![\"BIM.](\"https:\/\/planradar-website.s3.amazonaws.com\/production\/uploads\/2020\/02\/iStock-1195217931.jpg\")
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Building Information Modelling (BIM) has had an enormous impact on the construction industry over the past decade. However, while BIM software is widely used at large firms, a 2019 National BIM Survey<\/a> showed that almost a third of construction companies do not use the technology yet. And this is especially the case at small and medium-sized enterprises (SME\u2019s)<\/a> where take-up is still relatively low.<\/p>\n Adopting new digital technology takes time and serious investment, and so many smaller firms are reluctant to begin using it. However, as BIM becomes more deeply ingrained in UK construction, it is increasingly hard to ignore.<\/p>\n Fortunately, there are ways that SME\u2019s can start to become \u2018BIM-ready\u2019 without an enormous upfront investment.<\/p>\n There are several factors that are pushing UK construction industry firms to begin adopting BIM software. These include:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n BIM adoption in UK building-construction technology market<\/a> has been mandatory since May 2011 and it has been upgraded 3 times again in 2016, 2017 and 2019 respectively to implement a higher level of BIM. If it is not a choice anymore, then you must know how to get the maximum benefits from building information modelling software.<\/p>\n Learn more: <\/strong>Read about the benefits of BIM<\/a><\/p>\n Considering all these benefits, why are many firms still not using BIM software? According to the National BIM survey 2019, firms cite the following factors:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n While these objections are understandable, consider the case of Blockbuster<\/a>. The video rental firm was, in the 1990s, the king of home movie rental. However, they failed to see the importance of digital streaming. Within a couple of decades had seen their business completely swallowed by online rivals like Netflix.<\/p>\n BIM software represents a comparable digitisation of the construction industry. And so, firms which wish to survive must learn from the case of Blockbuster: going digital is not optional.<\/p>\n The good news is that being BIM-ready does not necessarily require you to invest huge sums of money in new technology and skills. Depending on where you sit in the construction process, you may just have to arm your teams with apps to use on their smartphones.<\/p>\n To understand how to start using BIM software, here’s how BIM is used in projects as a whole:<\/p>\n To be able to view BIM models, you will need to choose a program which can read IFC (Industry Foundation Classes) file formats. This is an open standard data model where all this information can merge in one place. This file format is developed and managed by the international organisation buildingSMART<\/a> and is the primary data exchange format used in BIM projects in the construction industry. Your partners in the first 3 stages of the project can provide you with IFC files which your preferred app will display.<\/p>\n If your firm wishes to become BIM-ready, it may be easier than you think. In many cases, all you need is a tool which allows your employees to view IFC files and interact with the BIM models. And this is where tools like PlanRadar<\/a> help.<\/p>\n PlanRadar provides an easy-to-use interface where your team members can view and interact with BIM models while on-site. Using a laptop, iOS (Apple), Android or Windows smartphone\/tablet, they can use GPS and a navigator to locate pins and tickets inside the 3D BIM model. It is then possible to record information about the construction project directly on the BIM model for others to see. PlanRadar also allows you to assign these tickets to the responsible worker and check the task has been completed right on the model itself.<\/p>\n BIM software is increasingly becoming the norm in UK construction, and it is widely used by major firms. And with tools like PlanRadar, barriers to entry are lower ever \u2013 even for smaller firms.<\/p>\n To get started with BIM models on your construction projects, view more information about our BIM feature<\/a>\u00a0or contact us<\/a> for a demo today. <\/p>\n![\"BIM](\"https:\/\/planradar-website.s3.amazonaws.com\/production\/uploads\/2020\/02\/BIM-software-stats.jpg\")
<\/p>\nWhy is it important to become \u2018BIM-ready\u2019?<\/span><\/h2>\n
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12 factors that slow BIM software adoption in 2021<\/span><\/h2>\n
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How to start using BIM software in 2021<\/span><\/h2>\n
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What BIM maturity level does your firm need? <\/span><\/h2>\n
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Being BIM-ready is easier than you might think<\/span><\/h2>\n