How BIM Level 2 capability backed by the Kitemark™ enables voestalpine Metsec plc to drive new business

voestalpine Metsec plc (Metsec), the UK’s largest specialist cold roll forming company, was established over 80 years ago. It provides products for the construction and manufacturing sectors and has supplied many prestigious projects, including the Queensferry Crossing, Resorts World and the Glasgow Velodrome.

Metsec is the first Tier 2 organization globally to have achieved the BSI Kitemark for the delivery of construction projects at Building Information Modelling (BIM) Level 2 for Design and Construction. BSI Kitemark certification offers reassurance to Metsec’s Tier 1 customers and prospects of its BIM Level 2 capability, differentiating it from competitors.

BSI Kitemark Certification:

  • Shows compliance with government ‘condition of contract’ requirement for BIM Level 2 for Design and Construction
  • Provides reassurance to Tier 1 customers – and their clients – of BIM Level 2 best practice
  • Demonstrates successful contract fulfilment, customer satisfaction, and effective supply chain management
  • Drives business efficiency
  • Protects brand and enhances reputation
  • Differentiates the company, creating competitive advantage

Background on BIM

Since April 2016, companies looking to secure Government building and infrastructure contracts have been required to demonstrate BIM Level 2 capability, or face exclusion from public sector tenders.

BIM is a software-based process to ensure all the right information is available to the relevant parties, at the right time and in the right format, throughout the supply chain for large building and infrastructure projects. It is underpinned by a suite of standards, including PAS 1192-2, which addresses the BIM requirements for the design and construction phase of a project.

The process brings together all the components that make up projects in the development stage, creating a common language, shared knowledge and increased transparency between all the parties involved, from specifiers and Tier 1 contractors to subcontractors and suppliers in Tier 2 and beyond in the supply chain. BIM allows all parties to see in advance – and on an ongoing basis as the project develops – where any conflicts are likely to occur.

As Alan Harris, Quality Manager at Metsec explains, “With the UK government and others around the world increasingly making BIM a condition of contract, it’s a game-changer for the construction industry.”

The BSI Kitemark

Metsec needed a way to differentiate itself from other companies delivering BIM projects, countering so-called ‘BIM-wash’ – firms making unsubstantiated claims about their BIM capability. BSI’s new Kitemark PAS 1192-2 provides that differentiation, and with it a competitive edge in its marketplace.

For over a century, BSI Kitemark-approved products and services have been seen to achieve the highest standards. BSI Kitemark PAS 1192-2 acts as a seal of approval for construction businesses around the world, confirming that they are able to provide BIM Level 2 capabilities at the design and construction phase of a project.

PAS 1192-2 verification can provide evidence of BIM capability, but Kitemark certification goes a step further, demonstrating commitment to best practice and highlighting a high level of BIM maturity. “As the first Tier 2 designer and manufacturer complying with BIM Level 2 for Design and Construction in the UK, we were keen to cement this focus on BIM by achieving the new BSI Kitemark associated with it,” says Harris.

The BSI Kitemark has been developed in collaboration with construction industry stakeholders and is integrated with BSI’s existing certification solutions for the sector. It provides a robust level of certification for an organization, using management system standards such as BS 11000 Collaborative Business Relationships and ISO 9001 Quality Management, as well as PAS 1192-2. It encompasses three main areas: assessment of completed BIM projects, customer satisfaction, and supply chain management. 

Completed contracts

The BSI Kitemark provides a high level of assurance to Metsec’s customers of successful delivery and final completion of projects and outcomes under BIM. “It shows we are consistently able to meet and exceed the specific requirements of contracts, for example, in terms of quality metrics and delivery times,” says Harris.

He points out that this, in turn, gives main contractors the evidence they need to reassure their clients, including developers and end-users – creating a ‘virtuous circle’ in which the Kitemark can be key to winning new tenders for both Metsec and its Tier 1 customers.

Satisfied customers

Metsec’s Kitemark demonstrates measurement and monitoring of customer satisfaction against delivery of projects. To achieve certification, the company has shown how it defines its project-specific customer satisfaction objectives, and then measures their level of fulfilment. Harris continues,

“We’ve shown our documented procedure for achieving customer satisfaction and managing customer feedback on an ongoing basis, until the project is completed.”

Well-managed supply chain

The BSI Kitemark also shows that Metsec manages its supply chain effectively, giving customers confidence in its ability to work collaboratively, using digital technologies to add value to projects and cut out waste and inefficiency. “We’ve started to filter our customer’s project requirements down to our suppliers,” says Harris. “The systems we’ve put in place to monitor our own performance are now also in place further down the supply chain. For instance, we’re making sure we get full specification test certificates for materials from suppliers – and these are then available to everyone involved in the project.”

The BSI Kitemark impact

Metsec strives to build long-term relationships and supply chain agreements across multiple projects with Tier 1 contractors such as Skanska and Kier. The BSI Kitemark helps achieve this objective by proving the company’s BIM capability, making it unnecessary to provide further evidence. This saves Metsec time and money putting documentation together for individual tenders. More importantly, it addresses a key customer pain point by removing main contractors’ need to conduct onerous due diligence on Metsec’s capabilities, processes and project outcomes.

Harris concludes, “The BSI Kitemark shows our commitment to the highest standards and to using cutting-edge technologies to serve our customers better. It proves we have the expertise to provide a service that goes above and beyond the standard BIM offering, helping to differentiate us from our competitors and strengthening our position as a market leader.”