BIM-based Collaboration within the Project Team

As with all emerging trends, there are emerging challenges that need to be addressed and managed
as well. In this section we will take a look at ways to overcome some of the principal issues associated with
BIM-based collaboration.

Interoperable Data Sharing

In order to be truly collaborative, the Building Information Model must be accessible not only to other team members and information users, it must also be able to interact with different types and brands of software used by those people over the life of the facility. This is not a wild and crazy thought rather, it is the focus of many organizations that have collectively coined the phrase "interoperability." It is based on the concept that vendor neutral software standards can create completely open and accessible systems rather than restrictive or proprietary communication protocols. 

The International Alliance for Interoperability (IAI) was formed by CAD vendors and others based on this concept. Their significant contribution thus far has been to develop the Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) - an open and "non-proprietary" model format to provide a universal communication platform for Building Information Model-based collaboration. Now an ISO standard, the core of IFC is a built-in dictionary of intelligent building elements that serve as a "map" to convert models between applications that can read/write an IFC file. With the capability of saving/opening "generic" IFC files, users get the immediate benefit of communicating their models to solutions being used by other specialists.

The AIA has joined in a leadership position on interoperability in several ways. It has proffered the
definition as "The ability of software and hardware from multiple vendors to communicate seamlessly
across diverse systems, platforms, applications and networks using open, public standards for data exchange." Recognizing the need for some public advocacy in this area, the AIA Board of Directors recently adopted a formal Public Policy Position Statement on Interoperability. The full realization of interoperability gives architects and other team members the freedom to work with any consultant/discipline regardless of their vendor software platform.

Intra-team Workflow Issues

Ultimately, the primary process interest of the design team members is not the common data format itself, but the establishment of an effective and seamless workflow with any given software application. Communication format is important but the workflow is ultimately more important to achieving successful projects. For really meaningful collaboration to occur, we have to think about a "roundtrip workflow", where specific responsibilities are assigned to the parties, and where iterative processes enable changes to be managed and completed by the appropriate discipline.

Effectively managing the overall workflow and the communication protocols can, in turn, help overcome other traditional project management issues including:

• Roles and responsibilities: Studies show that IPD is most successful when owners, architects, engineers, and builders stepoutside the boundaries of traditional roles into a more fluid, interactive, and collaborative process. This means that everyone has to understand the positive differences in their roles and be clear that while overall responsibilities are shared, specific responsibilities need to rest with specific project team members. This includes some very specific assignment of which team members have the ability to add content or make changes to specific parts of the BIM database while others have the ability to only read or review all or part of the model.
• Shared models vs. reference models:  Full or partial model sharing is appropriate either within a larger design team or in cases where the different disciplines focus their work on different portions of the building. In these situations, it is sometimes appropriate for team members to access a reference model of a particular portion of the building rather than a full shared single model. A great example of this approach is an architectural firm coordinating with an outside structural engineer where the two disciplines need to have totally different variations of the same building structures. Taking into account the special communication requirements of software programs in each of these disciplines, the key is for the architect to work with software that creates just the streamlined "clean" set of data that is necessary for the structural engineer to work with. This architectural version of the model then becomes the reference for the structural design work to take place to produce and manipulate the structural portion of the full model. In practice, this solution provides a seamless workflow between the architect and the structural engineer using the IFC platform.
• Project management:  IPD can create a change in the boundaries of design services and the sequence in which they are performed. Using a collaborative BIM process as the basis of design, the traditional project phases of schematic design, design development, and construction documents can become merged or at least blended. And if the owner wants specific feedback early in the process to make informed decisions, then it means that more time is spent earlier to determine things like accurate cost estimates and energy use analyses. Further, if the builder is involved from the beginning, then the bid/negotiation phase could well be reduced or eliminated and construction administration processes can be streamlined accordingly.
• Conflict management: One of the biggest practical benefits of a fully collaborative BIM process is the ability to look for and solve construction conflicts on the computer rather than discover them in the field. (e.g. needing to adjust ceiling designs because mechanical and electrical equipment doesn't fit as anticipated) Having the ability to continuously identify conflicts and request resolution from other team members who all have equal access to the three dimensional BIM model is clearly an advance over two dimensional periodic reviews.
• Ownership of data: With many parties contributing to a single integrated model, the traditional
  distinction of documents by discipline and ownership of those documents can become blurred. In a
  single entity relationship, that entity might or might not be able to claim ownership on all of the
  information. In any relationship, this issue needs to be clarified and addressed by the parties and the particular needs of the project.