BIM Today: the first year of nima’s evolution from the UK BIM Alliance

In the September 2023 issue of UK trade magazine BIM Today, nima vice-chair Paul Wilkinson looks at nima’s journey since transitioning from the UK BIM Alliance in October 2022, and its efforts to embed more data-driven ways of delivering our built environment. These are some edited extracts from what Paul wrote:

“After more than a decade of BIM progress, government and industry discussion is no longer just about BIM – often seen as a purely technological change – but about wider information management challenges. These include building safety, climate change, and using data to deliver better, more valuable outcomes across the life cycles of built and managed assets.

“The new name reflects an ongoing evolution. nima supports purposeful use of information across the whole built environment, from the inception and planning stages of projects, through design and construction, and then – most importantly – into support for efficient operation, maintenance and use of assets through to their end of life.

“The architecture, engineering and construction and operation (AECO) sector has historically relied on paper-based documents and drawings, but UK government is increasingly demanding more digital approaches.

“Adopting more data-centric approaches to information management will help the AECO sector become more efficient and productive. However, achieving the UK vision of a ‘national digital twin’ will be impossible without widespread adoption of common data standards.

“The UK needs to be bolder about defining a common data structure for the built environment which all clients adopt. This structure can then be used to drive processes in the planning, and operational and maintenance phases – not just during design and construction. And making this happen will require inputs by the planning, asset and facilities management communities, with support from their technology providers.

“Now thinking BIM and beyond, nima is committed to supporting open standards-based approaches to information management, helping users create, exchange and use all types of data more effectively across our increasingly interconnected built environment.”

Read the full “BIM Today” article here.