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.

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

My Sourcceable.net BIM article features a creative, business development strategy for any firm to transition from AutoCAD to Revit. More than 15% of my clients initiated and completed this lower-cost Revit implementation strategy; that spans one year.

This process minimizes the initial staff training costs and non-billable time. It positively engages the owner- executive team as we utilize existing software inventory --while limiting the new equipment investment.

--- Key to Lowering BIM Software and Implementation Costs ---

The process features a "Plan B" -- for if or when the initial Revit team is feeling overwhelmed by a tight schedule and can't complete the project in Revit.