How to use a phased, low-investment approach to implement BIM in your company

Building Information Modeling (BIM) is most effectively adopted using a phased, low-investment approach. By transitioning step-by-step from simple 3D drafting to data-rich models, your team can build skills organically without massive upfront costs.

It is not advisable to attempt to fully implement a BIM system before having a team with the BIM mindset or culture.

Knowing how to implement BIM in a company is not as simple as installing software. It requires planning, training, investment and, above all, a change of mentality.

If you're still experiencing a reality where projects start without a full and compatible design, delays are considered normal, and your engineer lets things go wrong only to appear in a Superman suit to fix them, then we urgently recommend changes. If you leave it for later, it may be too late. The important thing is to take the first step.

Promote changes that show your team the advantages throughout the process. And make those who resist understand that they will be out if they insist on not adapting to the new reality.

3D models complex applications require powerful computers with professional graphics cards and fast storage. It is also advisable to have servers or cloud services that facilitate the real-time work of distributed teams.

The BIMGER proposal is to share our structure and expertise with our clients / partners to accelerate the spread of BIM in Brazil and South America. Make BIM a reality as quickly as possible.

We at BIMGER will help you with this evolution.

You can start without major investments. We have a team ready to offer you the first steps and help you create a culture within your team. Once started, they won't want to go back. Thrust it!

Learn more at how to implement BIM in a company involves drawing up a clear strategic plan. First of all, key questions need to be answered:

• Which processes do you want to improve: design, construction, maintenance or all?

  
  

• Will you apply BIM on small pilot projects or across the entire portfolio from the start?

  
  

• What is the available budget for?

A common mistake is to try to implement BIM in all departments at once. The recommendation is start with a pilot project. For example, you may select a medium-sized construction site to evaluate results and adjust workflows prior to full adoption.

The plan should include well-defined phases: initial analysis, team building, choice of tools, gradual implementation and evaluation of results.

Implementing BIM in a company or project is much more than a technological change: it is a strategic transformation.

Phased BIM Implementation Roadmap

The most practical path for small and medium businesses to reach full BIM capability involves a step-by-step increase in complexity:

Step 1: 3D Visualization and Drafting

• Focus: Replace 2D CAD drafting with basic 3D volume modeling.

• Benefits: Provides immediate visual clarity for clients and helps identify glaring space constraints.

  
  

Step 2: Parametric Modeling & Content Libraries (BIM Level 1)

• Focus: Build intelligent objects (walls, doors, columns) rather than just drawing lines.

• Benefits: When you change a floor plan, the dimensions and material quantities update automatically.

  
  

Step 3: Federated Models & Clash Detection (BIM Level 2)

• Focus: Coordinate different models (Architectural, Structural, MEP) into a unified shared environment.

• Benefits: Identify physical clashes (e.g., a pipe running through a steel beam) digitally before construction begins, saving thousands in rework (this is essential and mandatory for projects with many installations, and especially in operational buildings such as hospitals)

  
  

Step 4: Adding "Dimensions" (4D, 5D, and 6D)

• Focus: Incorporate time, cost, and energy parameters into the model.

• Benefits: Link the model to project schedules (4D) and automate material budgets (5D) or sustainability simulations (6D).

  
  

Example Implementation Scenario

Instead of overhauling an entire firm at once, you can follow the BIM Implementation Strategies method by choosing a Pilot Project:

1. Pilot Project: Select a small, upcoming residential or small commercial project.

2. First Run: Model the structural elements (foundations, columns, beams) in 3D to get accurate concrete volumes.

3. Review: Assess how much time was saved on quantity takeoffs and evaluate the software learning curve.

4. Expansion: On the next project, use the 3D model to coordinate with your subcontractors.