4 Advantages of Outsourcing your MEP BIM Requirements

4 Advantages of Outsourcing your MEP BIM Requirements

MEP BIM models are data-rich 3D models that represent the Mechanical, Plumbing, Electrical and Fire protection aspect of the building. MEP systems are the lifeline of any building for they ensure effective performance of the building throughout its lifecycle. Thus, reliability and accuracy play a very important role here. It requires an extensive knowledge of codes and standards, experience as well as skill to ensure nano-precision in the final deliverables. It might be difficult for the construction company today to have an in-house team of engineers and drafters who can bring such experience and skill to the table, especially if BIM is not one of the key services provided by the company. They can here choose to outsource their MEP BIM requirements for better savings and enhanced project accuracy.

In the current article we will be looking at the four reasons why the construction companies should look towards outsourcing their MEP BIM requirements.

  • Better Conflict Resolution:

Any intra or inter discipline clash that is not identified before preparing shop drawings could lead to a lot of onsite errors and rework. Clash Detection Services can be used to identify three kinds of clashes in the BIM model, namely hard clash, soft clash or workflow clash. Hard clash occurs when two or more objects are occupying the same space like a HVAC duct or plumbing pipe. A soft clash occurs whenever an object is not given the required tolerances and a workflow clash is with regards to construction scheduling. Clash Detection is done by using software such as Navisworks, Revit etc. It requires setting the right tolerances so that only the relevant clashes are detected. Moreover, it’s not just about detecting interferences but it also requires extreme skill and experience to resolve the clashes in quick time and in the best possible manner. Outsourcing here provides a distinctive advantage of providing more experience and exposure as the BIM company who primarily provides BIM solutions could have dealt with a similar problem before and can use their experience to provide solutions.

  • Its cost-effective:

Having an in-house team who specializes in BIM can come with a lot of additional costs. There is the cost of salaries, paid leaves, benefits etc. along with various hardware and software costs which might prove to be very expensive in the long run for companies who doesn’t have many projects that require extensive MEP BIM.  Here, the company can simply outsource their MEP BIM requirements to a third party who will provide an end cost which the company needs to pay and not have to worry about any other additional costs. Moreover, the company can also augment their project margins by outsourcing to a BIM company located in countries with a lower ROE.

  • Decreased Construction time:

This is a two-fold advantage. Firstly, better experience, knowledge and skill could ultimately lead to faster construction speed and increased turnaround time. Moreover, right from the onboarding time the number hours which would be taken to complete the project would be determined so that the AEC company can determine their exact construction timeline. The secondary advantage would be that accurate and clash-free BIM models reduce the need for site-based variations and reduction in waste of man-hours, resources and money.

  • Accurate Shop Drawings:

The architects, engineers and BIM modelers involved in the creation of the BIM model should be updated with all the market trends and be aware about the relevant codes and standards that are to be applied in a given geographical location. A good company always ensures that their team has the required domain specific knowledge by conducting seminars, training etc. so that they can remain updated and competitive in the fast-paced BIM market. Finally, construction documentation can be extracted from the precise and clash free BIM model, which will ultimately go a long way in ensuring a smooth onsite construction process.

Thus, outsourcing MEP BIM Services can lead the construction company to have better flexibility, scalability and faster turnarounds. It also leads to a reduction in their overhead expenses and gives them access to skilled and experienced pool of BIM specialists who can help the construction company gain an edge over their competition.

Author
  • Dhvani Badheka
    Dhvani Badheka

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