CADD Center’s President, Gregory Arkin, LEED AP BD + C and 3rd generation general contractor has guided CADD Centers of Florida towards contractors because you have a need for better coordination and analysis. When we meet with general contractors who are looking to get started in BIM, one of the biggest pain points is that because of the recession, the quality of construction documents has gotten even worse. As architecture firms began losing business and their pipeline, the layoffs started with the more expensive salaried staff going first.  Typically, they were the project managers who did more management, coordination and redline instead of the lesser paid CAD operators.  They were also the more construction knowledgeable people in the firm.  Of course the same thing has happened at engineering firms as well.  Add to that, longer hours, pay cuts, more pressure and more competition for projects from firms that bid on project types they didn't typically do and reduced fees add to the pile.  So, if all of this is true, then discrepancies, clashes, errors and omissions on the plans, leads to even more paperwork, RFIs, jobsite visits and even more money losing projects.  This is one of the reasons that contractors are buying Revit and Navisworks, converting AutoCAD drawings into Revit 3D models and doing clash detection with their subcontractors.  When things are bad, contractors use BIM.

Of course, for the contractors with a lot of business, converting CAD to BIM makes them much more efficient and able to compete for more work and profits, so when things are good, contractors use BIM.  CADD Centers of Florida has been swamped with work from contractors and subcontractors.  It matters who your reseller is. CADD Centers is the only reseller in the US led by a general contractor. Our competition doesn’t have the experience to implement BIM for contractors. There isn't very much technical support from Autodesk techs because they've spent the last 27 years focusing on architects and engineers, not contractors. CADD Centers has just updated our BIM Implementation Guide (BIG), the document to get any contractor or subcontractor set up for BIM. It’s very complex for a GC to start using Revit and BIM and engage their subcontractors.

Here's an example.  A GC takes the permit set of drawings, converts the entire project into a model, finds some discrepancies and submits RFIs to the architect.  Should he include the model, 3D views of the model or just a description of the problem?  How will the architect react to the 3D model if given to him if he did the job in AutoCAD?  Is the BIM file a part of the legal documents?  What if the architect refuses to look at the model?  What are the steps involved in this new process?  This is just a sample of what we've included in our BIM Implementation Guide and what questions need to be asked and answered before you start.  It's what makes CADD Centers a different kind of Autodesk reseller.

Now, for you architects out there who haven't switched to Revit yet, DON’T!  Keep doing what you're doing.  Don't change a thing.  Keep using AutoCAD 2004, don't go on subscription, keep telling your reseller that you only do 2D and don't need Revit.  Don't tell your engineers to get Revit either.  Since you think it doesn't matter what software you use, this will just help the contractors get more business and become design builders.  It really doesn't matter how great of an artist you are or what fonts you use on your blueprints.  That doesn't get buildings built and at the end of the day, it’s what the owners are looking for. The art of architecture is no match for the business of BIM and the costs of clashes.

When you talk to us, we will ask you the following questions to help us better prepare a total solution package for you.

• What delivery methods are you currently using?  (Design Bid Build, GMP, Design Build, CM at Risk, CM Agency, EPC, etc.)
• Do you self perform concrete work or other major trades?
• Have you used BIM in any capacity on any of your projects?  How so?
• What are your goals for your BIM initiative?
• What technology do you use in supporting your estimating process?
• Are you doing takeoffs from paper drawings? From 2d or 3d files?
• What percent of your time is spent measuring or counting?
• Does everyone on your project team know how to read a schedule?
• How do you communicate complex designs or logistics to subs and owners?
• What strategies do you employ to minimize RFI's and change orders on your projects?
• Do you talk with owners about the value they can gain with BIM:  ability to explore design alternatives quickly, ability to optimize design for Sustainability, ability to project and analyze operational costs of a building?
• What are the biggest challenges in your processes today?

BIM will help you win more business, deliver projects more profitably, and deliver projects ahead of schedule. We look forward to developing a BIM framework for your company to better coordinate the advantages of BIM.  CADD Centers of Florida is the reseller with the experience and expertise to get you there.

Here's a video that you may find quite interesting:
http://www.adskmedia.com/navisworks-construction

The McGraw-Hill BIM report is a must-read for contractors:
http://construction.ecnext.com/mcgraw_hill/includes/BIM2008.pdf