BIM is Dead

By George Broadbent
Partner | Twiniti AI

Schrödinger’s BIM: Both Alive and Dead

BIM is dead. Or alive. Or maybe both — depending on how you look at it.

Like Schrödinger’s cat, BIM exists in a quantum state: to a designer, it’s a model; to a contractor, it’s coordination; to a facility manager, it’s often just another handover file. Somewhere between theory and execution, between Revit and COBie, between project and operations — the promise of BIM has become unrecognizable.

This isn’t a funeral for BIM. It’s an acknowledgment that while BIM was transformative, it has reached the edge of its utility in the age of operational intelligence.

Today, owners, operators, and capital project leaders no longer need a 3D model with metadata.
They need a system. They need continuity.
They need an Operations Digital Twin (ODT).

BIM Was Never Just a Model — But That’s How It Died

Let’s be clear: Revit is not BIM. Neither is ArchiCAD, Civil 3D, or any other authoring platform. These tools are part of the BIM process — but not BIM itself. BIM was always meant to be a methodology for coordinating information across the asset lifecycle.

But somewhere along the way, BIM became a deliverable, not a process.

• BIM during design became synonymous with 3D geometry.
• BIM during construction focused on clash detection and scheduling.
• BIM at handover devolved into static files, PDFs, and outdated asset lists.
• And BIM in operations? Rarely used, barely trusted.

The moment BIM became just “the Revit model,” its value in facility operations collapsed.

Campus Complexity: Where BIM Truly Breaks Down

This breakdown is most evident in campus-scale environments — institutional ecosystems where civil, utility, and building infrastructure must coexist in a unified operational picture.

Take a typical airport or university:

• Revit excels in buildings, but offers little support for underground utilities.
• Civil 3D handles horizontal systems well, but doesn’t connect meaningfully to vertical assets.
• GIS might provide spatial context, but not real-time status.
• CMMS systems track assets, but often lack spatial or geometric intelligence.

Different tools. Different teams. Different standards.

There is no single BIM model that unifies this information — because BIM was never designed to be an operational system. It was built to serve the project — not the portfolio.

As a result, owners are left with:

• Multiple models per building and site
• Unstructured documents and spreadsheets
• Inconsistent (if any) updates post-handover
• No source of truth for real-time operational decisions

Why BIM Doesn’t Work for Operations

BIM was revolutionary in construction. But it was never built to reflect how facilities actually behave once occupied.
Operations is not a snapshot — it’s a stream:

• Equipment is replaced.
• Spaces are reconfigured.
• Sensors generate alerts.
• Maintenance records evolve daily.
• Capital plans shift with usage, risk, and budgets.

BIM can’t handle that.
Not because it’s bad — but because it wasn’t made for it.

Facility managers, asset stewards, and capital planners need more than drawings and files.
They need systems that are:

• Connected across disciplines
• Continuously updated
• Operationally contextual
• Designed for users in the field, not just VDC teams

In other words…
They need the Operations Digital Twin.

Defining the Operations Digital Twin (ODT)

So what is an ODT?

An Operations Digital Twin is a live, integrated, and context-rich digital environment that reflects the current physical and functional state of a facility or campus.

It’s not just geometry. It’s not just a dashboard. And it’s definitely not a file.

The ODT is built on four foundational principles:

1. Integration of Systems

• Unifies BIM models, GIS data, IoT sensor streams, CMMS platforms, and documentation.
• Bridges civil, utility, and building infrastructure into one digital ecosystem.
• Enables bidirectional exchange with platforms like Maximo, Esri, Revit, Civil 3D, and SharePointAviation Data integrati….

2. Dynamic Data Continuity

• Combines static data (as-builts, specs, tags) with dynamic data (work orders, alerts, runtime logs).
• Updates vary by data type — from real-time sensor feeds to quarterly asset inventories.
• Ensures accuracy across capital planning, maintenance, and inspections.

3. Location-Based Intelligence

• Every asset, system, and document is spatially aware.
• Data is tied to real-world context, not buried in folders.
• Field staff can verify valve locations, access panels, and equipment in real spacePresentation_BIM and As….

4. Operations-Centric Design

• Built for facility managers and field operators — not just architects or engineers.
• Focused on uptime, serviceability, sustainability, and decision support.
• Supports condition-based maintenance and lifecycle analysis.

How ODT Differs from BIM (and Generic Digital Twins)

Why Now? Why ODT?

Facilities are no longer cost centers. They are strategic assets — especially for:

• Hospitals optimizing patient flow
• Universities managing deferred maintenance
• Government facilities targeting resilience and compliance
• Airports prioritizing uptime and capital efficiency

All of these depend on data. But not just any data — trusted, contextual, current data.

The ODT enables:

• Real-time asset visibility
• Portfolio-wide capital planning
• Data-driven maintenance strategies
• Faster decisions with full operational context
• Reduced risk, rework, and downtime

Most importantly, it gives owners control over their environments, long after the project is complete.

BIM Isn’t a Failure. It’s a Step.

Let’s not confuse critique with dismissal.

BIM moved us forward. It revolutionized how we model, coordinate, and document.
It gave us a way to think about data beyond the drawing.

But trying to use BIM as a system for operations is like trying to run a hospital with construction drawings.

BIM served the project.
ODT serves the lifecycle.

Conclusion: Time to Let Go — and Step Forward

BIM is dead — not because it failed, but because it fulfilled its purpose.

Now it’s time to move on.

We need systems that speak the language of operations: uptime, access, intelligence, and action.
We need platforms that unify the past, present, and future of an asset’s lifecycle.

The future of facilities isn’t about better models.
It’s about better systems.

It’s about the Operations Digital Twin.