DEVELOPMENTS in technology can be dismissed as too new fangled, too expensive or too onerous to learn how to master.

However, industries that reject innovations out of hand without weighing up the benefits do so at their peril.

Building Information Modelling (BIM), although far from being a new concept, is a process that is beginning to make an impact in the construction sector.

The Government has said that it aims to use this technology on all its construction projects within five years – a move that has been welcomed by Constructing Excellence – so it is important that more companies start to embrace BIM.

According to the Government's Innovation and Growth Team, BIM is seen as having the greatest potential to transform the habits – and eventually the structure – of the industry.

If the Government is pushing BIM then it is highly likely that other organisations will soon follow suit. So those who do not adopt BIM will rule themselves out of the running for a host of contracts.

Companies need to become more aware of the advantages of using BIM whatever type of building work they are targeting, whether it be public or private sector.

BIM has the ability to improve design quality, project delivery and the business information transfer throughout the whole construction process.

It does this via the production of a computer simulation of a project allowing all those involved in the various stages to test it, quantify it and analyse it before it is built.

As a result, it can cut costs and waste and help aid the communication of and interpretation of technical data between all the partners that are involved in a building project.

This approach enables the teams to pinpoint design errors, deficiencies in estimates and conflicts in information at the earliest opportunity.

BIM also gives stakeholders simultaneous access to the design and databases allowing them to update and share ideas quickly and effectively. BIM users benefit from data-sharing and creation of robust information on design components which are transferrable through the entire project life.

Any technique that aids collaborative and integrated working between the parties that contribute to a construction project has to be good for the industry.

For the construction sector to thrive in the future it is important that it is open to new ideas and is willing to explore new systems and methods.

Companies within this arena should therefore be making the implementation of BIM within their organisations a priority.

For more information on Constructing Excellence in the North East, contact Catriona Lingwood, on 0191 374 0233 or email catriona@cene.org.uk.

Catriona Lingwood, chief executive of Constructing Excellence in the North East