BIM Execution Plans: Writing for Success

BIM Execution Plans: Writing for Success

BIM Execution Plans (BEPs) are designed to communicate agreed modeling processes and procedures for the entire project team. It is imperative to refine this information to create a coherent, concise document, eliminating vagueness and ambiguity in modeling and documentation requirements. Here are three steps to guide you while writing concise content for BIM Execution Plans:

• Prepare
• Write
• Review 

Prepare

A BEP becomes much easier to write after refining each process and creating diagrams using Business Process Management Notation standards (BPMN). Unfortunately, most BEP’s do not include these flow diagrams and instead focus on writing down processes in a technical paragraph format. It is common to see these diagrams underutilized; however, we find that preparing process diagrams hone details to an easily digestible visual format, sequentially identifying “who” does “what” and “when”, greatly benefitting the entire project team.  Once the processes are defined and diagrammed, you can move on to organizing the remaining document content.

There are two areas of document formatting and organization that are particularly important when populating a BEP. The first is dividing the document into sections logically and systematically (normally, organized by the operational roles of each party). Utilizing the process diagrams your team has prepared, group similar processes into sections and subsections. Next, number each section and subsection with a standardized hierarchical system prior to adding technical content.

Write

The keys to writing a useful BIM execution plan are simplicity, accuracy, and clarity.  Remove unnecessary verbiage and be as specific as possible when defining project requirements. When writing about the project or teams, refrain from using general nouns. Avoid “the design team,” “responsible parties,” or other template-based descriptors. Instead of using “TBDs” and generic placeholders for information, specifically identify responsible parties by name and include deadlines for deliverables, where appropriate.

 “A common violation of conciseness is the presentation of a single complex idea, step by step, in a series of sentences or independent clauses which might to advantage be combined into one.”  page 24.

 It is easy to fall into the trap of writing “steps” when using process diagrams for reference. Resist writing enormous paragraphs about why processes are necessary, or repeating the information in the process diagrams, both of which will inflate the size of your BEP and distract from its true purpose (efficient communication of BIM processes and requirements to the project team). Debate and concurrence on BIM processes should be completed before writing the Execution Plan.

 Review

After completing your first draft, proofread the complete document from beginning to end, highlighting areas you want to adjust. If possible, utilize other proofreaders as a resource before distributing to the project team. The ultimate goal is to gain input from the project team concerning the accuracy of content; one final review through a second set of eyes will mitigate errors and omissions.

 Conclusion

Preparation, organization, and internal peer review are cornerstones to development of successful BIM Execution Plans.  The effort expended by your organization on the front end of BEP development exponentially reduces the time spent by many other team partners (architects, engineers, general contractor, modeling subcontractor trade partners) on the back end, condensing your design delivery timetable and reducing overall project cost.

 

Additional Resources

https://engineering.missouri.edu/tech-toolbox/tech-writing/

https://www.etsi.org/e-brochure/WritingWorldClassStandards/mobile/#p=30