A BIM coordinator makes sure every team on a project models to the same plan. They keep the BIM execution plan (BEP) up to date, combine the discipline models, run clash detection and model checks, chase the fixes and train the team on the tools. Think of them as the hands-on link between the BIM manager and the people doing the modelling.
BIM coordinators are responsible for coordinating the Building Information Modeling (BIM) efforts of all project teams. In other words, they make sure everyone is on the same page and working towards the same BIM goals!
This is a role that is often misunderstood, and it can overlap with BIM managers and BIM modellers, so I'm here to clear things up as best I can. Below you'll find what the job involves, a job description you can copy, the skills and certificates that help, and seven common challenges with how to solve them. Let's dig in together...
1) Introduction to BIM Coordination
a) Definition of BIM Coordination
BIM coordination is the process of managing and integrating digital information throughout the design and construction stages of a project. It brings together architects, engineers, contractors and project managers so that every party works from accurate, up-to-date information - and it's where the discipline models are combined and checked so that clashes are found on screen rather than on site.
BIM coordination is a critical part of BIM management, the wider process of planning, implementing and managing BIM processes and standards within an organisation. Effective coordination keeps everyone on the same page, reduces the risk of errors and makes the whole project run more efficiently.
b) Importance of BIM Management
BIM management lets the team build the project digitally before it's built for real: test scenarios, find problems and improve the construction sequence while changes are still cheap. Done well, it means better collaboration, fewer errors and real cost savings. By managing the digital side of a project, BIM coordinators help it finish on time and within budget, while keeping quality and safety standards high.
2) What is a BIM coordinator and what do they do?
As a BIM coordinator, your primary responsibility is to make sure that all members of the project team are following the BIM Execution Plan.
This includes making sure that everyone is using the right software, exchanging data regularly and sticking to the model standards set out in the plan.
You might also be responsible for training new team members on BIM processes and maintaining the BIM models throughout the project lifecycle.
Easy enough, right? Not quite.
As the BIM coordinator, you're often the go-to person for almost anything BIM-related. That means you need a good understanding of all things BIM and the ability to troubleshoot any BIM-related issue that comes up: knowing the difference between parametric and non-parametric modelling, working across different software platforms, creating clash detection reports and more.
Here's how the role usually compares with the two it's most often confused with:
| Role | Main focus | Typical day |
|---|---|---|
| BIM manager | The BIM strategy, standards and the BEP across a project or a whole company | Agreeing requirements with the client, setting standards, leading the BIM team |
| BIM coordinator | Making the BEP happen on a project, team by team | Federating models, running clash and model checks, chasing fixes, helping modellers |
| BIM modeller | Building and updating the model for one discipline | Modelling in Revit, Archicad or similar, to the standards the coordinator checks |
Titles vary a lot from firm to firm. ISO 19650 doesn't use job titles at all: it describes information management functions that each party gives to people. In practice the BIM coordinator usually carries the task team's share of that work, often called the task information manager. The free lesson ISO 19650 roles and responsibilities explained walks through who does what, and the roles and responsibilities slides (PDF) (opens in a new tab) are free to download.
If you're not already an expert in all things BIM, don't worry - that's what I'm here for! So, what does a typical day in the life of a BIM coordinator look like? Let's take a closer look.
3) BIM coordinator's roles and responsibilities (with a job description)
As I mentioned, a BIM coordinator's first priority is maintaining the project's BIM Execution Plan. This document sets out how the team will use BIM on the project and who is responsible for which tasks, and it needs to stay up to date as the project changes - because it will.
You will also be responsible for training team members on BIM software, troubleshooting the issues that come up, and monitoring adherence to the BIM Execution Plan. Keep an open line of communication with every team so you hear about problems early.
a) Key Responsibilities
The key responsibilities of a BIM coordinator include:
- Managing and coordinating the digital processes in the design and construction stages, so that all digital information is accurate, up to date and accessible to everyone who needs it.
