We operate in many markets at Voyansi, with clients in LATAM, North America, Australia, the middle east, and now the EU. This gives our team an opportunity to compare and contrast the maturity of BIM across the globe. Our observation, in many countries, even our home of Argentina, BIM remains an enigma. That is not terribly surprising. After all, the digital camera was invented in 1975, but only in the last decade or so has the technology become prevalent. If you are one of the key stakeholders, or even a decision-maker leading your companies digital strategy, you understand this better than most. If you are ready to get started implementing BIM, you are on the precipice of becoming a pioneer in your business.
Last week, I sat down with a customer in the Caribbean. We had provided a bid for modeling a hotel that was brand new construction for a large multinational hotel chain. While we won part of the project, the modeling effort was left by the wayside. After meeting our customer, I came away with a different understanding of the maturity of the BIM space, and the drivers to implement BIM in an area where frankly, construction, labor, and materials costs are relatively low.
So, before taking the journey, let’s talk why. I’m going to go outside our industry a bit here and share as an amateur photographer one of my favorite examples of why as an organization you have to continue to innovate, even if you are a market leader.
The need to stay fresh
Are you aware of who invented the digital camera? Steven Sasson, an electrical engineer at Kodak was the man behind a device we all keep in our pocket today albeit tucked into a phone. There are a handful of articles out there that detail what came next (you can read a bit more about the story here). Kodak, the company you probably know as a ubiquitous film manufacturer just a few years ago entered Chapter 11 in the 2010s, and the phrase “Kodak moment” has slipped from the popular lexicon. The rest is history, if you think “camera” you probably think iPhone, Samsung, maybe Sony if you are like me and prefer a dedicated device.
So, let me ask you this: What is the danger of not implementing BIM? We have gone beyond simply working at home during the last year. The “New Normal” is a very different world, and those who do not adapt to new technologies are bound to be left behind. I’ll leave the rest to your imagination. Next week, we will talk about how you can internally prepare a business case to implement BIM.
Stay tuned and follow along!
