What is the BIM process... and what is it not?

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This article is written and published in French. This is a translation of the original version available here.   

1. BIM: A process, not a tool 

Building Information Modeling (BIM), according to the ISO 19650 standard, is not software or a three-dimensional model. It is primarily  information management process applied to built assets, throughout their lifecycle: design, construction, operation, maintenance and, where appropriate, deconstruction. 
The objective of the BIM is to guarantee the traceability, coherence and quality of the data that describe the structure, by promoting collaboration between the various stakeholders: project owners, designers, engineers, companies, operators. 

2. A collaborative and managerial approach 

There is a major cultural shift in BIM. It's no longer a question of working in silos—that is, each party acting in isolation, producing their own documents or models with no real coordination with the other trades. This approach creates redundancies, information loss, and inconsistencies between disciplines. BIM sets itself apart by encouraging a structured and controlled pooling of information. In this way, all stakeholders have access to a common, reliable and verifiable database. 
It is in this context that several roles are played: 

• The BIM BIM Information Manager, who defines the structuring rules and ensures that they are applied. 

• The BIM coordinator, who ensures the consistency of models and the quality of exchanges, is located in the project's operational environment, in direct contact with the production teams. He relays and applies the directives established by the BIM information manager (BIM Manager) and acts as an interface between the latter and the modelers, in order to ensure that the structuring and quality instructions are concretely respected in the digital model. 

• Modelers, who produce digital mockups in CAD/CAD software and ensure their accuracy. 
  Everyone contributes to compliance with the protocols and requirements defined in the contract documents (e.g., Employer's Information Requirements (EIR), BIM BIM Execution Plan (BEP)). 

3. What BIM is not 

It is common to hear about "BIM software" or "BIM object". This confusion maintains a reductive vision. 

• Software such as Revit, Archicad, Tekla, or Navisworks is not a BIM tool or software. These are tools that participate in the BIM process, by making it possible to produce integrated data within digital models. 

• A library of 3D objects, even if enriched with engineering data, is not BIM in itself. These are elements that, when integrated into a model, can contribute to the BIM process, provided that information standards are met. These standards come from the BIM process itself: they are defined in the Employer's Requirements (EIR), specified in the BIM Execution Plan (BEP) and are based on normative frameworks such as the ISO 19650 series. 

• The BIM is not just a 3D visualization producing beautiful images or realistic renderings can help, but it is only one facet of a CAD tool and not the core of the BIM process. 

• The BIM is not just an isolated database: the information it gathers must be shared and coordinated between actors, and not stored without governance. 

• The BIM is not just a regulatory requirement but a way of working to improve project quality and performance beyond compliance. 

• The BIM is not a fixed deliverable it is a dynamic process that evolves according to the phases of the project and the needs of the employer. 

To reduce BIM to software or a catalog of objects is to ignore its organizational and collaborative dimension. In reality, BIM must be understood as a global working method, where data flows and is continuously enriched in the service of the entire project. 

4. A complete lifecycle 

One of the key takeaways is that BIM (building model information) spans all phases of the project including design. 

• During design, the BIM structures the production and exchange of information: 

• Programming and requirements: formalization of the organization's needs – Organizational Information Requirements (OIR) – and assets – Asset Information Requirements (AIR) – then translation into the Exchange Information Requirements (EIRs) – Exchange Information Requirements according to ISO 19650. 

• Studies and variants: from the sketch to the project studies (Preliminary Design (APS), Definitive Preliminary Design (APD), Project (PRO)), management of variants and phases to evaluate technical and economic solutions. 

• Analysis and simulations: structural, thermal, acoustic, lighting, air quality, carbon footprint, heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems (cryptogramme visuel). 

• Quantities, costs and schedule: controlled extraction of quantities, so-called "5D" estimates and "4D" simulations to anticipate sequences. 

• Coordination and quality control: mockup reviews, inconsistency detection, requirements checking (Information Delivery Specification (IDS) or internal rules) in the Common Data Environment (CDE). 

• During construction, the BIM plays a pivotal role by facilitating the coordination of trades, the detection and resolution of conflicts between disciplines, the optimization of field sequences through "4D" simulation, and the monitoring of quantities and costs in connection with the schedule. It also makes it possible to accurately document technical choices and ensure the traceability of installed materials and equipment. 

• During operation, the BIM becomes a structured and dynamic source of information: it provides managers and operators with a reliable database for preventive and corrective maintenance, centralized building management (BMS), intervention planning, energy monitoring and equipment inventory update. The digital model can be connected to computer-aided management systems (CMMS) in order to improve the overall performance of the structure. 

• In end-of-life, structured data in the BIM offers opportunities for sustainability: it prepares for selective deconstruction by identifying the nature and quantity of materials, facilitates recycling and reuse, and contributes to responsible lifecycle management. This continuity of information makes it possible to reduce waste, recover resources and integrate circular economy objectives in the building sector. 
  
  In this way, the BIM is a common thread throughout the building life cycle, ensuring continuity and value of information. 

5. A demand for quality and standards 

The success of the BIM process depends on rigor and adherence to standards. The ISO 19650 series of standards provide an internationally recognized framework for how to organize information, who does what, and when. 
By relying on this framework, the project stakeholders ensure that the data produced meets the needs of the employer, remains interoperable, and retains its usefulness beyond the simple production of plans. 

✅ In summary: 

The BIM is  collaborative information management process, not a software or object. Its value lies in the quality of the data shared and its use at each stage of the life of a structure. Tools are only means; The process, on the other hand, is a change in work method and culture. The BIM (Building Information Modeling) process must apply to the building industry as a whole and not be limited to a particular corporation or trade: it concerns the entire value chain of construction, engineering and operations. 

This article is written and published in French. This is a translation of the original version available here.