- Developing and implementing the BIM execution plan on the project: the standards and protocols for using BIM, so that everyone follows the same playbook.
- Working with project managers, BIM authors and other stakeholders so that every party works with the same information, through regular conversations rather than surprises.
- Federating the discipline models and running clash detection, then assigning each clash to the team that owns the fix and following it to closed.
- Checking models against the project's requirements: the right elements, properties, classification and level of information need at each milestone.
- Making sure all digital information is properly formatted and compatible with the file formats the team uses, from IFC to Navisworks Manage, and that it follows the agreed naming and is filed in the right place in the CDE.
- Tracking what each team has delivered against the information delivery plan, and raising what's late before it holds up the next team.
b) Skills and Qualifications
To be successful as a BIM coordinator, you'll want the following skills and qualifications:
- A solid grasp of BIM processes and standards, including industry guidelines and best practice for using BIM in construction projects.
- Skilful use of BIM software and tools, like Autodesk Revit, Navisworks Manage and a model checker. You'll need hands-on experience to manage and coordinate digital information effectively.
- Great communication and teamwork skills: you'll talk to project managers, model authors and other key players every day to keep everyone aligned.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities, to spot and sort out issues quickly.
- A degree in architecture, engineering, construction management or similar, or equivalent experience on real projects.
- A recognised certificate in BIM. Our free courses each end with a certificate you can share, and buildingSMART's Professional Certification and Autodesk's Certified Professional exams for Revit are widely recognised.
With these skills, BIM coordinators can manage the digital side of a project so that it finishes on time, within budget and to a high standard of quality.
And the toolbox? Most BIM coordinators work with four kinds of software: an authoring tool to open and fix models (Revit, Archicad), a coordination tool for clash detection (Navisworks, Revizto, BIMcollab), a CDE where the files live (Autodesk Construction Cloud, Trimble Connect and others), and a BIM management platform to run the process around the models - the BEP, who delivers what and when, and the model checks. Plannerly does that last job. Open formats glue them together: IFC for the models and BCF for the issues.
c) A BIM coordinator job description you can copy
Hiring, or checking whether a role fits you? Here's a plain job description to adapt:
- Purpose: make sure every model and document on the project is produced, shared and checked as the BIM execution plan and the client's information requirements set out.
- Reports to: the BIM manager or information manager.
- Responsibilities: maintain the BEP; set up and police the CDE, naming and model standards; federate the discipline models and run clash detection; check models against the requirements before each issue; track deliveries against the task information delivery plan (TIDP); train and support the modelling team.
- Skills: Revit or Archicad, Navisworks or a similar coordination tool, a model checker, IFC and BCF, working knowledge of ISO 19650.
- Experience: two or more years modelling on live projects, or a relevant degree plus certification.
Want the responsibilities split by team as well? The free lesson creating the detailed responsibility matrix shows how, and these RACI matrix examples give you a head start.
d) A typical week in the life of a BIM coordinator
No two weeks are the same, but most follow a rhythm set by the model exchanges:
- Model drop: each discipline uploads its latest models to the common data environment (CDE). You check they're named and filed as the BEP says, and that nobody has quietly moved the shared coordinates.
- Federate and check: you combine the models, run clash detection and check the models against the project's requirements - are the right elements there, with the right properties, for this milestone?
- Write it up: you group the clashes and failed checks into issues that make sense to a person, and assign each one to the team that owns the fix.
- Coordination meeting: you walk the teams through the issues, agree who fixes what by when, and note the decisions where everyone can find them.
- Chase, help and update: you follow up the open issues, help modellers who are stuck, and update the BEP and the delivery plan when something changes.
The less of that week you spend copying data between spreadsheets and emails, the more of it you can spend solving real coordination problems - which is the part of the job most coordinators actually enjoy.
