Vico Services has worked on hundreds of BIM projects since the California Academy of Science in 2004.  We have seen great projects built and many, many changes in the typical processes used to manage a construction project.  One of the innovations that many projects utilize is clash detection software to automate and visually aide the coordination process.  Use of this software has helped reduce the number of RFI's and Change Orders that were typical just a few years ago. 

One thing that we noticed at Vico is that the coordination process still takes too long, even with these advanced tools.  That set us to thinking, what is the problem with coordination?  It turns out that one of the big problems is that if each team member moves their own objects every time there is a clash then they often create a secondary clash where they now have fixed their problem but created a problem for someone else.  Also, frequently these coordination meetings focus on using the fabrication level models that the subs create which of course have the best level of detail (LOD).

Vico has found a way to cut the coordination time by 40% using a 2D-3D-4D clash detection approach.  I'd like to say 50% since that is such a nice number, but so far the data is showing a decrease of 40% in the number of weeks or months that the coordination had been scheduled to take.  Now what would you do with 4 extra months of time?  Hmm, how about increasing the number of components that are prefabricated?  How about creating a plan to assist your subs with the placement of the objects as well as a follow up verification that the object is in the correct space. 

How can this be done?  Well, it requires:

• - A CM/GC who is willing to QC the design model or build their own from the drawing set
• - A CM/GC who brings all their subs to the meeting table and explains that there will be a new process here which will result in 75% + of the detailed coordination to be completed during the design stage
• - A Vico Onsite Project Manager (OPM) to be involved and to lead the discussion / process change and negotiation with the construction team
• - A specially trained Vico modeler equipped with a System Priority Structure and Rules of Change document that the OPM has created and everyone on the team has agreed to

It's that easy!  If you are interested in Vico Coordination Resolution just give me a call, and by the way, once this has been done on a project with Vico consulting the BIM expert from the GC can do it on the ensuing projects as long as he or she has participated in all the setup, definitions, process descriptions, and meetings.

Ask your Precon VP if s/he'd like to decrease the coordination schedule of every project by 40%. My guess is they will be pretty interested (and so will the Owners that they talk to every day)!

Learn more about this important step in the BIM workflow:

Blog: Coordination Resolution is 40% Faster than Traditional Clash Detection

Blog: Rethinking 3D BIM Coordination

Webinar: BIM 201: Clash Detection and Coordination

Webinar: Coordination Strategies in a Hard Bid

Webinar: Coordination 2.0 with Vico Office Constructability Manager

Webinar: The New Preconstruction

Product: Constructability Manager, Features and Benefits, FAQs

Services: Coordination Services