Product manufacturers don't understand what architects want. BIM survey for manufacturers shows.

1. BIM SURVEY FOR MANUFACTURERS
BIM for Manufacturers
custom and complex solutions
>>> FAST RECOGNITION OF PRODUCTS
>>> GREATER AMOUNT OF MANUFACTURER-SPECIFIED
INFORMATION IN DESIGN
>>> DECREASING EXPENSES DUE TO DEFECTIVE DESIGN
>>> QUICK AND EASY DESIGN
>>> REALISTIC APPEARANCE OF PRODUCTS
>>> EFFECTIVE MARKETING
www.manuBIM.com info@manubim.com © manuBIMsoft Ltd., 2012

2. VELUX BIM model in ArchiCAD
POTENTIAL OF BIM
The Virtual Building™ model concept (source: Graphisoft SE | www.graphisoft.com)
thermodynamical features, product- and manufacturer- ► SPECIFIC SOLUTIONS FOR MANUFACTURERS OF
BACKGROUND specified data, prices, descriptions of premises. It can handle BUILDING MATERIALS
all these data stored in one plan (file). After completing the At the first steps of the designing process, designers don’t
Since the second half of the 80s, companies developing planning and construction process, these data can be easily need detailed knowledge and definition of the products used
design software (CAD) have concentrated on evolving tools accessible when necessary. for the building, however, it is a fact, that it is impossible to
for users that are quicker to work with, in order to speed up design without this information. As a BIM plan is designed for
design and – first of all - drawing techniques. Developments From the second half of the 90s more and more software the whole lifetime of a building, where precise information
as well as the practice thereof were mainly aimed for relieving developing companies have recognized the point and the about the building constituents are more necessary (e.g. for
old manual techniques (drawing board, parallel ruler, clack ink advantage of the concept. In accordance with this, at the questions concerning building up or operation), therefore,
pen, etc.). Graphisoft, one of the leading software developer beginning of the new millennium, the new technology of BIM manufacturer-specified planning equals high added value.
companies, has been developing software based on the idea (Building Information Modeling) spread exponentially in AEC ► EFFECTIVE, PROFESSIONAL PLANNING
of Virtual BuildingTM from the very start. sector (Architecture Engineering and Construction). Not only Using BIM software, more detailed and realistic models can
designers recognized the advantages of this technology, but be created. The construction of the 3D model, completed in a
All relevant information (fig.1.) is tractable with the help of also investors, constructors, manufacturers and building single file, allows appearance on the section, the façade and
virtual building models. Beyond geometrical data (plan, operators. on the perspective of the building whatever is designed on the
section, façade, surface, volume), the model may provide plan.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF BIM TECHNOLOGY FOR MANUFACTURERS? © manuBIMsoft Ltd. 2012 – www.manubim.com

3. ► HIGH LEVEL OF ADDED INFORMATION
Manufacturer-specified data can be assigned parametrically to
DESIGNERS SAY…
every element of the building, which enhances the informative
content of the design. These can be technological features of It is essential that a BIM solution for a building material
the elements, characteristics of the product, prices, etc. manufacturer provides virtues for designers that makes
► FASTER WORK designing and documentation more efficient and rich in
A building goes through many changes and modifications information. A survey shows the following results:
throughout its lifetime. With the help of a manufacturer-
specified BIM solution, it is faster to modify the original design. ► How important do you think it is in the manufacturer-
► GREATER FLEXIBILITY IN PLANNING AHEAD specified BIM software solution that you don’t need to do
It is easier to produce variations of designs that help the further research for product features?
architect/procurer to decide for the ideal one in reasonable
On the evaluation scale rated from 1 to 10, almost half (49%)
execution as well as in expenses, not only at the beginning of
of the designers rated it as a very important feature in a
the designing process, but also within, due to the added
manufacturer-specified solution that there is no need for
information.
further research about technological parameters of a product
► QUICK HANDLING OF DOCUMENTATION
or range of products, and only less than a tenth (5,7%) rated it
With the help of a manufacturer-specified BIM solution,
as unimportant.
documentation, preparation of consignations and listing can
become automated.
► EFFECTIVE MARKETING
Detailed and realistic, manufacturer-specified BIM solutions
helps you achieve more effective and convincing marketing.
► DECREASING RISKS, DECREASING LOSSES
The preparation of 3D plans, the analysis thereof (e.g. crash
Detailed list of Hörmann BIM object (garage door) in ArchiCAD
test), creation of more detailed and realistic plans and its high
level of added information decreases significantly the risks
and possible extra expenses that may arise in the future.
► ESTIMATION OF TIME (4D) AND EXPENSES (5D)
A well prepared BIM plan is suitable to set the time of
reaching a given construction stage correlating to each
construction phase. Apart from this, it is possible to tell the
necessary amount of work and material, as well as the
expenses thereof.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF BIM TECHNOLOGY FOR MANUFACTURERS? © manuBIMsoft Ltd. 2012 – www.manubim.com