4) How to develop and maintain a BIM Execution Plan (BEP)
A good BIM Execution Plan should include:
- Project goals: the overall goal of the project and any specific objectives it must achieve.
- Standards and protocols: the standards everyone must follow, such as software versions and element naming conventions.
- Modelling tasks: every modelling task needed to achieve the project goals, and who owns each one.
- Software requirements: the software, formats and versions to be used, and any plugins that help.
- Data exchange schedule: when data is exchanged between the members of the team.
- Reporting requirements: the models, reports and other documentation produced through the project.
- Automated QA: an automated process for BIM model checking. Plannerly includes automated BIM checking in its Verify module.
However, just creating a plan in a Word document is no longer enough. Most BIM execution plans written in Word or PDF are, sadly, completely ignored. The industry is moving towards execution plans that are structured and live.
Using tools like Plannerly, you can create and manage everything from your online BIM Execution Plan to automatically checking your models. Plannerly is built around ISO 19650 and makes it easy for your team to get agreements in place, and there are free templates to start from: see the BEP template and the step-by-step guide to writing a BEP your teams actually use.
On an ISO 19650 project there are two versions to keep straight: the pre-appointment BEP, written for the tender to show how the team would deliver, and the post-appointment BEP, agreed once the team is appointed and then kept up to date for the rest of the project. The BIM coordinator usually does most of the work of keeping the second one true to what's actually happening on the project, from the software versions to the exchange dates.
Whichever platform you choose, keep the plan up to date throughout the project and make sure everyone follows it. When something changes, tell every team straight away. In Plannerly each section of the BEP has its own status and the people responsible are notified of changes, so nobody works from last month's version. The free lesson creating the delivery team's BEP shows the whole process.
5) Seven Common Challenges for BIM coordinators and how to solve them
a) Coordination and Collaboration
One of the most common problems for BIM coordinators is data exchange and collaboration. It happens when teams use different software versions, or don't follow the same standards.
Keep talking to every team so that everyone follows the same protocol, and put an agreed exchange process in place so that information moves correctly every time. Better still, stop clashes being modelled in the first place - here are some clash avoidance strategies that work.
Plannerly has templates to help teams agree what each discipline (architecture, structure, mechanical, electrical, plumbing and so on) has to deliver on your project.
b) Time Management
Time management is hard when you depend on a dozen other teams. Plan ahead (or plan early), create timelines for each task and assign responsibilities clearly.
The information delivery plan is your friend here: every model and document, who delivers it and by which milestone. When each team has agreed its own lines, you stop chasing and start tracking - see how to run the MIDP without chasing task teams. Plannerly also sends the reminders for you: 7 days before a task starts, 3 days before its deadline and again when it's overdue, to everyone working on it in the app, and you can adjust them.
c) Incomplete or Inaccurate BIM Models
Another common issue is dealing with incomplete or inaccurate models. Most of it can be avoided with a robust quality assurance process that checks the model elements, and by making sure every stakeholder agrees what "complete" and "accurate" mean before modelling starts.
Plannerly automates the checks on elements, so you can find problems early. Start with the free lesson Model checking intro.
d) Implementing a robust quality assurance process
Using Plannerly, you can set up a quality assurance process with statuses that cover every stakeholder's requirements, so everyone works to the same standards and expectations.
Each model version is checked against the requirements automatically, and the teams submitting the models see their own failed checks, so problems are fixed before they reach you. You assign issues to teams or people, track them, and spend your time on the parts of the workflow that need a person. The free lesson linking models for auto-checking shows how to set it up, and checking every model with IDS takes it further.
e) Managing project changes and updates
Another common issue is managing project changes and updates. Whether it's a change in scope or a change in the design, everyone needs to hear about it at the same time.
