Building Information Modelling has moved from a niche capability to a standard expectation on mid-to-large projects in India. But the value of BIM is only as good as the coordination process behind it. A model that is updated sporadically and reviewed quarterly is a compliance exercise. A model that is updated weekly and the subject of fortnightly coordination meetings is a genuine tool for preventing rework.
The cost of a clash
A clash found in the model costs, on average, five to ten minutes of a coordinator's time to resolve. The same clash found on site costs days of rework, potential damage to completed works, contractor claims and schedule delay. The economics of clash detection are unambiguous.
- Model clash resolution cost: ₹500-2,000 per issue
- On-site rework cost for the same clash: ₹25,000-2,00,000+
- MEP rework in ceiling zones: often ₹5-15 lakh per major zone
What good coordination looks like
Good BIM coordination requires three things: a clear model ownership matrix (who owns structural, who owns MEP, who owns architecture), a defined model update frequency, and a dedicated coordination meeting chaired by someone with the authority to make decisions. At PPMC, we run fortnightly BIM coordination calls for every project with a design component, with a clash register maintained and cleared before each meeting.