Although BIM applications have become widespread nowadays, issues with software and hardware compatibility, as well as varying levels of understanding within enterprises, have led to significant BIM waste. The costs of repeated employee training and duplicated modeling efforts add up to a substantial burden. So, how can we reduce waste in BIM applications? The following points offer some valuable insights.
1. Recognize the Importance of Tribal Knowledge
Tribal knowledge refers to information known only within a specific group but not shared externally. Many large AEC firms manage BIM-driven projects by adopting manufacturing industry approaches, where employees focus on specialized tasks—design, product management, or construction management—and work independently within the BIM workflow.
As Thom Chuparkoff, AIA, LEED AP, puts it, “In theory, this Henry Ford-like workflow leads to waste and increased costs. The issue lies in the back-and-forth reviews between design and documentation. During each review cycle, with some members continuing and others joining, the design team loses vital tribal knowledge. Continuity in design and document synthesis is absolutely crucial.”
John Haymaker (PhD, AIA, LEED AP), Director of Research at Perkins+Will, adds that introducing flowchart technology early in the project can effectively reduce the construction team’s modeling workload and add more value to the BIM model. (Illustration: John Haymaker, Georgia Institute of Technology)
2. Manage BIM Collaborative Meetings Efficiently
While BIM/VDC tools are powerful, without fast and productive collaborative meetings, design teams struggle to achieve profitability. Jared Krieger (AIA, LEED AP), a project engineer and BIM/VDC expert at Gensler, suggests several strategies for improving virtual meeting efficiency:
- Practice and Preparation: Train in advance to proficiently operate project models, switch views, and load specific components as required. Even if you feel skilled, spend 15 minutes rehearsing transitions before meetings.
- Assign a Dedicated Navigator: Have someone familiar with both the model and software operate the model during meetings. Skilled manipulation prevents wasting valuable time.
- Break Down Meetings: Divide meetings into smaller, focused sessions involving only relevant personnel. For example, consult structural experts separately, then integrate discussions with MEP professionals to address overlapping issues, and finally resolve discipline-specific concerns.
- Use Meeting Notes to Stay Focused: Base discussions on action items from previous meetings. This structured approach keeps the team aligned and helps resolve coordination issues before moving forward.
3. Avoid Secondary Modeling Whenever Possible
Despite advanced design tools, Chuparkoff recommends using pen and paper to conceptualize during early client negotiations. Overly complex 3D conceptual models often prove inaccurate, leading to painful BIM remodeling later.
“Some companies spend more than 40 hours building three different SketchUp models,” he notes. “In early negotiations, you don’t need a fully developed preliminary design or complete model. Instead, focus on five or six strong ideas without modeling them in 3D. We often bypass 3D conceptual tools in favor of alternatives like clay or digital sketches. Only after these ideas gain approval should a detailed BIM model be created. Before diving into complex modeling, rely on traditional, efficient tools as much as possible.”
4. Create a Flowchart
AEC professionals are often trained to start modeling immediately upon project entry, which can result in rushed, inefficient, and unsatisfactory models. John Haymaker stresses the value of process mapping techniques—such as value stream mapping and company process modeling—at the project outset.
By clearly defining decisions and tasks early on, process mapping helps reduce BIM modeling workloads and produces models that deliver greater value to clients and businesses.
“For instance, if architects, mechanical engineers, and contractors collaborate to create flowcharts for initial energy and cost analysis, architects will know they only need to produce site and exterior floor plans,” Haymaker explains. “This simplifies modeling complexity and reduces unnecessary or incorrect data.”
5. Decompose Models to Avoid Large File Issues
Jared Krieger from Gensler recalls his only regret during the Tyson Building project was inefficiency in handling large BIM files. “Our model was huge, and even high-performance computers struggled to load it,” he admits.
While a central BIM model offers the advantage of consolidating all project information, complex projects often result in heavy files that take long to load during coordination meetings. Model partitioning addresses this by logically dividing and saving the model into manageable sections.
“For example, you can separate the high-rise tower structure from the podium, or treat complex facade decorations as independent models,” Krieger suggests. “Planning these partitions early ensures more reasonable and efficient model management.”
6. Maintain Company-Level BIM/VDC Standards
Given the rapid innovation in BIM/VDC software, AEC companies should appoint internal power users to maintain and update company standards. Adam Lasota, Junior Architect at Rietveld Architects in New York, emphasizes, “These tools are constantly evolving, so company standards must adapt accordingly. Otherwise, outdated standards become a productivity bottleneck.”
7. Develop a Simple BIM Execution Plan—and Stick to It
A straightforward BIM execution plan covering scheduling, modeling sharing rules, and development levels helps keep project progress on track. Jared Krieger highlights the value of such planning: “For the Tyson Building project, the time spent setting up views, designing report templates, and organizing details early on paid off during construction.”
While these suggestions may not apply universally, companies can adapt them based on their own situation, strengths, and characteristics to find the best path forward.
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