Lewis Wenman, Lead BIM Manager at Bouygues offers his expert career advice

With over 20 years’ BIM experience Lewis is a rare breed of BIM manager. Having cut his CAD teeth in the early 90s, Lewis developed advanced production information expertise on challenging projects before carving a reputation as one of the most effective project centric BIM Managers in the UK – one of the few who really understands what needs to be done on a project to ensure the outcomes BIM promises.

Read more about Lewis: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lewis-wenman-bab217a/

 

TIP 1: SELF LEARN

‘The digital tools that you use are forever changing, don’t wait to be fed how to use the latest updates, self-learning and bringing new ideas to the project team is a great asset for the digital engineer.’

 

TIP 2: TUNE IN, DROP OUT

‘Putting your headphones on listening to music may enable you to concentrate and get on with your work, but you could be missing out on key discussions which are happening around you. Learning about issues going on with the project is key to your learning and your valuable input could be welcomed or needed. Contribute to office discussions and show your skills and knowledge, being an active member of the team is an asset to the project.’

 

TIP 3: TOUCHY-FEELY

‘Having a good understanding of what you are drawing or modelling is a key attribute. If you do not know what the objects is, get out on site and see how the object interfaces with the project. This will make you a better digital engineer and support your team with design and coordination issues.’

 

TIP 4: NETWORK

‘There are lots of BIM groups, software groups and conferences to attend. Make use of these to broaden your vision and understanding along with networking. Having contacts with fellow colleagues within different sectors of the industry (or even in some cases competitors) can help assist or collaborate with you. This is a valuable asset for the Digital engineer.’

 

TIP 5: THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX

‘Thinking beyond the typical use of the digital tool and developing new BIM uses which can be adapted to bring efficiencies to your project is a key attribute. Just don’t think about what you’ve been taught, think about how you can adapt your skills and the software.’