Bradley BIM-Revit Resource Portal

Assembling your Revit Implementation Puzzle, requires a transition of all the "pieces"; your organization, staff, technologies, project workflows, consultants and clients from CAD-based processes to your future BIM-based processes.

Based on 25 years of transitioning hundreds of design, construction and facility owner organizations -- these are the 5 typical investment costs; for your consideration.

To be clear - the Revit transition will change how all of the "pieces" connect and create the new "BIM-process picture" for your organization.

These will be upfront and ongoing investment costs. However, the costs are 'time and financial investments'; that can be planned within your budgets and billing processes. If properly implemented, documented and managed; they should provide a Return-On-Invest (ROI) from your BIM transition efforts.

For now, I've listed them below; many times including a link to a related article. Over time; I'll fill in the blanks with more detailed articles; that best explain how these made "the list" from my 10+ years of client Revit implementation experiences.

[ Low-Cost Revit Implementation Strategy That Wins Business ]

1 ) Hire a Revit Implementation 'Consultant'

A consultant should deliver a full assessment of your current staff, technologies, consultants, document distribution, graphic standards, and workflow processes. The 'consultant' could be an architect, engineer or contractor; that has a long, successful experience with a variety of organizational Revit implementations.

This person and/or organization should prescribe & deliver to your organization a roll-out recommendation with implementation options, schedule and budget. Review their Phased-In Plan; which typically involves Pilot Projects to clarify the Proof of Processes, specific to your organization. 

Your most effective method to quickly succeed, is to hire someone;,who can help you design your "Revit Road Map" --prior to starting the Revit implementation journey.

[ Revit Implementation Secrets - 10 Best Revit Process Features ]

2) Revit Software & Computer Systems\Networks:

The Revit software, computer systems & network will need to be better and faster; than the typical CAD workstations. The Revit project files will be larger; while Revit supports the benefit of several people simultaneously, accessing the same project file.

[ Revit 2016 New Features List \ Videos-Downloads-System Requirements ]

3) Revit Training and Continued Education

Revit's functionality and processes are far different than AutoCAD. Training will be required; to learn both the new software and the valuable productivity process enhancements. Designing a custom learning program; will expedite your Revit implementation plan; that is specific to your firm's staff and projects. You'll also improve your organization's Return-On-Investment by rolling out Revit faster, on more projects.

[ Keys to Designing Your Successful Revit 101 Basic Training ]

4) BIM Manager Role and Position

How do you prepare for the BIM Manager role and position in your organization? Do you hire from outside your firm or train from within? The BIM Manager responsibilities far exceed the role of a CAD Manager --which many times; was associated with managing project graphic standards, file organization and training.

[ Define BIM Manager Roles | Key to Shaping Compensation Programs ]

5) Revit (Family) Building Product Content Library - Standards

Assembling and managing a Revit Library of reliable building product content for your projects --will determine the efficiency of your Revit projects. There are hundreds of building product manufacturers; that provide free, pre-built Revit content (windows, fixtures, walls) --where almost none existed 10 years ago.

[ Key Costs for Building Revit Families ]

As these are NOT 'One and Done' investments; they need to be incorporated into every annual sales, business, marketing, education, management budget. BIM Means Business.

Daniel Hughes | BIM Strategist: These have proven to be the most consistent Revit investments; that organizations have embedded into their annual budgets. This "top 5" list has remained consistent for more than 10 years; they belong in your annual budget and business plans.

Bradley's Revit Family models were created with a high Level Of Development (LOD). Bradley Revit models are designed to accommodate the needs of all four Revit project members; architect, engineer, contractor and facility owners.

There are several reasons the Bradley BIM Team chose to build a single Revit model; that was all-inclusive to serve all disciplines.

Bradley Revit-BIM Family Quality Standards | Top 10 FAQs

1) Logistically, its easier to manage embedded data parameters of more than 1,000 Revit models; as one inclusive model for all disciplines.

2) Ideally, a manufacturer's Revit model that is shared amongst the team; guarantees data consistency and minimizes the modeling costs for everyone. Consider this:

How often will your consultant(s) build a Revit model for both them and for your discipline?

How often do you build Revit models for your consultants?

3) Realistically, my onsite client visits confirm that BIM \ VDC Managers maintain a LOD definition; specific to their organization, projects and team members.

"We will decide what content we keep and delete within our Revit families."

[Common BIM-VDC Managers Response]

Bradley anticipated Revit Managers would remove content from Bradley Revit models; to meet their standards, preferences and criteria. It is far easier, faster and cheaper for them to delete content, from an all-inclusive Revit model.

Once they remove family content; perhaps after adding their own shared \ family parameters --they will save a Bradley Revit family file down to a smaller file size.

Bradley Revit Family Secrets – Compact File Reduces File Size

For example;

Architectural designers may remove the MEP connections, solids or voids --keeping only basic solids, masking regions and symbolic line-work.

Engineers may remove the materials, solids and voids --keeping the MEP connections and portions of the masking regions & symbolic line-work.

Contractors creating the Owner's as-built project Revit models; have typically requested and\or used the Bradley Revit models in their original high LOD format.

Technology's Exponential Growth Will Change Revit Family Rules

The Bradley BIM Initiative strategy forecasted; that Revit, LOD, BIM and supporting technology processes would remain "moving targets".

