BIM Execution Plan: Developing a Plan to Unlock BIM’s Potential

As hand drawing has given way to computer-aided design (CAD) and CAD has started to cede ground to building information modeling (BIM), technology is changing the way work happens during preconstruction and on the jobsite. The 3D model created through BIM can power faster takeoffs, more accurate clash detection, less rework and more. 

But all of that hinges on all of the appropriate parties using the BIM system — and using it well. How, then, can teams make sure everyone is on the same page about what goes into the model and how it is used? With a BIM execution plan (BEP). 

The BEP serves as a project guideline, clarifying when and how BIM coordination will be used. This article explores the types and components of a BIM execution plan, as well as best practices for creating and implementing one.

What is a BIM execution plan?

A BIM execution plan is a document that lays out how BIM will be applied on the project. It’s developed in the preconstruction phase and details everything from how the model will help to achieve the project’s goals to granular details, like naming conventions for files. 

A BEP can also outline processes that wrap around BIM usage on the project. Take meetings as an example: The BEP might specify how they’ll be conducted, their cadence and who will lead them. 

BIM execution plans are tailored to the project and its requirements. Because the details of the BEP hinge on the project, the document’s scale and scope vary from project to project. It could be a simple two-pager, for example, or an extensive 40-page guide. 

Today, it’s still not industry standard to use a BIM execution plan when a project will leverage building information modeling. That’s starting to change, though: Because BIM usage is not standardized or enforceable without a BEP, many stakeholders who use a BEP once see the benefit of consistently applying this type of guiding document across projects. Having a BIM execution plan and a way to enforce it can drive wins for everyone involved. 

As a result, many firms now have a BEP template that they use and adapt based on the project’s requirements. 

Essential Components of a BEP

Some jurisdictions specify what needs to get included in a BIM execution plan. The United Kingdom, for example, enforces ISO 19650, which includes BEP specifications.

Even when a governing body hasn’t laid out requirements for a BEP, it serves the group authoring it to be as thorough and detailed as possible when writing it. 

Here are a few categories good BEPs often cover:

• Project information, including the owner, name, milestones and overarching goal
• Definition of what BIM means on the project and how it will be used (e.g., coordination, pre-fabrication, record modeling)
• Definition of terminology and acronyms
• Contact information for key stakeholders, including any designated BIM managers 
• BIM-related roles and responsibilities for the owner, design team, GC and trade partners
• Collaboration activities, including meeting topics, format, schedule and requirements for attendance
• Coordination requirements like BIM platforms to be used, file types and naming conventions
• What models will be developed (existing conditions, architectural, structural, mechanical, electrical, fire and/or plumbing)
• BIM specifications like clearances, egresses and the hierarchy of model elements
• Compliance measures specifying what happens if the BEP isn’t met (e.g., trade partners install something that deviates from the model, stakeholders fail to attend meetings)
• Quality control measures

Fortunately, anyone tasked with authoring a BIM execution plan doesn’t need to start from scratch. Many reputable sources have developed BEP templates, including Penn State and the Georgia Institute of Technology. 

BIM Execution Plan Types

Some people break BEPs into two categories: pre-contract and post-contract. However, this categorization can be confusing because it raises the question of which parties are pre- or post-contract at the implementation of the BIM execution plan. For example, it might be post-contract for the general contractor (GC) but pre-contract for the trades.

This helps to recategorize BEPs into their use cases: design coordination and construction coordination. In both instances, the BIM execution plan needs to satisfy the owners’ requirements and deliverables (e.g., an as-built model) while clarifying BIM usage for all stakeholders. 

That, then, begs the question: what is a BIM execution plan going to accomplish for its intended coordination use?

Design Coordination

When BIM is used during the design phase, a BIM execution plan may be authored to clarify how the resulting model will be used, particularly by partners like structural and mechanical engineers and electrical consultants. The owner may dictate how the design team should use BIM during the design process, or the team may implement the BEP themselves. 

A BEP developed for design coordination should lay a solid foundation for BIM usage on the project. To that end, it often clarifies naming conventions and file structures while putting rules in place to streamline collaboration as various stakeholders work together to build out the model. 

Construction Coordination

Sometimes, the specifications from the design team will say that BIM needs to be used to coordinate but that the general contractor can choose the means and methods. In other instances, the GC may author the BEP of their own volition. 

In any case, to effectively use the BEP in construction coordination, it needs to be enforceable. That means including the BIM execution plan in the instructions to bidders, or ITBs (not to be confused with an invitation to bid, also called an ITB), which are included as part of the bid package. Often, the BEP is an appendix to the ITB. It should go out with a draft watermark on it. 

By including the BIM execution plan in the contract documents that go out to the trades, the GC gives specialty contractors the opportunity to review what will be expected of them in terms of BIM coordination. This allows trade partners to call out anywhere the requirements would add significant expense, or any BIM details the GC may have missed. 

As a best practice, the GC highlights the BEP at the BIM kickoff meeting, gives specialty contractors a set amount of time for review (e.g., two weeks), then requires signatures from each party to confirm receipt and compliance. The BIM execution plan then becomes a finalized and enforceable document. This way, all stakeholders know what’s expected of their BIM usage whether they’re working in the office or in the field.  

Dual-Use BEPs

The breakdown of these types of BEPs might also get muddy depending on the project delivery type. On a design-bid-build project, there may be one design coordination BEP, and a second BEP to guide the general and specialty contractors. On a design-build project or one where the architect has a good working relationship with the GC, one BEP might flow through all the project management phases. 

Courses about construction.
For construction.

Unlock your career potential with our free educational courses on Health & Safety, Data in Construction, and more.

Learn More

BIM Execution Plan Best Practices

A BIM execution plan should provide clarity for all parties involved. It also offers protection for everyone, verifying that the time and effort they put into BIM will be valued on the project. 

The likelihood of the BEP accomplishing that goal goes up when the document embodies the following traits:

• Collaborative

  The success of the BEP is heavily contingent on participation from all stakeholders — especially trade partners — when using the BEP for construction coordination. Inviting other stakeholders to provide feedback on the BEP before it’s finalized accomplishes two goals: It helps to eliminate gaps and confusion, and because all parties then feel they’ve had a seat at the table, it can make compliance easier. 

• Thorough

  Any gaps in the BEP make it less effective. Turning to BIM execution plan templates can help to ensure nothing is missed in the plan’s creation. 

• Enforceable

  A strong BEP needs to be included in the contract documents and signed by all participating parties. It should also clearly outline the liability if something is installed out of line with the model or other guidelines of the BEP (like meeting attendance) are not met. 

• Continuously Improved

  Groups that author BEPs benefit from refining the template they use based on lessons learned from past projects. Since the goal is to provide clarity and benefit for everybody, that template might get increasingly granular. It’s advisable to pick at least two projects a year on which to perform a postmortem to inform continuous improvement of the BEP template. 

When these best practices are applied to the BIM execution plan, that guiding document should help everyone align with the same goal and use the same building information modeling processes to arrive at it. 

Written by