BIM and Projects Cost Management: Summarizing the Key Points
The article provides a consistent outline of the project cost management specifications as well as the usage of Building Information Modeling (BIM) in the construction industry. Specifically, the work targets the dimension of 5D management, which accounts for the data that is related to costs, prices, and quantities. The study evolves from the initial assumption, due to which the proficiency in the sphere of cost project management is a guarantee of a successful BIM maintaining environment.
The aspect is vital for the construction industry’s efficient functioning since it facilitates the design elaboration as well as tools improvement within the management domains (Popov et al. 357). Indeed, it is acknowledged that the correct support of BIM procedures accounts for the increase of prefabrication and allows using resilient project schemes (Eastman et al. 13).
Consequently, the research study concludes that 5D cost management mastery is the central aspect of project maintaining literacy. The major skill that should be promoted by the BIM cost support is the ability to transfer electronic applications into real-life practices.
The Ultimate Learning Points
The article establishes a link between the BIM dedications and the 5D project management. Thus, the work promotes such implementations of BIM as leadership and coordination between the partner industries, complex management skills development, software compatibility mastery, and cross-disciplinary approach to the study of BIM in versatile academic environments (Smith 479).
I agree with the points that are emphasized by the author in this respect since they comply with the properties of project management resiliency as well as the technological improvement of the domain operations.
From this scientific article, I learned about the fundamental skills that have to be mastered by a successful 5D project manager so that he could correlate his work outcomes with the management demands. Due to the reading, the main obligation of a 5D professional is to utilize the electronic applications of cost estimations and to devise the planning for their real-life implementation.
Surprisingly, the experimental research practice that lies in the center of the study revealed that the described BMI implementations are rarely used by the leading world industries. Thus, due to the results of the study, approximately 60 % of the industrial companies have no affiliation with the design at all, and only 10 % manage to apply it efficiently. Moreover, the investigation showed that there are some considerable inconsistencies with the BIM software compatibilities.
Thus, the article certifies the idea of a poor level of project delivery. The point is correct since multiple project teams report that one can trace a lack of unanimity in the selection of compatible technological designs that may be used by groups of professionals in the BIM environment (Bryde, Broquetas, and Volm 972).
The Relation of the 5D Project Management to the Middle East Practices
The article discusses the undeveloped practices of BIM implementation as well as emphasizes the shortcomings of the 5D project management. The author of the article compares the standards that are described in work with the real achievements of BIM in the United States and the United Kingdom.
Thus, he reveals the striking difference between the scopes of the management design usage in the prosperous countries and the developing ones. All things considered, one may claim that the data that was collected by the author of the article refers to the BMI implementation in the Middle East countries.
Due to the expert opinion, the BMI functioning in the United Arab Emirates has some considerable shortcomings. These are the absence of strategic guidance on the design implementation as well as the local BMI knowledge, the inability of the major companies to control the BMI demand, the lack of methodological approaches to the construction industry reformation, and the ineffective construction of the specs (Salah 15).
However, due to the immense potential of design success, the major management professionals in UAR are seeking solutions to the problem. It is claimed that the principal factors that hinder the development of the BMI implementations in the Middle East countries account for the unwillingness of the separate industries to renovate their ways of working as well as a lack of general management commitment.
The article under review provides some consistent ideas about the ways of coordinating the world experience of successful BMI adoption and directing it to the management spheres that lack the guidance on innovative information modeling. Thus, one may conclude that the author of the article correlates the data with the lack of BIM development opportunities in the Middle East and offers some working solutions to the problem.
The BMI Functioning Domain
The BMI application sphere is often restricted to the construction industry limitations. Therefore, it is claimed that the workers, which engage in the high-risk building, repair, and reconstruction activities have to be well-supported by a quality information modeling design (“Construction Industry” par. 1).
However, the automated quantities software usage can refer to some wider domains, as well. For instance, the complex analysis of the Australian firms functioning revealed that the strategic modeling that utilizes the popular project cost-management techniques can be applied to any professional sphere, which accounts for the usage of electronic documentation. Therefore, one may conclude that the scopes of BMI can extend to such domains as public health control, biochemistry, international technologies development, etc.
Practical Implications
The facets of the BMI implementations can be employed in my professional activities, which account for the support complex quantifications in a construction company. Thus, it is possible to use the advantages of electronic documenting concerning such tasks as expenditure and payment costs, time frames evaluation, progress tracking, etc.
As a manager, I encourage the adoption of the complex training within the organization, which would enhance the level of the workers’ 5D management proficiency as well as bring the awareness of the necessity of BMI mastering. Specifically, it can be beneficial to show the working teams that there is a way in which the employees can cooperate by creating common electronic planning or a platform for data sharing.
Moreover, the workers have to be instructed on the methods of cost evaluation through the usage of electronic devices. The technique is efficient since it prevents any information leaks, which keeps the budget accountancy under a stable control of the administration.
Despite its evident advantages, it is crucial to emphasize the challenges that can potentially influence the work processes in the organization. First, the BMI adoption results in a complete renovation of task performance strategies. Therefore, the adaptation of the employees’ skills and knowledge requires much effort and additional cost expenditure from the management. Second, the BMI projection still possesses an undetermined legal status. Therefore, the problems may regard the insurance coverage exclusion for the BMI models.
Still, if the management of the organization adopts a correct solving strategy, the issues may be precluded. Specifically, one may implement a special mentoring program, due to which the employees of the company would learn from the leading BMI professionals in a distanced regime. The legal controversy may be addressed through collaboration with the global companies that practice BMI and the creation of the common source of insurance certification.
Learning Reflections
The LLB-based practice of learning is helpful in revealing the personal knowledge and cognitive abilities of the individuals. Thus, the study of the BMI implementation that relies on the evidence-based article evaluation assisted me in extending the scope of the costs’ management possibilities.
Moreover, I adopted some valuable critical skills through the multilevel evaluation of the BMI implementation trends as well as the application of the practices that exist within the construction industries to some other domains of professional activities. The study of the 5D management facets deepened my knowledge of the cost accountancy alternatives. Besides, I managed to conduct a complex evaluation of the model shortcomings applying the evidence from both the reviewed article and some additional resources.
Due to the findings, I learned how to construct effective solution plans. Mainly, I addressed the issue of the BMI training crisis as well as the model legitimacy by offering some consistent ways of problem-solving. Finally, the project completion enriched my knowledge of the research papers structuring. Specifically, through this work, I managed to improve my critical evaluation skills, referencing standards, etc.
Works Cited
Bryde, David, Marti Broquetas and Jurgen Volm. “The Project Benefits of Building Information Modeling.” International Journal of Project Management 31.7 (2013): 971-980. Print.
Construction Industry 2014. Web.
Eastman, Chuck, Charles Eastman, Paul Teicholz and Rafael Sacks. BIM Handbook: A Guide to Building Information Modeling for Owners, Managers, Designers, Engineers and Contractors. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, 2011. Print.
Popov Vladimir, Virgaudas Joucevicius, Darius Migilinskas, Leonas Ustinovichius and Saulius Mikalauskas. “The Use of a Virtual Building Design and Construction Model for Developing an Effective Project Concept in 5D Environment.” Automation in Construction 19.3 (2010): 357-367. Print.
Salah, Omar. “Solutions for the UAE Architecture, Engineering, and Construction Industry to Mandate Building Information Modeling.” The British University in Dubai 21.2 (2015): 11-22. Print.
Smith, Peter. “BIM & the 5D Project Cost Manager.” Social and Behavioral Sciences 119.1 (2014): 475-484. Print.