Saturday 5 July 2014

BIM clarity. How to spot a BIMbo

I strive to be honest and clear when talking about BIM. The BIMbos who, flouting British cultural rules of humility, flaunt their BIM wares and totter about on a sense of superiority appearing much taller than they really are used to have me mesmerised and a little afraid. What was it, I would wonder, that they know that I don't know...
No longer! Now I see through the equivalent of the fake tan and the impossibly high heels.

First caveat: Not every BIM expert is a a BIMbo, there are still many experts whose opinion you can trust. You just need to know the difference between a BIMbo and a real BIMmer.

How to spot a BIMbo:

What they'll say: "We're level 3" that was easy. The most unambiguous load of tripe, the technology isn't there so how can you do it? Answer, you've been BIMbo'd.
"We have BIM software" ignore the functionality, there's a much quicker way to tell, simply ask " how well does it interoperate with other software packages" then, if they don't come clean say, "okay, show me". If at this point they start to sweat profusely from every pore. You've got a BIMbo.
"ROI of xxx%" Simply ask, "how was this calculated?". If they haven't recorded the differences in costs between a serious quantity of BIM projects and non BIM projects, or if they haven't accounted for training or ongoing software costs. You've got a BIMbo.
What a BIMbo will and won't say: They won't say, but will strongly imply that BIM is software. They'll talk about BIM, a BIM, the BIM, but never consider the process. I'll let you off if you're not in the UK BIM industry, but only just. Processes are vital to achieving the cost benefits of BIM.
I'm sure the BIMbo will raise its ugly (sic beautiful, but hollow) head sooner or later, and then I'll be back!
Now I have some hard manual labour to do for my weekend. Dig dig dig.

Second caveat... actual bimbos I quite like.

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