Dubbed the UK’s biggest move in securing the future of digital transformation for the built environment, in 2016 BIM Level 2 Mandate (BL2M) was born. Amongst other things, BIM provides the UK economy a fantastic opportunity to improve and enhance construction methods from design to build whilst reducing time and cost.

Fast forward 2 years, we asked the talent and sales leaders behind some of the UK’s biggest consultancies and software providers “how successful has BL2M been”?

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Our findings

In a remarkable result, our findings suggest a very mixed response on BL2M’s progress:

· 6% – very successful
· 25% – successful
· 35% – neutral
· 23% – unsuccessful
· 10% – very unsuccessful

It is clear from the above that so far BL2M has had a controversial start to life in the UK. The “neutral” majority result may indicate that BL2M is yet to impact many organisations in digital construction. On the other hand, it could mean that organisations have already been consistently delivering BIM Level 2.

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It’s fair to say that nobody really knows how successful BL2M has been since being implemented in 2016. To provide some further clarity, let’s look at the pros and cons of the BIM Level 2 roll out…

The pros

• UK Image –Compared to other leading countries in digital construction, by introducing standards and regulations for BIM the UK is looked upon favorably.
• BIM Standards – Defined construction standards will result in higher quality and faster builds in addition to lower costs.
• UK Economy – BIM enhances productivity and helps reduce design and construction restrictions which allows the sector to continue to thrive.
• Software and Technology – BIM offers various opportunities for software developers to enhance construction process via technology.

The cons

• Lack of clarity – It’s widely acknowledged that the government have yet to establish definitive guidelines for BL2M, leaving many professionals confused on its true meaning.
• Lack of enforcement – NBS released survey findings in 2018 stating that there is a lack of take-up by clients and the government are failing to enforce it.
• Barriers to adoption – According to BIM+, a “low cost culture” is preventing many “lukewarm” organisations from adopting BIM Level 2.
• Private sector – Only 11% of construction companies in the UK private sector are demanding BIM Level 2 in 2018 as BL2M only applies to government projects. This has declined since 2017.

FMC Digital Construction

FMC has a team of professionals dedicated to solving recruitment and head-hunting requirements specifically for the Digital Construction sector. In addition, and using insights such as the above, FMC also offer the latest industry trends and salary benchmarking for your business use.

What are your thoughts on BIM Level 2 Mandate? Contact me at joe.coleman@fmctalent.com to discuss or visit our website here.

You can download the full report by clicking here.