Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) comes with numerous benefits for construction firms, including increased efficiency, more accurate cost estimates and reduced need for rework. As a result, many businesses have worked hard to add VDC and Building Information Modeling (BIM) technologies to their in-house workflows.
For some teams, however, managing VDC independently poses challenges. You may have more work than your BIM team can handle, or you may not have enough work to justify hiring a dedicated VDC staff, for example. In these cases, working with a VDC partner may be beneficial.
Why Outsource Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) Services
Outsourcing VDC services makes financial and practical sense for many businesses. Outsourcing can save you money by reducing the amount you pay for software, hardware and labor related to VDC tasks, and it can also allow your staff to focus more of their time on the things they do best.
Keeping employees up-to-date on VDC processes takes time away from the work they’re hired to perform. Plus, endless training on constantly changing technology can be stressful for workers and taxing on your business. With a VDC partner, you can get the VDC services you need while saving money and maximizing staff productivity.
Questions to Ask Yourself and Prospective VDC Partners
Deciding to hire a VDC partner is just the first step toward increased productivity. Once you know you want to outsource, you need to find someone you trust to handle the work properly. Here are four questions to help you evaluate prospective VDC partners:
- How much do you currently spend on VDC? Consider how much you currently spend on VDC-related hardware, software, labor and staff training. Then, use this total to set your budget. You likely don’t want to spend more on VDC outsourcing than you already spend on VDC in-house. Look for a partner that respects your budget and offers a free, no-obligation quote for their services.
- Does this partner offer the services you need? Look for a partner that offers a range of VDC services across multiple modeling platforms. This variety helps ensure you’ll be able to work with the same partner for every project that comes your way.
- Do they have experience delivering results in your field? If you tend to work on a specific kind of construction project, commercial or residential, make sure your VDC partner has experience completing similar projects. If you’re not sure whether a partner has the experience you require, ask for references and examples of past work.
- Do you trust this VDC partner to support you throughout the project lifecycle? When switching to VDC outsourcing, you need more than a competent partner — you need someone you can rely on to help your company deliver the best possible results for clients. Ask yourself whether your prospective partner will support you throughout the project lifecycle. Will they communicate with you regularly? Will they make helpful recommendations?
Working With BuildingPoint Southeast as Your VDC Partner
If you’re looking for a VDC partner you can trust, BuildingPoint Southeast is available to help. We’re dedicated to providing customer support in addition to a wide range of VDC services, including 3D scanning, conceptual modeling and more. We have experience with all construction systems, project types and major modeling platforms. To learn more about BIM VDC for Construction outsourcing, please feel free to contact us today.