To say that building information modeling (BIM) has transformed architecture and engineering would be an understatement. BIM enables design teams to create detailed and intelligent 3D models and has become an everyday essential for design professionals looking to design better, detect issues earlier, and reduce risk.
While BIM is a standard among design teams, the potential of construction models reaches far beyond preconstruction. Today, construction model management software is expanding BIM’s value across the entire project lifecycle, from early planning to construction and even into operations. And yet, many teams still haven’t fully tapped into that potential.
Traditionally, models live in advanced design software on the desktops of VDC and design professionals. Models are created, coordinated, and reviewed in design, but often don’t extend into the construction or operations phases.
Autodesk Model Management solutions make models more accessible and actionable for everyone on the project team. That includes general contractors, trade partners, owners, and even facilities managers.
“BIM helps prevent costly delays by identifying conflicts early and giving teams access to constructible data in the field,” says Kelli Lubeley, BIM Program Manager at Cupertino Electric.
“So, we're working with authoring tools and coordination tools to make sure everybody's idea comes together to meet code and realize the owner's vision.”
Despite the opportunity, BIM still isn’t a standard part of field workflows. In fact, only 41% of construction companies report using BIM in the field today. That leaves a significant gap—and a major opportunity. Here’s what’s holding teams back:
At Autodesk, we believe BIM works best when it works for everyone. However, access is often limited to a few key players, leaving field crews, trade partners, and even facilities teams disconnected from the models that are supposed to guide their work.
Autodesk's model management tools help by making BIM data more accessible, collaborative, and impactful across every phase of the building lifecycle.
Learn more: What Autodesk Model Management subscription is right for me?
To get the full ROI from BIM, everyone—not just VDC or design teams—needs real-time access to accurate, up-to-date models.
Autodesk's cloud-based model management tools enable you to share and update BIM data from anywhere. Whether on-site or in the office, teams can view, edit, and coordinate directly within the model. It's a single source of truth, accessible on desktop or mobile, that helps the entire team stay aligned. With the proper access, teams can catch issues earlier and make faster decisions as one team.
Autodesk's tools don't just break down silos between people; they connect workflows across every phase of the project. Instead of models being passed off from one team to the next, Autodesk enables a continuous, collaborative process from design through construction.
That means BIM data created during design doesn't just sit in a file—it moves with the project. Teams can carry that intelligence into the field for layout, clash detection, and installation.
The value of BIM shouldn't stop when construction does. Autodesk's model management capabilities ensure models remain accurate and usable long after handover. With connected, cloud-based tools, project teams can deliver a rich digital record that supports building maintenance, operations, and long-term facilities planning.
Facilities teams get more than just a stack of documents; they get detailed, navigable models with the data they need to manage assets.
In preconstruction, successful collaboration between design and construction teams is essential. Autodesk’s Model Management tools empower designers to share highly detailed models directly from their desktop design tools, in ways that are accessible even to non-design roles like owners, project managers, and field teams.
This streamlined approach connects design intent with real-world constructability—bridging the gap between ideas and execution.
Model Management solutions provide the ability to share models, receive feedback, and sync this directly with the design software.
Collaboration on models across teams can be difficult. Design teams often access models on desktop software, with large file formats that are difficult to share. Not only that, but design teams must bring together input from multiple disciplines—architecture, structural, and MEP— when shaping their design – all while also accounting for site conditions that aren't always visible upfront.
This is why the right tools make a big difference. With Model Management workflows, design and construction teams can work together on accurate, construction-ready models and stay aligned as changes happen – from the preconstruction through operations.
Great design isn't just about constructability, it's also about solving real-world problems with intention. In construction, the best designs come to life when collaboration flows smoothly from concept through construction.
For example, when Build Health International (BHI) set out to expand equitable access to healthcare in under-resourced communities, it relied on Autodesk Construction Cloud (ACC) to streamline collaboration from design through delivery.
"Our architects are constantly communicating with the doctors and nurses to obtain feedback so we can design the right facility for that specific community's needs and resources," says Fatlum Troshani, Project Engineer at BHI. "We've seen situations where beautiful facilities are designed and then go unused or are used differently than intended."
