The BIM Regions cover the UK and Ireland and can help you to negotiate the implementation of BIM Level 2 within your organisation with open advice and guidance, as explained here by Andy Radley, Group BIM Director at Kier Group and Jill Guthrie, Senior BIM Manager at Willmott Dixon
The BIM Regions (Regional Hubs) were set up in partnership with the Construction Industry Council (CIC) and the BIM Task Group in 2012 to support the UK BIM programme. Our intent is to achieve a critical mass for BIM adoption in the UK, reaching out across the future of our industry and beyond.
While a defined UK BIM Level 2 has been on the industry agenda for some time and having already passed the April 2016 deadline set by the government for its implementation, it is recognised that there is still a huge amount of progress and upskilling to me made. Particularly raising BIM awareness and promoting education across all sectors and all stakeholders. This is to enable everyone to work effectively using digital information and tools, in the design, manufacture, construction and operation of built assets.
The BIM Regions are supported by a diverse range of industry professionals entirely on a voluntary basis with a steering group in each region of the UK and Ireland providing support, events and the promotion of all things relating to successful BIM outcomes.
Each of the Regional Chair’s contact details can be found at www.bimregions.co.uk/champs-contacts/, and they have committed to do the following:
• Promote the adoption of BIM, associated technologies and collaborative working across the built environment industry;
• Commitment to continue to work as a federated network across the UK, at local, regional and national level;
• Remain software agnostic, and promote open digital collaboration and data exchange;
• Promote UK BIM Level 2 standards and processes, and Level 3 when available;
• Achieve critical mass for adoption of BIM Level 2;
• Promote, encourage and support the digital transition and transformation of the industry, at all levels and across all sectors;
• Reach out to the industry and beyond to form collaborative partnerships to promote digital transformation.
The BIM Regions work closely with Constructing Equality, one of our industry partners, to lead the way within the construction industry on a more inclusive and diverse group. More information on diversity and inclusion can be found on our website.
The BIM Regions movement provides a refreshing alternative to many of the contractor led BIM SIG’s that normally form out of the many sub-groups that exist around a Construction Hub or framework. It is fair to say there usually exists a culture of protectionism and a distinct lack of sharing or even debate. The underlying fear of exposing your organisation’s weak level of BIM maturity or the avoidance of giving away some fantastic BIM secret has led to some of these groups achieving very little progress due to the closed and guarded nature of the conversations (or lack of) taking place.
The BIM Regions movement is more open. Members represent the group and not their company, and as such it promotes a more collaborative atmosphere that can support a broader range of stakeholders as there is no affiliation solely to members of a defined Construction Hub.
In 2016 the North West BIM Region was reinvigorated by the development of a core steering group led by Jill Guthrie (Wilmott Dixon) and myself. There was agreement within the committee that it would concentrate its efforts in a targeted manner, concentrating on the keys areas that we collectively agreed required the most effort to elevate their BIM maturity. As a consequence, we have now run a number of events with sponsorship from supply chain partners. These have specifically been aimed at Sub Contactors, Suppliers and Manufacturers, providing them with focused BIM days. These events would have, without the BIM regions, been delivered individually by our respective companies. It seems logical to work this way as most of the BIM Region Members share the same supply chain. And, it makes good business rationale to pool recourses and deliver a stronger combined message that ‘BIM is the future, and we are here to support you on your journey’ from more than one party at a time.
These events have already received excellent feedback due to the mix of speakers and content from a technical viewpoint, with industry specialists and some experienced guidance from those who are further down the BIM journey. Our speakers can spread the message of realising benefits, rather than facing barriers.
The next North West BIM Region event is an Open Mic Night, which is also being held in collaboration with Graitec, BDP, Digitalgreen and thinkBIM. It will take place at the BDP Offices, 11 Ducie Street, Manchester, M1 2JB on 24th November between 18:00 and 21:00.
Further details on events at a local level can be found by visiting the relevant steering group page via our website: www.bimregions.co.uk
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Andy Radley
Group BIM Director
Kier Group
Andy.Radley@kier.co.uk
www.kier.co.uk
Twitter: @kiergroup
Jill Guthrie
Senior BIM Manager
Willmott Dixon
www.willmottdixon.co.uk
Twitter: @jill_guthrie1
