The Model Progression Specification for Commercial Construction
Posted by Holly Allison on Tue, May 04, 2010 @ 08:32 AM
What is it?
The Model Progression Specification is a language for owners, designers and builders that defines every element and task in a building construction process. Using the MPS the owner can standardize RFP's, budget reviews, and ensure that estimates of cost from conceptual to GMP are all consistent throughout the project team members.
The Model Progression Specification assumes the premise that as the level of detail increases during the Design Process, the budgeted cost (estimated) becomes more and more accurate.
The MPS defines the interaction between the Owner, Designer and Preconstruction Team as they migrate from the initial idea through the conceptual phase, on to the schematic, detail, and construction phases of a program. It provides the framework for an efficient written checklist evolving elements of the design from a very schematic level of detail to a high level of detail in terms of 3D geometry, cost, and time.
With MPS, the 5D BIM maps directly to the most efficient business process for achieving program goals. The MPS is standardized and repeatable, able to bring efficiencies into a project that can be redeployed on multiple projects. (We understand that while each component is unique, the progression of specificity remains the same.)
The MPS methodology provides transparency for the owner, along with a control system over the design, cost, and schedule. The Contractor receives streamlined internal processes and meaningful communication between the office and the field. The Architect receives a clean guideline of expectations which they can use to develop the design.
Another benefit involves receiving all the Preconstruction details from the Virtual Building Team and the Contractor's Operations Team. When the engineers, estimators (cost planners), schedulers, project engineers and superintendents are forced to explain to each other what they need in order to be successful, the entire project wins.
We have found, through our experience with over 350 commercial construction consulting engagements, that this streamlined process provides the most value during the preconstruction process. This includes more design iterations in the same time period and the flexibility to explore the resulting implications. This immediate feedback on the cost and time schedules improves design collaboration and results in a highly coordinated documentation set.
Caption: Moving from one project phase to the next is translated as increasing the level of detail in one or more sections of your model specification.
Have you had the experience of spending resources on a BIM only to find that it couldn't help you address owner questions regarding design, cost, and/or schedule? Learn more about the model progression specification with these resources:
Webinar: Webcor Builders and the MPS
Webinar: Understanding the Content Plan and MPS
Web Page: The Model Progression Specification
Video: Understanding the BIM Levels of Detail
Whitepaper: Organizing the Development of a Building Information Model