Project Stages and Workflow

Any referenced datasets can be downloaded from "Module downloads" in the module overview.

Define Project and Stages - Exercise

You have studied the project stages, the workflow from one stage to the next, and how BIM can increase efficiency while reducing costs. 

Now it’s your turn. In this exercise, you will study the project stages by setting up a typical project for your organization. You will then examine how the project stages relate to the project and what members of the BIM team are appropriate for the different stages and your organization. 

This project can be fictional or real; however, do not use the results of this exercise for actual project planning. It is advised to set up a fictional project based on an actual completed project. Do not make it too complicated – you don’t want to get lost in the details. 

For your convenience, the downloadable resources for this module include a sample Project Team table that has been set up for your reference, called Project Stages and Workflow_Example Table.docx. This sample is more complicated than yours needs to be so that it can demonstrate various aspects of a project. 

Worksheet Instructions

Before you begin, you can download the Worksheet and Example Table files from the Module Overview page using the Download Resources button, then fill in the provided worksheet as follows:  

  1. In the Project Information section of the worksheet, enter the project name. 
  2. Give a brief description of the project. 
  3. Circle or fill in the project type. 
  4. Circle or fill in the client/sector. 
  5. Fill in the budget. 
    • Note: The budget is not necessary, but it can be revealing to see how much cost can be saved by an effective BIM PLM approach. You can consider roughly what the overall cost of the project may be, which of course is subjective. If not known, leave it blank. 
  6. In the Project Team table, enter the names of the various agencies involved with the project. If there are specialists, enter what type of role they perform. There is room for an auxiliary agent under Other if required. If possible, use known agencies for familiarity’s sake; otherwise, you can create fictional agencies. Not all columns need to be filled in – keeping it simple may make it a more effective learning tool. 
  7. In the Project Team table, consider the various phases of your project. Most projects will go through the phases listed; however, your project may involve fewer or additional phases. If some phases are not required, simply cross them out. If additional ones are required, enter the names of the phases involved with the project in the blank rows provided. 
  8. Return to the Project Information section and consider key personnel in your organization and how they would be involved with the project. Enter the names of the people in your organization filling the roles of the BIM team. Limit the names to two or three per role. 
  9. In the Project Team table, fill in the BIM team responsibilities. Start with your agency and fill in the appropriate abbreviations for the entire column. For example, in the sample table provided, the Civil/Survey firm’s column is completed as follows: 
    • They are not involved in the Pre-Design or the Schematic phases, so the cells are marked with an X. 
    • For the Design Development phase, they will have a BIM subject matter expert (BSME), a model manager (MM), and a model element author (MEA). 
    • For the Construction Documentation phase, they will have a model manager (MM) and a model element author (MEA). 
    • For the Procurement and Fabrication phases, they will have a model user (MU). 
    • For the Construction Admin phase, they will have a model viewer (MV). 
    • They are not involved in the rest of the phases, so those cells are marked with an X. 
    • Fill in where the BIM manager (BM) resides. There is usually only one project BIM manager; however, if you have more than one, fill them all in. 
    • For the other agencies, fill in as much as you can without getting too detailed. 
    • At the bottom of the table, enter what assumptions you have made filling it out. These assumptions can be notes for things that need to be double-checked and verified. 
  10. In the Project Information section, enter the projected stages and milestone dates for the project. As with the budget, this is subjective. If not known, give rough estimates or leave blank. However, including an estimate can help reveal the amount of time (effort) that can be saved by an effective BIM PLM approach. 
  11. In the Project Information section, describe in your own words what information and document formats (2D drawings, 3D model, BIM model, documents, etc.) are to be made available at each LOD level.