Attributes have been defined for each BIM Use to further explain, expand upon, and relate other BIM Uses as well as provide commentary and guidance on applying the BIM Use on a project or within an organization. The information for each attribute is not intended to be comprehensive but rather to provide examples and general guidance.

The BIM Use attributes defined by the workgroup include:

• Name: Title of the BIM Use in the format of a verb and noun(s) such as Author Design.
• Definition: Concise description of the BIM Use, typically to be limited to one to two sentences.
• Related Terms: Synonyms or other widely used terms for similar BIM Uses and/or sub–BIM Uses to be provided as a list.
• Example BIM Use Cases (Methods and Outcomes): Example(s) of specific method(s) of applying a BIM Use(s) on a project(s) or within an organization(s) to be formatted with the BIM Use Name, followed by the desired outcome, then the method to achieve that outcome. Examples are included rather than a comprehensive list.
• Potential Benefits: Potential gains achieved on a project or within an organization from adopting the BIM Use. The list of benefits is not designed to be exhaustive. Additionally, some benefits can be directly attributed to the BIM Use, while other benefits can only be partially attributed. Formatted in a list with the benefit first.
• Considerations / Commentary: Information on how to apply and/or when to use the BIM Use. Limited to one to two paragraphs with concise considerations for those adopting the BIM Use.
• Inputs: A list of example deliverables that enable the BIM Use.
• Outputs: A list of example deliverables generated by the BIM Use.
• Predecessor BIM Use(s): Other BIM Uses that are typically implemented prior to this BIM Use.
• Successor BIM Use(s): Other BIM Uses that are typically implemented after this BIM Use.
• Competencies: A list of recommended skills necessary to implement the BIM Use. Consider evaluating a team’s competency with these skills prior adopting / requiring a BIM Use.
• Methods / Tools: Example processes and technologies (including hardware and software) used to implement the BIM Use. Methods / Tools are generic and do not specify any particular brand or company.
• Resources: Implementation Guides, Case Studies, Standards, and Studies, that provide more details on the BIM Use.
  • Implementation Resources: A sample list of assets that provide guidance on how to adopt and implement the BIM Use.
  • References and Case Studies: A list of sources that provide commentary on the definition, business case, and examples of implementations of the BIM Use.
  • Note: Often, software vendors have specific implementation resources to describe in detail how their tools support specific BIM Uses.
• ID / Version: Unique identifier for the BIM Uses, combined with version reference for the BIM Use definition within the US National BIM Standard. The ID / Version is formatted with the NBIMS-US BIM Use ID number followed by the BIMUseName-NBIMS VERSION-BIM Use Version such as 03 - AuthorDesign-4.0-1.
• Author: The individual or organization that identified, documented, and consolidated the BIM Use in its current form. Referenced sources for the BIM Use are to be included in the references and case studies attribute. In some cases, the author may be the initial creator of the BIM Use, while in others, it may be the consolidator and/or balloter of the BIM Use.