How do we become BIM | ISO 19650-2 Accredited?

No pain, no gain

If your business is not already BIM certified, you may be considering moving in that direction. There are certain guidelines of the steps you will need to take. A quick internet search may bring you more or less up to speed. Alas, It may not really prepare you for the revelatory nature of the awakening you might be about to experience, so I intend to do just that.

The process of gaining certification will be a testing one. There is every likelihood it will necessitate change in how you do things; not comprehensively, but certainly with regard to outward-looking processes involved in efficient collaboration.

This is where consistency between project partners is fundamental to shared understanding and unhindered project progression. It is where adherence to universal standards, notably ISO 19650-2, serves to minimise—if not eliminate—rework, wasted time, and avoidable costs.

The certification journey starts here

Evaluating where change may be required tends not to be a straightforward process. A successful business, while committed to continuous improvement and innovation (a mandatory mindset in every competitive environment) will not necessarily take the time to look closely at the backbone of its processes and workflows if they have served the business well, and appear to continue to do so.

As you dig deeper, in preparation for BIM Certification, you’ll find degrees of ‘recalibration’ are required. The question is, how do you dig deep if you’re not entirely sure where to begin the excavations? If everything looks fine on the surface, where is it that an independent certifying body would look?

Symetri’s BIM Consulting services align to the BIM Certification requirements of Lloyd’s Register, with whom we partner not just in the provision of certification but in helping your company meet the demands of the auditing process and the ongoing expectations of your clients and supply project partners.

The journey comprises three major stages:

Stage 1: Preparation, investigation, and rectification

• Scope meeting
  The journey gets underway with a roundtable discussion between our BIM Consulting team and the nominated representatives of your own company, ranging from BIM-focused roles to project owners, architects, designers, engineers and other users. Adopting BIM practices will impact the whole business, so it’s important that no voice is left unheard when the parameters are set down.
• Gap analysis
  We then undertake a detailed analysis of your current BIM processes—this is where the ‘deep digging’ takes place—and suggest improvements wherever they may be required to achieve Lloyd’s Register ISO 19650-2 (formerly BIM Level 2) Certification. The deliverables from this stage include a comprehensive report of all findings within each assessment area.
• BIM Consulting services to bridge gaps/rectification
  The gap analysis is the ‘revelatory’ exercise. It rarely results in there being no ‘gaps’ since it has to be rigorous. Lloyd’s Register will be looking for a demonstrably robust and diligently executed approach to standards conforming to the principles of ISO19650-2. The analysis will certainly reveal minor areas of nonconformity but may also uncover major areas. We’ll help you rectify both. BIM Consulting services from Symetri provide hands-on realignment in areas such as:
  
  • BIM Standard Method and Procedures – Ensuring best practice and documentation based on your organisation type and delivery requirements;
  • BIM Management documentation (OIR, AIR, EIR, BEP, etc.) – We can either review or author documentation based on your organisation’s requirements as identified in the scope meeting;
  • BIM Documentation Peer Review – We can ensure you are on track and working to the latest standards and promote best practice;
  • Digital implementation and BIM strategy development – Ensuring a plan is in place for the move to digital working or to the next level of same.
    
    

Stage 2: Gaining certification

• Full assessment (Lloyd’s Register)
  Symetri partnered with Lloyd’s Register in 2016 having undertaken our own research on the best QA scheme providers in the market. We chose them because of their unrivalled deep history in certification schemes, and also that they were the first organisation to introduce a certification scheme in the UK (in 2012). Their process is thorough, their name is known and respected globally, and their auditors are highly skilled. They leave no stone unturned.

Stage 3: Ongoing validation/Annual surveillance

• Once you have gained certification you will be subject to an annual audit; assuring your clients that your approach to and respect for the practices embedded in ISO 19650-2 are impeccable.

To help you gain a better understanding of BIM and ISO 19650-2— the industry terms used, the core standards, principles and concepts, and management workflows—our CPD Accredited courses remain very popular (Information & BIM Management Fundamentals).

You can also book a free 30-minute appointment with one of our BIM Consulting experts to discuss your specific requirements or just to find out a little more about how we can speed up your BIM Certification journey:

Author

Daryn Fitz

Daryn has worked within the construction sector for over 35 years, providing extensive experience in the management, application and integration of Digital Information Technologies within Design Consultant, Main Contractor, Developer and Employer Organisations. Today, Daryn is predominantly an advisor to Employer Organisations, provides Information Management services directly, leads the LRQA (previously Lloyds Register) BIM | ISO 19650 Accreditation scheme on behalf of Symetri, is an Associate Lecturer at Middlesex University supporting its MSc BIM Management programme, guest lecturers at other Universities and is currently researching a PhD in Data Quality within the Construction Sector. As an educator Daryn is known for his pragmatic and impartial approach, building on and reinforcing concepts by using real-world application and examples.