In a previous post I eluded to the idea the BIM could make a company more money if they were to give it away for free. In this post I will explain how.
Currently BIM is marketed towards architectural firms, those who do large projects. A single license of Revit can cost upwards of $4500.00 with a yearly subscription cost of $400 to $600. These costs are hard to justify for those who are looking to venture into the world of BIM. Because of this pricing scheme BIM has established a reputation of availability for only the largest of projects.
Now imagine if BIM were used as a sales tool for building supply companies. Put yourself in the owner’s shoes. You hire an Architect who has access to BIM (because its free). The model is generated, analysis is done, a structure is finalized and approved. So what will the materials and labor cost? That kind of question currently takes several weeks to answer. How would you like to know instantly what your material costs would be. With keenBIM you could. It has already been established that BIM can create take off quantities of building materials. Using the central server, all local suppliers could integrate their prices into the system that would generate a materials bid instantly. KeenBIM would allow you to compare prices and get the lowest guaranteed price for your materials. This is where the payday happens. Commission on material sales has potential to generate more revenue than license and subscription fees. It also promotes integration, which the construction world lacks. Nearly one trillion dollars was spent in 2009 on construction in the United States alone. Upwards of 40% of that total is material costs. If keenBIM could claim commission on just 0.25% of that $400,000,000,000, it would earn one billion in revenue.
New Thoughts