Why Training is the Most Undervalued Investment in the AEC Industry?

⚠️…and How It’s Costing Millions…⚠️

The Reality Gap

In the AEC industry, we can easily quantify the cost of rework, coordination clashes or project delays. Yet we rarely measure the cost of poor training, even though it quietly erodes efficiency every single day.

According to iSpring’s 2025 study, 80% of learning teams can’t prove the return on investment (ROI) of training and only 28.6% feel confident showing its business value.

Executives want measurable impact e.g. KPIs, cost savings, performance improvements, but in most firms, training still isn’t connected to those outcomes.

If we can calculate the financial loss of poor coordination, why can’t we calculate the loss from poor competence?

The truth is simple: AEC relies on human expertise more than almost any other sector. The software doesn’t coordinate buildings, people do! Unfortunately, when people aren’t trained properly, even the best technology falls short.

The AEC Training Crisis

🚧 Training is still seen as an expense, not an investment

Many AEC firms treat training as a cost rather than a catalyst. Budgets are cut first from professional development, even though the skills gap is one of the industry’s biggest risks…

The 2024 Autodesk State of Design & Make report highlights that talent shortages and digital skill gaps remain major barriers to efficiency and growth. Yet, the solution of structured & targeted training is often underfunded or delayed!

🧩 Digital strategies fail without capable people

You can have the most advanced BIM tools, the best Common Data Environment or a full ISO 19650 strategy, but without trained AEC professionals to implement and manage them, digital transformation stays theoretical.

As buildingSMART International repeatedly stresses, competence is the foundation of interoperability. Without it, “digital BIM” is just words on paper…

⚠️ Training inconsistency creates project risk

Different people learn BIM differently 👉 some from colleagues, others from YouTube or by trial and error. The result?
Inconsistent workflows, duplicated effort and wasted hours fixing errors that could have been avoided through structured learning.

The ROI Disconnect

Most firms try to measure training through completion rates or feedback scores.
But those don’t tell you anything about performance.

Executives want to see how learning impacts delivery including fewer clashes, cleaner data, smoother coordination. The iSpring white paper calls this gap “the ROI shift”: the need to speak in business outcomes, not learning statistics.

The same logic applies in AEC. Training that doesn’t lead to measurable improvement in project quality or consistency is just activity, without impact…

When teams are properly trained, the results speak for themselves:

✅ Models pass QA faster, with fewer errors and cleaner geometry (Technical quality)

✅ Information delivery aligns with ISO 19650 requirements, not personal interpretations (Process compliance)

✅ Clashes and rework reduce dramatically, saving time and cost (Coordination efficiency)

✅ Data handover becomes consistent and usable, supporting FM and asset management (Information reliability)

✅ Project communication improves, with everyone speaking the same BIM language (Collaboration)

✅ Client confidence grows, because deliverables are accurate, on time, and professionally presented (Client satisfaction)

That’s the real return on investment and it starts with competence, not dashboards!

Why Continuous BIM Training Is the True ROI Driver

Every AEC project depends on shared understanding. When even one person misinterprets Client Information Requirements or data structures, mistakes multiply downstream.

Continuous training ensures that everyone from architects through engineers to contractors understands the same language, the same workflows and the same standards.

A well-trained team:

✅ Reduces errors and RFIs through consistent understanding of BIM workflows.

✅ Uses technology (Revit, ACC, IFC, COBie) as intended — not halfway.

✅ Delivers cleaner, more compliant information aligned with ISO 19650 principles.

✅ Collaborates more effectively, speaking the same BIM language across disciplines.

✅ Communicates with clarity, reducing confusion and wasted time.

✅ Feels more confident and motivated, contributing to higher retention and better morale.

And confidence isn’t just emotional 👉 it’s operational. Teams that understand their tools and standards work faster, communicate better and make fewer costly mistakes.

How to Align BIM Training with Business Outcomes?

In AEC, training isn’t about ticking boxes, but about closing skill gaps that hold back most deliveries...

Most professionals already have experience, but each person’s knowledge gaps are different. One may understand Revit but not ISO 19650. Another might model well but struggle with information requirements or COBie.

That’s why one-size-fits-all training doesn’t work…

At BIM KARELA, every CPD certified course is built to target specific BIM skills, so individuals and teams can:

✅ Strengthen weak areas without wasting time on what they already know

✅ Build consistent understanding across disciplines

✅ Apply BIM processes with confidence on real projects

Our courses don’t just explain what BIM is, they show how everything works in practice!
From understanding information management to compliance, each course fills a defined knowledge gap and transforms it into applied competence.

When people know exactly what they’re doing and why, project outcomes naturally improve 👉 That’s how training becomes a business asset, not a cost.

Turning Knowledge into Capability

The AEC industry doesn’t need more software or slogans, it needs capable, confident professionals!
Technology, standards & processes are only as powerful as the people who use them!

If your team has uneven knowledge, uncertainty around BIM standards or gaps in ISO 19650 understanding, now is the time to fix it and not when errors show up on site.

If you’re ready to start invest in yourself or your team as a strategic differentiator, you’re in the right place.

BIM KARELA’s CPD certified BIM Training is designed to close real skill gaps, boost team confidence and give professionals the clarity to deliver BIM the right way.
Start your BIM learning journey today and turn confusion into competence:

Start your BIM learning journey today and become BIM competent:

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