My April 2014 Revit \ BIM article for Sourceable.net (Australia) reviews the potential savings from carefully selected, pre-built Building Product Manufacturers' (BPM) BIM content for BIM-based projects and office BIM standards.

Sourceable.net (Australia) Article

Pre-built Manufacturer BIM Content Can Deliver Savings

Excerpt: Leading Building Information Modeling (BIM) software packages such as Autodesk Revit, Bentley Microstation, Graphisoft ArchiCAD and Nemetschek Vectorworks provide libraries of free generic BIM content in their respective BIM file formats.

However; without reliable BIM content produced by Building Product Manufacturers (BPM), projects produced by designers with BIM software; will be greatly limited to create accurate construction documents.

Read Complete Article:

Pre-built Manufacturer BIM Content Can Deliver Savings

My thanks to Excel Engineering Inc in Fond Du Lac Wisconsin for their permission to use their CrossWay Church \ Germantown WI Revit project image for my Sourceable.net BIM BPM article.

Additional Building Product Manufacturer (BIM) Content Articles

My First 5 Revit Family Manufacturer Content Websites

Bentley AECOsim Building Designer Reads Manufacturer Revit Family Files

Bradley BIM Library Available for Vectorworks Service Select Members

Bradley Revit Family Secrets | LOD – Level of Development

Key Costs for Building Revit Families

Successful BIM implementation comes in 'planned steps' as you market, plan, budget and set achievable implementation expectations. Joseph Joseph, identifies in detail his 8- steps to a successful BIM marketing program.

Joseph Joseph is a Practice Technologies Executive + Imagineer at Walt Disney Imagineering. He authored this article; when he was SAIC’s Managing Director overseeing all BIM/CAD Technologies strategies and initiatives, including strategizing, standards, and implementation of BIM in a design-build environment.

It's not enough to have BIM capability--you have to know how to sell your BIM expertise to clients, prospects, consultants, your management teams and employees.

Joseph's summary of each step, defines this as an Executive Level article for principals, owners and upper management to consider prior to implementing the BIM process. If you've already started BIM -- its a great checklist against what you have or have not achieved by implementing your BIM processes.

As a business and marketing planning article; it should be reviewed against your written Implementation Plans for Revit, ArchiCAD, Bentley or Vectorworks software.

If you're a facility owner, this is a great article to help you define your BIM 'End-Game"

1. "Why are you asking for BIM on your projects?" -- AND

2. "How is your team going to use BIM files & processes for managing the building?"

Joseph's article provides complete details for each of these 8 steps; that is published by the Building Design + Construction Magazine \ Website:

8 Steps to a Successful BIM Marketing Program

Step #1 ) Recognize the business and marketing aspects of implementing BIM in your organization.

The secret to successfully implementing Revit is choosing Revit process features; that offer the best initial financial benefits early in the CAD-to-Revit transition process.

If Revit can substantially outperform your CAD software for creating documentation; why not start using Revit to draw faster and improve your documentation integrity and quality?

Here's my list of the ten best process features in Revit; that can offer the biggest Return On Investment (ROI) in the initial phase of Revit implementation.

1. Automatic Sheet set Management and Tag Coordination

2. Automated Floor Planning Tools

3. All Model & Sheet Views Update When the Revit Model is Edited

4. Annotation Graphics Resize Based on View Scale

5. Power of Parametric Dimensioning

6. Pre-built Building Product Manufacturer Model Libraries

7. Building Schedules Synchronize\Auto-Update With Model Changes

8. Views: Independent & Automated Visibility Controls

9. Multiple people can simultaneously Access and Edit the Project File

10. Link DWG Files Into Revit Project

I established this list more than ten years ago; to help my Revit clients maximize their Return-On-Investment (ROI) on their "Revit Pilot-Project" implementations.

Many of these Revit process features and associated functionality -- do not exist in other CAD or object-based software programs. Clients immediately reaped the financial rewards (faster drawing, reduced labor) from using these processes on their first pilot projects.

How do you envision "the cloud" when you hear the term "Revit cloud computing";

Do you envision "the cloud" as just a remote computer server for centrally storing and accessing your Revit project files?

Below, are just 5 major costs and processes for managing current Revit projects --the Revit Cloud seeks to change that.

The efficiency of Revit Cloud functionally offers the opportunity to evolve, replace or potentially eliminate these Revit process costs?

A Blank Revit Screen Can Be Challenging for New Revit Users Once They Leave Class

Below, are common training experiences, that owners and BIM managers have shared with me; after they sent their staff to Revit 101 Basics Training.

We sent our staff to 3-days of basic, Revit 101 training and when our staff returned; they

• couldn't start a Revit project from a Revit template.

• didn't know how to load a Revit family from a folder.

• weren't sure how to print Revit Views & Sheets

• created TEXT for a room name; without realizing how to insert a Revit Room Tag.

• understood only a few options for creating & editing dimensions.

• lacked basic competency for using placing views & sheet layout process.

• weren't sure how to create Drafting Views or loading of Drafting Family Components.

• couldn't edit Revit wall placement or components by editing Revit dimension values.

• were unable to start or setup a basic Revit schedule.

• could place lights, but couldn't start or edit a custom reflected ceiling boundary

• had little experience with basic editing commands (copy, mirror, offset, align, rotate)

• felt the instructor was very Revit knowledgeable; however the training process did not deliver the results of self reliance.

Stop and consider these points when you interview the Revit consultant, trainer or training company that will deliver your Revit 101 training processes.