How is BIM changing the sales strategy in the construction industry?

Why should BIM objects become the foundation of the sales strategy of construction manufacturers?

More and more companies in the construction sector are realizing that the provision of BIM (Building Information Modeling) objects is not only a competitive advantage, but a necessity. In a world where designers and investors expect detailed product data already at the design stage, the lack of a BIM library makes the manufacturer's offer invisible.

In this article, we explain how BIM libraries affect the sales process, why they are increasingly determining market success and what solutions can help companies implement this technology.

The growing importance of BIM in construction

The requirements of designers are growing. Increasingly, investors expect documentation to be prepared in BIM standard, which forces designers to use digital product libraries. Companies that do not share their data in this format fall out of the process already at the stage of creating specifications.

“73% of construction projects in the UK rely on BIM, and in Poland this trend is growing rapidly.” — NBS Report 2023

With BIM libraries, designers can easily search and insert products into models in programs such as Revit or ArchiCAD. This is a huge facilitation — both in terms of project coordination and minimization of implementation errors. At the same time, the pressure on manufacturers is increasing: the data must not only be available, but also comply with local classifications (e.g. ETIM, Uniclass) and always up to date. The lack of such support causes designers to flood the customer support department with questions about technical details, which lengthens the process and reduces the time for sales activities.

What exactly are BIM libraries?

BIM (BIM Content) libraries are digital representations of products — such as doors, windows, pipes or cable systems — containing a three-dimensional model and a set of technical data.

There is often a misunderstanding between the terms “BIM libraries” and “BIM models”. BIM models refer to entire building objects or digital twins, while BIM libraries are single products that designers insert into their models.

Benefits of BIM for construction manufacturers

The implementation of BIM technology allows manufacturers to:

• promote the brand and increase the recognition of products — designers can easily find the product in the design tools;
  
  
• place products in project specifications — which translates into real orders from investors;
  
  
• Accelerate communication with designers — fewer technical data queries, more time for sales support;‍
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• conform to international standards – this opens the way to new markets.

Challenges Faced by Manufacturers

Although the benefits of BIM implementation are significant, building materials manufacturers often encounter obstacles that delay or even prevent the full potential of the technology. The first and one of the most frequently mentioned problems is the cost and time consuming of the entire process. Preparing a single BIM object can cost from several hundred to several thousand dollars — according to bimobject.com, prices range from $500 to $3,000 per file. However, this is not the end of spending. Keeping libraries up-to-date is an equally challenging task, as product changes require constant data adjustments, as well as adaptation to new industry standards or local market requirements. This process is further complicated when a company operates in multiple international markets, where different classifications such as ETIM or Uniclass are used.

The second major barrier is the lack of qualified personnel who could deal with the creation and updating of BIM objects. According to the 2022 Dodge Data & Analytics report, as many as 58% of construction companies in the US indicate a shortage of BIM specialists as one of the main obstacles to the full implementation of this technology. As a result, the process of preparing BIM libraries is often postponed or implemented to a limited extent.

Another challenge that is increasingly affecting manufacturers is the increasing demands of designers and investors. More and more tenders and investments require that project documentation be prepared in BIM standard. This makes it increasingly rare for designers to turn to products that do not have ready-made BIM objects. The lack of such a library forces them to manually enter technical data or look for alternative solutions — usually with competitors that offer full BIM support. This phenomenon is confirmed by data — according to the NBS report from 2023, as many as 73% of construction projects in the UK are based on BIM technology, and in other UE countries this trend is increasing every year. This means that manufacturers who do not share data in this format become less visible in projects already at the concept stage.

An additional problem is the fact that the lack of BIM libraries puts a significant burden on customer support departments. Customer support managers, instead of focusing on supporting sales and building relationships with designers or contractors, spend tens and sometimes hundreds of hours answering detailed questions about product specifications. In practice, this means that the company loses time and resources that could be spent on sales and marketing development. As a result, manufacturers who do not have ready-made BIM objects not only lose to the competition at the design stage, but also incur higher customer service costs.

How can manufacturers implement BIM?

Implementing BIM technology may seem like a complicated process, but there are proven strategies that allow manufacturers to use its potential effectively while minimizing cost and staffing barriers. Process automation is playing an increasing role here. Dedicated platforms like BIMStreamer allow you to generate huge libraries of BIM objects without having to create each file manually. An example is Uponor — a manufacturer of installation systems, which thanks to BIMStreamer is able to generate more than 100,000 BIM objects adapted to the specifics of 30 countries and translated into 20 languages. What's more, their dedicated Revit plug-in automatically selects the right fittings and detects errors, saving designers time and making the brand's products a natural choice when designing.

Another way to implement BIM is to delegate part of the tasks to external partners. Companies that do not have their own BIM department can outsource the preparation of BIM components or data management to external specialists. This allows them to avoid the cost of hiring new employees and can focus on their core business while benefiting from high-quality BIM libraries. This approach allows you to flexibly adjust the scale of activities — from individual files to comprehensive product catalog management.

No less important is the standardization of data. Manufacturers who invest in classifications such as ETIM or Uniclass make the product specification process much easier for designers, which translates into greater visibility in different markets. It is also worth noting the growing trend of the so-called BIM Omnichannel — which consists in the distribution of libraries not only on the manufacturer's own platforms, but also on external marketplaces with BIM objects. Such a strategy increases the reach and allows you to reach a wider range of designers who use different sources when choosing products for their projects.

BIM as a marketing and sales advantage

Companies that have already implemented BIM are seeing a clear increase in sales efficiency and brand recognition. Manufacturers such as Uponor, OBO Bettermann, Aliaxis and Geze use BIM libraries to reach designers in multiple markets simultaneously and increase the share of their products in design specifications. Thanks to this, their products reach the design models at an early stage of conception, which significantly increases the chances of final choice by the investor.

BIM is no longer an option — it is becoming a standard, and companies that are the first to adapt to these requirements gain a lasting competitive advantage. This is not only a way to increase sales, but also to build the image of a modern brand, open to the needs of designers and ready to collaborate in the digital construction ecosystem.