (once a week works best). Share insights and shortcuts on a regular basis. Make sure everyone on the team is using the same technology platform—don’t mix and match. Celebrate your successes and let everyone know what’s going well. Post samples of the work product on your office bulletin board so people will know what you are up to. And remember that you are not alone—thousands of people have become BIM-savvy over the past few years.”
The advice for BIM newbies is from Scott Simpson, managing director of the Cambridge, Mass., office of Kling Stubbins. The architect has been designing BIM-enabled buildings for five years.