BIM Execution Plan (BEP)
A project-specific document defining how BIM will actually be used on a project, which model elements each party is responsible for, at what level of development, file formats, and coordination procedures, agreed to by all major design and construction parties before modeling work begins rather than assumed informally.
Why it matters
Without an agreed BEP, different parties often build their models to different levels of development or in incompatible formats, discovering the mismatch only when trying to coordinate models together, a BEP exists specifically to prevent that costly rework by settling those expectations in writing before modeling starts.
On a real project
A project's BEP specifies that the structural engineer's model must include actual beam sizes at a specific level of development by a defined milestone, so the MEP coordination team can reliably run clash detection against real structural geometry rather than placeholder shapes.
Who this matters most to
A BIM/VDC Specialist develops and enforces the BEP across the project team. A Construction Technology Manager often champions adopting a BEP as standard practice across a company's projects.
Where this goes wrong
A project proceeds without a formally agreed BEP, with each design discipline modeling to its own informal standard. When the team finally tries to run coordinated clash detection midway through design, several disciplines' models turn out to be at incompatible levels of development, and weeks are lost reconciling the models to a common standard that should have been agreed before modeling began.