Have clear guidelines in place (using Plannerly's Scope module), tell all stakeholders about every change, and keep a process that makes updates quick. In Plannerly, the team is notified of changes to the BIM execution plan and the project scope, so nobody is caught out and you don't have to send the emails yourself.
f) Ensuring all stakeholders are aligned on expectations
Every team on a construction project has its own expectations and requirements, and as the BIM coordinator you need them aligned. That takes clear guidelines, clear communication and one place where each team can see exactly what it has agreed to.
Plannerly helps by giving every team the parts of the BIM execution plan and the scope that are theirs, so everyone starts from the same page and misunderstandings are caught early. A responsibility matrix on the work itself, agreed by each team, makes it stick - see how to agree the RACI and per-team contracts.
g) Staying organised
Finally, one of the hardest parts of BIM coordination is staying organised. Use project management software (like Plannerly) to run data exchange, collaboration, quality assurance and project changes in one workflow instead of five spreadsheets.
Assign tasks to teams or people, track the issues found and see what's late at a glance - the free lesson on collaborative task status in grid, timeline and Kanban views shows how. Plannerly is designed to save time and take the tedious manual tasks off your plate.
6) How to become a successful BIM coordinator
As with any job, success as a BIM coordinator starts with the fundamentals. Know the software used on your projects and get familiar with industry standards like ISO 19650. Strong communication skills matter just as much, because you'll spend your day between team members, clients and other stakeholders.
Most BIM coordinators come from architecture or engineering, often after a few years as a modeller. To get there faster:
- Learn the process, not just the software. Our free Level 1 BIM Management Basics course covers the whole workflow from planning to model checking, and Level 3 ISO 19650 Expert the standard, each with a certificate. You'll find more in our free BIM resources.
- Get practical experience on live projects, even small ones: volunteer to run the clash meetings or keep the model register.
- Stay up to date on BIM trends and technology, and any changes in regulations or standards.
- Join industry groups, attend conferences and network with other professionals in the field.
Ece Mülazımoğlu did exactly this: an architecture graduate who used Plannerly's free training to build confidence in Revit, ISO 19650 and BIM execution plans, and is now a BIM coordinator - read Ece's story.
Already in the job? In your first few months on a new project, read the client's requirements and the BEP end to end, meet each task team's lead, agree the model exchange rhythm, and run a test exchange before the first real deadline. Small problems found in week two are much cheaper than the same problems found at the first design review.
Finally, every project is different and needs its own approach. Being flexible and adapting to change is essential to meeting the BIM goals. With hard work and dedication, you can be a successful BIM coordinator!
7) The future of BIM coordinators
The future of BIM coordination is bright. As BIM technology advances, projects need someone who can implement and oversee the latest BIM tools, and as projects grow more complex, someone to coordinate the workflow.
The role is changing, too. Requirements are becoming machine-readable (buildingSMART's IDS), more model checks run automatically, and AI is starting to draft documents and answer questions about the project. That leaves BIM coordinators less time copying data between spreadsheets and more time on the judgement calls only a person can make - and it means they'll be expected to understand more disciplines and how they fit together.
With tools like Plannerly, you can futureproof your projects by creating and running detailed online BEPs, avoiding time management issues, collaborating with teams more effectively and ensuring accuracy with a robust BIM model quality assurance process.
Conclusion
In short, being a BIM coordinator takes a wide range of skills and knowledge. You need to know both the software and the project, and you need to communicate well with every team to keep everyone on track.
By following the best practices in this article and using BIM management tools like Plannerly, you can make sure all stakeholders work together smoothly and efficiently. It's a lot of work, but it's very rewarding to see a project come together thanks in part to your coordination.
That's it! You now have the information you need on being a BIM coordinator. Now, get out there and start coordinating. Good luck!
Keep reading: BIM explained, 3 critical things you need in your BIM execution plan, 5 incredible benefits of BIM in construction and 10 reasons why being a BIM manager is the best job ever.
I blog for the Five BIM Bloggers series, where every week we share different perspectives on important BIM topics. To hear our views first, join Plannerly free or browse the Plannerly BIM blog.
