There has been a lot of discussion over the past years about what kind of model is the right BIM for facilities management. The bottom line is that the model you have is better than no model at all. Starting from scratch is entirely different than leveraging an existing model. Having no model will allow you to develop the model in a way that takes into account exactly what you want from day one, however, starting from zero can be costly and misses out on the opportunity to take advantage of the deep and accurate models developed during the design and construction process.
The first step is to determine who the stakeholders are in facilities for the owner and what their requirements are from the model. Do they need data for space and occupancy planning, maintenance, and asset management? Once the stakeholder data and functional requirements are gathered, it’s important to discuss and document who will be responsible for implementing these requirements into the model and whether or not there are any legal or contractual issues that should be included. Finally AEC professionals and owners must work closely to document which standard will be used and how they will be implemented not only in the model but also in the owner’s facilities system. This will ensure accuracy and consistency of data and reporting that makes sense for the building owner and that they will be able to utilize this information over the building lifecycle to more effectively predict performance and manage their facilities from initial occupancy to decommissioning.