By using tools like Autodesk Docs and Autodesk Model Management solutions, BHI aligned design teams, clinicians, and partners so every facility met both medical requirements and community needs.
Model management tools allow design teams to catch issues before they reach the field—reducing risk, avoiding costly rework, and enabling smoother handoffs to construction.
Architects and engineers can use Design Collaboration in ACC to share models and facilitate comprehensive constructability reviews and clash detection by aggregating multi-discipline models, regardless of the file format. Let's say an architect updates a floor plan to accommodate new clinical workflows. They can instantly share their BIM model with the structural engineer and MEP designers, who can then view the changes and stay aligned. Better yet, this sharing can be automated, so you don’t have to manually share models every week.
Design conflicts between systems—like HVAC ductwork intersecting with structural elements—can cause significant setbacks if discovered too late. Teams use clash detection to identify and resolve these issues during the design phase, well before construction begins. With both Navisworks Manage and Autodesk Construction Cloud, teams can automate clash detection and highlight potential conflicts before they reach the field.
With integrated issue management, teams can easily turn clashes into issues, and access and manage issues across Navisworks and Revit to fix models, validate designs, and track to close.
Easily visualize and contextualize design changes by team, project phase, or building level. Explore shared design data before accepting the data in order to understand how new design information will impact work-in-progress. By empowering teams with shared, real-time access to coordinated models, Autodesk’s model management tools make it easier to deliver construction-ready designs—and ultimately, build with greater precision and fewer surprises.
Projects are more accurate and efficient when teams work from models grounded in real-world conditions. That’s why many architects rely on Autodesk Recap Pro to capture and convert real-world site data into detailed 3D models. Using high-precision laser scans or photogrammetry, ReCap Pro captures real-world site conditions and turns them into detailed, shareable 3D models and point clouds that are accessible to teams both in the office and on the jobsite. This makes it easier to view and understand as-built conditions right from the start.
Additionally, Recap Pro enables you to compare design models against scans of existing conditions, so you can catch discrepancies early and ensure designs match real-world conditions.
Architects can create realistic visualizations and walkthroughs with tools in Navisworks Manage and ACC, helping stakeholders see precisely how a space will look and function. These tools allow teams to produce accurate renderings and immersive presentations, making it easier to convey design intent and gather meaningful feedback early on.
We’ve covered how BIM supports preconstruction. Now let’s move to the phase where boots hit the ground. Model management software provides owners and construction teams the ability to view and utilize BIM data without needing advanced design software.
Model management tools make BIM useful and accessible during construction, for teams both in the office and in the field. Although BIM has traditionally been seen as a design tool, there is so much potential for construction teams. As we mentioned, only 41% of construction companies are currently using BIM in the field. That gap represents a huge opportunity. With the right tools in place, field teams can harness the power of BIM to build smarter and with greater confidence.
Field teams can't unlock the full power of BIM if data lives in silos or workflows are disconnected.
Autodesk Construction Cloud helps eliminate those barriers by giving every team member real-time access to coordinated models, whether they’re in the office or on the jobsite. Rather than relying on 2D drawings, field teams can work directly with current BIM data, better understand design intent, and make informed decisions on the spot.
Integrated coordination across both desktop and cloud environments means that models can be shared and accessed through ACC and directly within Navisworks. Issues detected in the field can be created and managed on site or in the office. Changes are updated in real time – all visible to others on the project team to stay up to date.
Teams can also share federated, multi-trade models with the field, helping ensure that superintendents and project engineers have the full context they need to make faster, more accurate decisions. Enhanced model viewing on mobile makes it easier to stay connected and communicate at every stage of the construction lifecycle.
Working from the latest model should be the default—not the exception. With BIM coordination in ACC, that’s exactly what happens. As design and trade teams upload new models into the coordination space, the latest version and its history become instantly available to anyone running clash detection or reviewing updates.
Closing the loop between design and construction is just as critical. ACC integrates with Revit and Navisworks so issues identified during coordination are shared and managed across platforms, helping teams collaborate through issue resolution and arrive at a constructible model faster.
