Engineering team engineering consultants people at construction sites hold blueprints in their hands. Building inspector. Check the construction site drawing and business procedures of the building.

What Should I Look for in a BIM Service Provider?

July 19, 2024 | 6 min read

Technology has absolutely transformed the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry. Building Information Modeling (BIM) represents a key disruption in digital construction workflows. This process creates 3D digital representations of a physical project and unlocks the ability to improve project efficiency. An experienced BIM service provider uses this process to reduce field errors and rework, improve onsite safety, allocate resources more accurately, and build with less waste.

BIM services improve field productivity, streamline planning, and reduce risk — but not all BIM service providers are created equal. If your organization is searching for a BIM service provider to lead your next project, here are a few must-have qualities to consider.

4 Qualities to Prioritize in a BIM Service Provider

Your choice of BIM partner is one of the most important ingredients for success during a construction project. Before partnering with a particular BIM provider, it’s important to confirm their claims. Investigate their technological proficiency, customization capabilities, project management skills, and familiarity with your project type.

1. Technological Proficiency

It’s important to confirm that your preferred BIM service provider uses the latest and most relevant BIM technologies and software. This verifies that they stay up-to-date with industry standards and are capable of applying the latest tech stack onto your project.

Here are a few technologies that your next BIM service provider should regularly use:

Bespoke plugins: Project types are very different and trades supported are also very different. Various BIM plugins allow BIM teams to create flexible, adaptable components that respond to changing project requirements. Some plugins allow project contributors to explore many iterations of a single design, and alternatives that demonstrate how resources, energy, and time might be allocated differently.
4D/5D simulations: Simulations that give clients a virtual walkthrough of the project over the schedule of the project. These simulations include project timelines and potential conflicts, helping resolve issues before they exist in a capital project.
Clash detection software: Tools that identify and resolve conflicts by virtually validating physical space requirements of projects in a safe, digital space. These models allow architects and contractors to examine different building systems — from mechanical and electrical components to plumbing and structure — for seamless field installation.
Project management tools: Software that helps all team members understand each aspect of a project. Look for BIM service providers that use project management tools with predictive intelligence — a solution feature that incorporates digital checklists and best practices into your workflow.

The best BIM service providers leverage BIM tools as an aspect of their virtual design and construction (VDC) strategy. BIM should form the foundation of a provider’s VDC strategy — the design component of a project that pairs with scheduling, expense tracking, and risk management to form a full VDC roadmap.

2. Project Customization Capabilities

The best BIM providers understand how to customize their services to your needs. This customization provides a valuable layer of flexibility and scalability as your project evolves.

Every construction project is different. It features a unique workforce, with unique skills, compiling unique resources against unique deadlines for a unique final product. Though many projects are templatized to a large extent, each will face its own challenges on the way to project completion.

Your project deserves a BIM provider that understands how to personalize its services, particularly when problems arise.

Today, bespoke BIM services should also include a strong focus on a client’s specific project goals. For example, clients seeking carbon-neutral or carbon-positive outcomes need a BIM service provider with strong sustainability capabilities that can tailor their approach toward sustainability and construction outcomes, and achieving this requires experience. Be sure to ask about this when selecting your BIM service provider.

Project customization also extends to the software your team uses to complete projects. Look for custom software solutions that automate repetitive tasks, eliminate opportunities for manual errors, and centralize critical project data — features that save contributors’ time and energy. These platforms should feature real-time access to accurate project information, with analytics that allow contractors to make data-driven decisions about next steps.

3. Sophisticated Project Management

General contractors and trade contractors navigate shifting priorities throughout every stage of a project. That process is made easier, or more complicated, by the project management approach a team maintains. While a straightforward project management approach helps distribute information and minimize redundancy, a weak project management strategy — or the absence of a strategy altogether — can create errors and extend project deadlines.

The best BIM service providers integrate technology as a natural component of their project management strategies. This technology should include custom software solutions designed to empower your team to visualize and streamline each workflow.

From construction and supply chain management to scheduling and cost estimation, construction is a unique field. That’s why it’s also important to choose BIM service providers that use construction-specific project management tools. While other project management solutions might prove helpful in a business or marketing environment, your project deserves sophisticated project management capabilities that align specifically with your goals.

4. Familiarity with the capital project type

Your next BIM service provider should have a thorough understanding of your capital project. Large-scale data center projects, for example, need BIM service providers that understand components like cabling, cooling systems, and overall energy efficiency. Smaller-scale residential and multi-family projects might instead require a deep knowledge of wood or steel frames, storage, and foot traffic patterns.

Look for a BIM provider with a working knowledge of the specific building components you need, and how to assemble them. Prioritize BIM providers that can do it all because they’ve seen it all, with experience in prefabrication, digital construction, and BIM for facilities management.

Trust the BIM Service Provider with Experience in Every Major Industry

You have quite a few decisions to make when it comes to a new construction project. We believe your first decision — choosing the right BIM service provider — is an easy one.

VIATechnik is more than a leading nationwide BIM service provider. We actively partner with construction companies of all sizes, serving as BIM consultants and advocates throughout every stage of the construction process. We invest in the right technology, and the right team, to provide the expertise your project deserves. Whether you’re building a hospital or a hotel, VIATechnik is the BIM service provider your next project deserves.

Start your journey toward a safer, smarter build process today. Contact us to book your call and discuss how BIM services can streamline execution, reduce risk, and optimize costs from day one.