BIM in Australia - Are we there yet?
Rebecca De Cicco of Digital Node and Women in BIM discusses the level of BIM adoption on a global scale, starting with Australia
Aussie rules BIM
The level of government support
The organisation of Australian governmental departments has also contributed to this fragmented approach towards implementation. Each department has its own process and strategy, working in isolation from other departments. This causes confusion in the supply chain, with companies left struggling to understand different approaches, processes and information requirements for each department and state.
Meanwhile, the BIM initiative we do have in Australia is highly infrastructuredriven, with transport and infrastructure bodies coining the term ‘digital engineering’ to try and drive consistency.
However, without a federal initiative, it is almost impossible and such a move seems unlikely in the forseeable future. The only way to address this is to drive BIM and digital engineering in the sectors across Australia where the highest financial investment is seen, such as in Sydney and New South Wales.
The skills gap
Skills gaps are varied too, yet the challenge in Australia lies mainly in the way BIM is seen and understood across the industry. There is still an idea that BIM is firstly, based on technology (or a piece of software), and secondly, a buildings-specific initiative.
There are very few BIM training organisations, yet there are strong technologydriven organisations driving BIM in isolation. The difference between Australia and the rest of the world, as we see it, is that we don’t have the culture to drive consistency across the whole sector, so even when it comes to training, there are a variety of methods and approaches to address the lack of skills.
We need to focus on process requirements rather than technology, as this is where the skills gaps predominantly lie. There is also a very inward-looking culture and, as much as Australia is a relatively young nation, many old-school processes and mentalities that hold us back.
The opportunities for the ANZ built environment community to upskill when it comes to BIM processes are huge, especially given that regions like China and Japan are also utilising British standards and processes. This could provide enormous opportunities for export and growth to regions closer to our shores. In fact, Australia could be a dominant force in BIM if only we take the initiative – and we need to ensure that we are working towards that vision now.
Source: http://aecmag.com/comment-mainmenu-36/1461-bim-in-australia-are-we-there-yet
