Bidding the BIM

Prioritize detailed pre-construction efforts to avoid significant cost overruns; studies show up to 50% of project costs can be attributed to incomplete initial work.

Embrace Building Information Modeling (BIM) as a central data source beyond visualization to ensure data integrity and process automation, reducing manual errors and re-entry of information.

Consider alternative project delivery models that bypass traditional general contractors and foster direct owner-to-subcontractor relationships to disintermediate the supply chain and capture profit margins.

Implement fast payment schedules (e.g., 30 days) to attract top talent and reduce project costs, as subcontractors often price working capital needs into their bids due to slow payment cycles.

Challenge the necessity of traditional drawings for project delivery teams; leverage BIM as the single source of truth to streamline workflows, while still generating regulatory drawings for permitting offices.

Explore how advanced BIM can feed directly into fabrication processes (e.g., CNC machines) to optimize manufacturing, even for complex components like stairs and rails, by providing precise data directly from the model.