Common BIM Coordination Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Even experienced teams make coordination mistakes. Learning from common pitfalls helps organizations improve their coordination processes and avoid costly errors.

Starting Coordination Too Late

Waiting until design is nearly complete to begin coordination limits options for conflict resolution. Early coordination, even with preliminary models, prevents major issues from becoming embedded in the design.

Unclear Model Ownership

When responsibility for model elements is unclear, issues fall through the cracks. Establish explicit model ownership and maintain current responsibility matrices throughout the project.

Ignoring Minor Clashes

Small clashes can accumulate into major coordination problems. Establish a consistent process for addressing all clashes, even those that seem insignificant individually.

Poor Documentation

Coordination decisions need documentation. Without records of what was decided and why, issues resurface and teams repeat discussions. Maintain clear coordination logs.

Inconsistent Update Cycles

When team members update models on different schedules, coordination suffers. Establish and enforce regular model update and exchange schedules.

Conclusion

Most coordination mistakes stem from process failures rather than technical limitations. Disciplined adherence to good coordination practices prevents the majority of common problems.