Sustainable Facilities Management: Bridging the Gap from BIM to Building Operations

By Peter Costanzo, Director, Facilities Management Team

Buildings and the resources needed for their operation contribute to the world’s carbon footprint. It’s no surprise that many organizations are looking at the impact of their facilities within the bigger picture of corporate social responsibility. Or, just to save money.

The sustainability of new buildings depends on factors like water consumption, energy efficiency, and materials selection. Those are influenced by the architectural design and building systems. A lot of valuable information related to sustainability is often captured in building information models (BIMs) that are created during design and construction. That data is useful for facilities managers once a building is completed and moves into the operations phase.

Unfortunately, a major hurdle for facilities managers is getting data from BIM which can be used in a facilities management system. Here are three recommendations for bridging the gap from BIM to sustainable building operations:

1. Request that Facilities Management be involved in the building design process. The American Institute of Architects suggests that sustainable design requires more parties to be involved early in the design process. Facilities management should have a seat at the table and convey what information will be needed for ongoing sustainable operation of the building after completion.
   
   
2. Identify what information is needed in the facilities management system to support sustainable building operations. Efficient facilities management is all about having access to data and using it efficiently. This information may include electricity, fuel, water, and other resource consumption.
   
   
3. Consider working with a partner to integrate data from BIM to facilities management systems. Rather than reinventing the wheel, it’s preferable to migrate data directly from BIM to the existing facilities management systems. Unfortunately, many facilities management teams don’t have the IT expertise to make that possible and in-house IT teams are usually overburdened with other tasks. A good option is hiring an outside partner with expertise in both facilities management and technology to recommend the best approach and help make it happen.

 

Sustainable facilities management is possible, but it doesn’t have to be difficult. Creating a smooth path from BIM to the facilities management system is a good first step towards greener building operations.

Learn more about our Facilities Management capabilities.