To assess an organization's BIM readiness, the ACID test has been developed to highlight key areas:
– Actual Office Standards
– Common Data Environment
– Information
– Deliverables
A - Actual Office Standards
Having organization standards is vital to being able to create structured data (A requirement of BIM level 1) These are the kinds of documents and standards that would be expected to be maintained within your organization.
– CAD Standard (layers names, color, weights, export standards)
– BIM Standards (object, view, naming, parameter, and export standard)
– Handbooks / Guidance (import standards, modeling methodology)
As well as a few standard tools your organization should control such as centralized libraries, title blocks and a strong support mechanism for staff.
– Centralized Libraries
– Title Blocks
– Templates / Seed Files
– Support Mechanism
– Ownership
C - Common Data Environment
To be BIM ready your organization needs to be able to operate within a common data environment. Remember that the CDE does not need to be physically separated. Items can exist in the same space / folder using the suitability codes which define where the files would have sat. With the use of the common data environment, you can be sure the information being provided within shared published areas are coordinated, correct and up to date providing a single source of the truth for developing and providing your own information within the project.
I - Information
– State your Information requirements
– State your Information format
A key piece of information is the BIM Brief (EIR) Containing several key sets of project information, this information should be used and referenced through the project.
In addition, if as an organization you employ sub-consultants, or specialists, you should be producing your own BIM brief (as their employer) to describe to them how you expect their deliverables to be produced. Likewise, another key piece of information is the BIM Execution Plan (BEP).
As the collaborative response to a BIM Brief (EIR). This set of information demonstrates how as an organization you have assessed the client’s requirements and outlined how you intend to complete them.
Using both the employer’s information requirements and the BIM execution plan, you’re able to state your information requirements, state your information format, confirm that this information will be supplied to you and how.
D - Deliverables
Deliverables, is in essence controlling the information modelling, and information management aspect of the process
It is important to know:
– Who do you need to produce the Deliverables?
– What Deliverables do you need to produce?
– What do you need to produce the Deliverables?
– When do these Deliverables need to be produced?
It is good practice to form a Task Information Delivery Plan, by planning out all your deliverables and assigning resources a business can manage who is responsible for each deliverable as well as which deliverables need to proceed it. By having this method in place it’ll help ensure the timely delivery for project information
In summary if your organization has actual BIM office standards, the ability to work in a common data environment, a method of defining the information you require, and control over what and when information is being delivered to the appropriate standards you can consider yourselves BIM ready.