In 2015 Digital Built Britain described the incremental development of BIM so that 'collaborative models of working facilitated by data will permit greater engagement with lower tier suppliers.' The 2016 Government Construction Strategy commented that 'BIM is a way of working that facilitates early contractor involvement, underpinned by the digital technologies which unlock more efficient methods of designing, creating and maintaining our assets'.
It is important to ensure that the right digital information is available at the right time to the right people and that it supports decision-making throughout the lifecycle of a building in ways that reduce time, cost and operational risk. ESI and BIM can be used to create an early shared knowledge pool that helps team members to agree how to share and use information effectively in ways that improve quality, safety and other project outcomes.
The Construction Playbook, and the 2011 and 2016 Government Construction Strategies, recommend that BIM is adopted for all public sector construction projects in conjunction with ESI and collaborative working. Trial Projects using BIM with ESI and Supply Chain Collaboration have achieved significant improved value in asset creation and in asset operation, repair and maintenance.