Coordinating across trades is never simple. Without BIM, design clashes can slip through the cracks. Structural beams intersecting plumbing lines, electrical ducts running through walls—these issues often go unnoticed until it's too late, leading to costly rework and delays on-site.
With automated clash detection in Autodesk Construction Cloud, field teams can easily review coordinated models and catch potential issues before they turn into problems on the jobsite. Catching errors early saves construction teams from time consuming changes downstream.
Instead of waiting on the next coordination meeting, teams get instant visibility into conflicts and can address them early. Issues in Autodesk Construction Cloud enable teams to identify, assign and resolve issues in the tools they use every day. Collaboration can take place at any time during coordination, accelerating the delivery of quality construction projects.
Field teams can use intuitive tools to flag issues directly within the model and notify design teams on the spot. And because ACC’s issue management tools are built into the workflows teams already use, collaboration doesn’t need to pause. Whether you’re in the office or on-site, issues can be identified, assigned, and resolved without delay, keeping quality and accountability high throughout the project. Integrating Issues with Navisworks and Revit offers a deeper layer of control—tracking clash status, ownership, and resolution across multiple projects, all from a single source of truth.
Model management software helps owners and construction teams combine reality capture and BIM to gain a clear, accurate view of their built environment. Using Autodesk Recap Pro, construction teams can capture and convert detailed laser scans of real-world conditions into usable 3D models. These digestible models form the foundation of reliable as-builts and allow teams to verify that what's being built aligns with the original design.
Autodesk Recap Pro enables teams to compare current site conditions against design models, helping catch discrepancies early. This not only improves accuracy but also ensures that any changes made in the field are reflected in the final model. Teams can even verify installation accuracy by comparing “as built” versus “as designed” views.
With real-time updates and complete visibility across the project, ACC empowers project teams to reduce risk, maintain control, and make smarter decisions at every phase of construction.
Autodesk Model Management for handover and operations
While BIM in the field boasts a huge range of benefits, those advantages aren't restricted to the construction phase. Owners can use BIM to gain deeper visibility into their assets and streamline operations. Consider the following.
Model management solutions help owners gain a clear, accurate view of their built environment. Autodesk offers a powerful scan-to-asset workflow that captures existing conditions through reality capture technologies and converts them into detailed digital models. This provides a reliable foundation for renovation projects, reduces errors, and improves overall efficiency.
With Autodesk tools, it's also easier to manage and track assets throughout the entire project lifecycle. Model objects and properties can be converted into assets and asset fields, giving teams a centralized, digital hub to oversee equipment and systems from construction through operations.
A successful handover doesn't end with turning over the keys—it means delivering the data owners and facilities teams need to operate efficiently.
With Autodesk Tandem, field teams can specify and capture a descriptive digital twin that reflects the as-built conditions of the project. That way, they can provide owners with the system information necessary to support efficient operations and maintenance.
"Tandem is offering us a great opportunity to provide value for the owner and facility managers who are not experts in BIM," remarks Amr Raafat, Chief Innovation Officer at Windover Construction. "Facility management teams aren't expected to be experts in BIM like us, and that's okay. But with a web-based link in Tandem you can go walk through a site. It is very easy."
Owners are now extending BIM's value into operations and maintenance, unlocking new ways to manage spaces, systems, and assets long after construction wraps.
With Autodesk Tandem, owners can specify and capture a descriptive digital twin that reflects the as-built conditions of a project. This digital twin becomes a powerful resource, providing clear and accurate data on every asset, space, and system required to support day-to-day building operations.
That said, the digital twin isn't just about visualization; it's also a foundation for long-term standards.
If you haven't equipped your field team members with BIM technology, you're missing out. Fortunately, Autodesk has a number of packaged solutions to help you extend BIM across teams.
For instance, Autodesk's Model Management Bundle expands BIM/VDC across design and construction teams, providing comprehensive solutions for model management through all phases of construction.
Ready to bring the benefits of BIM to your entire team? Explore Autodesk's Model Management Bundle today.
Learn more: What Autodesk Model Management subscription is right for me?
