The BIM Software Kitemark: One year on

Today marks the first anniversary of the BSI Kitemark™ for Building Information Modelling (BIM) software. The Kitemark provides assurance that BSI-certified BIM software supports alignment with the BIM ISO 19650 framework.

The first organizations to undergo this pilot assessment and achieve the BSI Kitemark for BIM software globally were Asite, LPC and Zutec, with certificates issued on 25 March 2021.

The BIM Software Kitemark was developed for software vendors to demonstrate that their software supports BIM-standard alignment. This allows users to procure more efficiently and smartly, supporting them in ensuring they use appropriate software products for their needs. Over the last year, BSI has seen a noticeable increase in BIM projects and adoption of the BIM ISO 19650 framework globally, along with the growing role of software in digital information management.  This is creating a market with more software solutions to choose from. So, the need to identify software solutions that support global best practice in the form of the ISO framework is becoming even more important.

The pilot organizations commented on their participation in the development and adoption of this Kitemark.

Aysar Abou Kheir, Professional Services Manager at Asite, said: “Achieving the BSI Kitemark a year ago was a significant milestone for Asite and one we are delighted to celebrate today. Since becoming the one of the first three software companies globally to achieve the landmark certification, we have continued in our mission to boost our customers’ BIM journeys. Across our global regions—UK, Europe, the Middle East, India, Asia-Pacific, and North America—we are helping our customers define, develop, and deploy the perfect combination of technologies to optimize their processes and better evaluate their solutions.

“As key collaborators in developing the BSI Kitemark, our team at Asite sets the benchmark for best practice and aligning with BIM standards. We’re delighted to celebrate this significant milestone and continue to lead the way in engineering and construction technology.”

Emily Hopson Hill, Chief Operating Officer at Zutec, said: “BIM has been billed as an increasingly important part of the global construction industry for years, but with there being an increase in  the amount of platforms and tools supporting customers in their BIM journey, it can be very hard for contractors, or more recently developers and owners to understand the ROI they will actually get from using BIM software. Potentially lengthy due diligence or pilot projects are needed to avoid costly mis-steps along the way. 

“The BSI BIM Kitemark has changed that by offering a mark of quality to help the industry single out solutions that really deliver on their promises and will help them to achieve full compliance.  Knowing that the Zutec platform has been tested and certified by BSI has helped us increase trust with our existing customers, and find new ones looking for a similar level of assurance - one year on, the market has only expanded and the number of well-known industry names demanding the Kitemark from their software suppliers is on the rise.  We are proud to have been part of the journey so far and are looking forward to even more growth in the standardisation around BIM for everyone’s benefit."

Ir Dr Llewellyn Tang , Founder and CEO of LPC, said: “Kitemark” symbolises quality, security, and trust. The BSI Kitemark for BIM Software is globally recognised, boosts the reputation of LPC's digital twin solution "AutoCDE", and develops digital trust with our clients and partners. The Kitemark audits re-examined our integrated solutions in a full spectrum and consolidated our security-minded and user experience approach of solution development. Our visionary milestone is to confidently reshape the AECO ecosystem with tomorrow’s digital solutions, and we never stop.”

When an organization achieves the BSI Kitemark for BIM Software, it demonstrates that:

• The user-functionality of the software enables information management in accordance with the relevant process requirements of the ISO 19650 framework.
• The organization has adopted a security-minded approach in accordance with the relevant requirements of the ISO 19650 framework, understanding their particular security context.
• The organization is providing appropriate support to users of its software, taking and responding to customer feedback, in accordance with the ISO 9001 framework and ISO 10004 Quality Management - Customer Satisfaction.

With more software solutions coming to market, it is becoming increasingly difficult to select the best solution for an organization’s needs. The Kitemark helps to provide clarity and confidence that software will support requirements that are in line with BIM ISO standards.

For further information, visit BSI at Digital Construction Week (18 – 19 May 2022). Asite is also hosting a webinar on the subject supported by BSI on where attendees can hear first-hand about the organization’s Kitemark journey.