4. ► Do you think that a manufacturer-specified BIM ► How much time (%) do you save at a specific task ► Please range the following “tools” offered by
solution makes learning about a product quicker? using a manufacturer-specified BIM solution as opposed manufacturers of building materials according to their
On the evaluation scale rated from 1 to 10, results show that to using tools set in software? usefulness!
more than half of the designers (52,2%) claims that a The “tools” set were the following:
With a manufacturer-specified BIM
manufacturer-specified BIM solution makes learning 1. planning manuals
solution designers’ workload (at a
about a product faster, and only less than a tenth (9,8%) 2. complex, manufacturer-specified solutions in CAD
specific task) can be decreased with a
states the contrary. software
quarter on the average (26%) in
3. 2D drawings (e.g. dwg, dxf, pdf)
comparison to using tools set in software.
4. online technical documentations
5. consultations on plans
6. online (web-based) applications
7. printed technical documentations
8. conferences
9. individual (off-line) software, applications (not CAD)
10. informative brochures
► Has it occurred to you yet that you got to know an 11. magazines of manufacturers
unknown manufacturers or product with the help of a 12. popularization of references
manufacturer-specified BIM solution?
► Do you think that a manufacturer-specified BIM
solution increases the informational value of a plan?
On a scale rated from 1 to 10, it proves that more than a half
of the designers (56%) state that a manufacturer-specified
BIM solution increases the informational value of a plan,
while only less than a tenth (7,6%) states the contrary.
According to our results, almost half of the designers have
learnt about a new manufacturer (46%), or about a new
product (53%) using a manufacturer-specified BIM solution.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF BIM TECHNOLOGY FOR MANUFACTURERS? © manuBIMsoft Ltd. 2012 – www.manubim.com

5. On a scale of five, 21% of the designers (green line) ► Is there any CAD solution at your company to
evaluated manufacturer-specified solutions as one of the MANUFACTURERS SAY… designers/engineers?
most useful items, and only planning manuals was valued as 79% of the manufacturers have some kind of CAD solution for
more useful than this by more people. On a scale from 1 to 5, ► What type of materials (tools) your company supports designers, and a significant part of them (89%) consider it
results show that complex manufacturer-specified solutions engineers/designers? useful. 78% of those who do not have a CAD solution yet say
available in CAD software were rated on the average (3.75 – that it would be important to get a solution of the kind. It also
red line) as the fourth most useful tool. means that preparing a manufacturer-specified solution
results in greater satisfaction for manufacturers
compared to expectations.
► How happy are you with the amount of available
solutions that can be integrated in manufacturer-specified
BIM software?
On a scale from 1 to 10 results show that a significant part
of the designers (28,9%) are displeased with the amount
of available manufacturer-specified BIM solutions. Only
roughly a tenth (11,9%) feels that a sufficient amount of
solutions is available for him/her.
The answers show that manufacturers prefer rather
different tools to the ones designers would need. For
instance, while printed documentations (1. 7.) and
informative brochures (2. 10.) are highly over-rated by
manufacturers, planning manuals (4. 1.) or complex,
manufacturer-specified solutions in CAD software (7. 2.)
The survey was completed between 3 November 2011 and 31 December 2011
are highly under-rated. using separate online questionnaires for manufacturers and for designers.
186 designers and 44 manufactures provided answers to them.
The survey is not of a representative nature.
The survey is a part of the Endre Ilauszky’s dissertation named
“Appearance potential research from marketing considerations
in CAD/BIM software of building product manufacturers”
(Obuda University, Budapest)
All rights reserved!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF BIM TECHNOLOGY FOR MANUFACTURERS? © manuBIMsoft Ltd. 2012 – www.manubim.com