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"We are reviewing the future implementation of a firm-wide BIM Manager for our organization. What type of BIM Manager compensation packages have you seen for a design firm of our size?"

A colleague, serving on a design firm's Executive Planning Committee; recently emailed me this question.

First; Define the Roles & Responsibilities

Before discussing compensation; define the BIM Mangers’ roles and responsibilities. Create a detailed description that includes the tasks a firm perceives and foresees for this position. Define a job description using these 12 current & future tasks; that are common for today's BIM\VDC Managers.

Once they define the roles that this position will serve both now and in the near future; firms can move to the next step, the BIM Manager compensation program. This will also enable firms to identify a candidate for this 'lead' management position.

Executive Checklist for BIM \ VDC Manager Job Description (Sample)

BIM, Revit, Standard & Alternate Project Delivery, Construction Documenation & Specifications, Office & Mobile Technology, and Building & MEP Prefabrication processes are reshaping the design, engineering, construction and facility management landscape.

One Core commonality amonst these processes; people and processes areDIGITALLY connected.

When defining this position, consider to simultaneously review and redefine these corporate plans; to better integrate with the BIM\VDC Manager position.

• business,
• marketing,
• design,
• professional development & workflow
• compensation

The BIM\VDC Manager will serve collaboratively in a multitude of roles; that are listed below:

01) The position requires someone with a variety of mastered skills; that can serve in both billable & non-billable roles.

02) They will have Revit-BIM Project experience; making decisions based on proven methods; that they can reference. Not theories, not the latest grand ideas; but processes that are supported by successful project case study experience.

03) BIM Managers are the Quality Control Managers; that typically link project models to corporate standards for product specifications, BIM library & graphic standards, codes & standards, construction details & keynoting, and construction documentation.

04) BIM Managers or Digital Design Directors may serve as field agents for the firm as the project goes into the construction phase.

05) BIM Managers have key roles in the firm's professional development program to provide staff with new procedures and strategies for leveraging new software features & benefits. The goal, transition them into financial & time benefits for marketing, production, construction and contractual obligations.

06) This role is mobile within the office, across the project team and to the construction site. Firm need to provide the equipment, transportation and communications technologies that complement the position.

07) The individual must be able to communicate effectively in-person, via email, on video and/or Skype.

08) They will be accountable for planning and setting corporate technology & training budgets.

09) They need a working knowledge of "positioning" the firms' technology commitments for the next 3-4 years; to effectively create a technlolgy roadmap. For larger firms, they'll serve collaboratively with the IT Manager on the future technology implemenations. 

How much Revit Project Content, Methods, Procedures, Standards and Communication Processes are you harvesting at the completion of every Revit project?

Harvesting Revit content and documenting the 'Lessons Learned' from Pilot Projects is common; when firms first implement Revit. However, as firms grow confident producing projects in Revit; they tend to reduce or discontinue the post-project 'harvesting  process'. 

At the end of a project, the team may lack time to find and use content to finalize the project.

This results in standards and/or procedures; that may not be followed. A final team debriefing and Project Process Review is a recommended method to harvest reusable content, successful team processes and communications. 

The project review identifies content and processes; that may need to be added, revised or removed from the firm's project delivery method.

Show Me the Money.

Project Teams disband quickly as the project is completed. This protects the project profitability by removing all unbillable staff as-soon-as-possible. So where's the money? ... when we suggest a labor-dependent process to review and harvest content & standards from a finaized project?

The money is derived on future, more efficiently run projects; that are more profitable. These successful projects and teams are referenced to market and obtain additional new projects. 

The BIM project harvesting process mimics portions of the Manufacturers' Playbook.

There are three (3) processes; that manufacturing and facility construction projects utilize to document 'lessons learned' to become more efficient, marketable and profitable:

1) Manufacturing teams have a Product Delivery Process; that mimic many design-construciton teams' Project Delivery Processs.

2) Manufacturers' Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) share numerous processes; that are similar to a construction Project Lifecycle Managerment. For example, consider the similarities between Lean & Green Manufacturing and Lean & Green Construction.

3) Manufacturers' continuous improvement programs are ongoing review processes; improving both product & process for the life of the product. The harvesting of construction project Content, Standards and Processes is very similar goals & outcomes.

Manufacturers assign small project teams  for various aspects of designing and producing the product. This includes engineering improvements, product testing, material selections, manufacturing techniques & processes; that also include customer quality surveys and product case studies.

Likewise, design-construction projects are not 'one and done' events. Reviewing BIM projects for content, procedures, methods & standards will yield better future project outcomes. 

Here are a few processes I've taught and commonly implemented with corporate BIM Managers to maximize their BIM investment. 

 BIM Project Content Harvesting

Projects' pre-built content ("the money") can be extracted, reviewed, edited, stored and reused in the standard Revit library for future use. This will minimizes future design teams looking for content that have already been discovered, tested and used.

This includes;

1. Revit Component Families (RFA files)

2. Revit System Families (walls, ceilings, stairs)

3. Construction Details (Revit Drafting Views) 

4. Revit Schedules - those used for Construction Docs and those used for tracking project status

5. Transfer Project Standards to Project Template

6. Building Product Manufacturers' Revit Content

7. Material types, family types, graphic standards: line patterns, line types, dimension & text styles, View Templates, etc

Bradley BIM Learning Academy 2016 FREE, Rep-Sponsored BIM Manager Lunch-N-Learn Webinar Series --for Revit-BIM & VDC Management Teams.

1. Lunch-N-Learn Webinars are being offered in the US and Canada.

2. Lunch will be provided by your local participating Bradley Rep Organization.

3. Lunch-N-Learns are typically planned for the third Wednesday (Eastern & Mountain), and Thursday ( Central & Pacific) of each month.

4. They will be conducted from Noon to 1:00 for each of the 4 time zones.

5. Client to provide meeting room, computer with cabled broadband internet connection, video projector+screen or HDTV and audio speakers for VOIP connection.

6. *35-minute BIM Lunch-N-Learn (webinar format) followed by a short hosting Rep Agency introduction + Bradley product demonstration.

7. Lunch-N-Learn attendance will be limited to a maximum of 12 client attendees, unless approved by the hosting Bradley Rep Agency.

8. Initially, conducting a Lunch-N-Learn webinar is contingent on availability of a participating Bradley Rep Agency; Plumbing Fixtures or Washroom Accessories.

Since 2012, more than 2,000 professionals (architects, engineers, contractors & facility owners) have attended Bradley BIM Learning Events.