BIM and Construction Management: Proven Tools, Methods, and Workflows

3.3. Trade Coordination

A major portion of the construction manager's responsibility is coordinating multiple trades. Trade coordination involves working and communicating with subcontractors, supervisors, material suppliers, fabricators, and specialty equipment suppliers, among others. In addition to juggling the scheduling, managing the budget, sorting through constructability issues, and managing relationships, the construction manager is also responsible for coordinating who is doing what work on a project. This is a daunting task, especially when the scale and complexity of the project escalates.

In the past, trade coordination was accomplished either on light tables with plans overlaid on each other or through 2D CAD drawings that were ...