MLM shortlisted for BIM Awards 2018

Nomination Category: Doing IT: Structural Engineer

Name: Jim Smith

Company: MLM Group

BIM Show Live spoke with MLM Group’s BIM Sector Leader for Structures, Jim Smith ahead of the BIM Awards 2018 on the award entry and what makes them a potentially award-winning nominee. He told us that:

MLM identified the need to align with industry standards and improve collaboration digitally -internally and with industry partners. MLM formed an internal BIM Strategy Group, with individuals from business units and IT, to ensure visibility and agreement from all areas of the business. Working groups were set up to look at existing standards, methods and procedures, and review and implement necessary improvements and alignment to the government mandated suite of standards.

MLM decided to approach certification bodies to ensure compliance and successfully achieved certification with BSi in 2016 and 2017 based on an audit of our BIM standards. Documentation and processes were created and implemented, while aligning them to our existing QMS, making them ‘business as usual’ to avoid internal variations on projects. We now approach each job in the same manner aligned with BIM standards.

The certified standards, methods and procedures we have put into our everyday work aids our employees, and who we work with, communicate more effectively and improves outcomes on all our projects.

We feel the key to encouraging further BIM adoption in the industry still lies with client education. BIM often comes as an afterthought to the project rather than a key part of the project process. If more clients understood what benefits and value BIM could bring to their projects, then there would be more demand for it. This in itself would help drive adoption across the industry as more parties realise the opportunities available to them by changing the way they work.

MLM is keen for the construction industry to fully embrace and move into the digital revolution. We actively support our clients and fellow design team members trying to do this and share our knowledge and experiences. However, we also acknowledge that we are still learning too and get involved in networking and collaboration groups to help share and further our knowledge and experience.

MLM is a proactive, forward-looking company that is committed to helping change the construction industry for the better. Our employees care not only about the people we work with but with the industry as a whole.

We are committed to continuously improve what we do and ‘make it count’ on every project and help drive the industry forward.