Success Story
AME Group
How AME Group Turned a Sudden BIM Leadership Gap into a Firm-Wide BIM Evolution
AME Group's BIM Transformation — At a Glance
People
80 → 110 Revit/BIM users supported across offices
3 full-time staff previously dedicated to troubleshooting to 1 proactive BIM lead
Workflows
100+ Revit families created and standardized
26 Dynamo automations introduced into live projects
60+ BIM workflows, standards, and documents implemented
Time
15–20 hours saved per project through automation and standardized content
AutoCAD fully eliminated from Revit project workflows from “grasping at straws” to “leading ahead of the competition.
About AME Consulting
AME Group (AME) is a Canadian mechanical consulting engineering firm delivering complex building design projects across multiple offices. With many project teams working concurrently, consistency in standards, coordination, and model quality is critical to how AME delivers value to clients.
BIM plays a central role in that delivery.
So when AME’s internal BIM Manager left unexpectedly in mid-2024, the impact was immediate.
Projects were already in motion. Teams were relying on established habits. Standards existed, but they weren’t consistently applied across offices. Revit was being used effectively for modelling, but not yet as the structured, automated BIM platform it had the potential to be.
At the time, nearly 80 Revit users were working in this environment. Internal families were creating repeated model issues, and three team members were spending full time troubleshooting BIM problems instead of supporting design and coordination.
What could have become a disruption instead became a moment of reflection.
AME’s leadership recognized this wasn’t just a staffing gap to fill. It was an opportunity to ask a bigger question:
How do we strengthen BIM across the organization, so it works consistently for every team, on every project, in every office?
A Moment That Called for Both Stability and Strategy
AME needed immediate support to keep projects moving without risk. But they also wanted to step back and examine their entire BIM ecosystem — their people, processes, standards, tools, and workflows — to ensure BIM could scale with the firm’s growth.
They began with a BIM Optimization Assessment from SolidCAD. This provided a clear view of their current environment and, more importantly, a practical roadmap forward.
But instead of following a traditional phased implementation, AME made a different decision.
They brought SolidCAD in as part of their team.
An Extension of Leadership, Not Just Support
Through ongoing BIM Management services, SolidCAD’s Drew stepped into the role of acting BIM Manager for AME.
He wasn’t an external consultant checking in periodically. He became a consistent presence — responding to tickets, supporting project teams, mentoring BIM coordinators, and guiding day-to-day BIM practices while steadily implementing the recommendations from the assessment.
As AME’s team grew from 80 to over 110 BIM users, this structure became even more critical. The work being done wasn’t just maintaining stability — it was preparing the firm for growth.
What began as short-term assistance evolved into a long-term partnership that continued from June 2024 through early 2026.
Quiet Changes That Made a Big Difference
AME’s BIM environment didn’t change through one large rollout. It improved steadily through practical, project-driven changes introduced directly into live work.
A structured BIM ticketing system gave teams a clear path for support. BIM roles and responsibilities became defined. Model health checks, clash workflows, and QA/QC processes were documented and embedded into daily practice.
Revit templates, families, and content were standardized. Custom mechanical families and fittings were created. Dynamo standards and automations were introduced to reduce repetitive work. Standardized model groups and assemblies became building blocks for projects.
Over the course of the engagement:
- 100+ Revit families were created or standardized
- 26 Dynamo automations were implemented
- 60+ workflows, standards, and documents were developed and rolled out
None of this was theoretical. It was built into the way teams worked every day.
The Impact on Projects and Teams
As these changes took hold, AME began to feel the difference.
Where three people were once dedicated full-time to troubleshooting, AME’s BIM function is now supported by one full-time lead who focuses on proactively setting up models for success rather than reacting to issues.
Automation and standardized content are estimated to be saving teams 15–20 hours per project. Most BIM issues today are unique one-offs rather than repeat errors caused by standards or content.
Teams are now consistently using internally developed Revit families tied directly to schedules, details, and schematics.
And for Revit-based projects, AutoCAD has been fully eliminated from the workflow.
Project delivery became more predictable. Collaboration improved across offices. BIM became less of a tool teams had to manage and more of a system that supported how they worked.
A Partnership That Naturally Evolved
Throughout the engagement, AME’s feedback was consistently positive. The service was extended multiple times as the relationship deepened.
But by late 2025, the conversation changed.
AME no longer needed someone to lead their BIM practice. They were ready to lead it themselves.
Support tapered from two days per week in January 2026 to one day per week in February, as the engagement concluded.
This wasn’t the end of a service. It was the achievement of the goal.
A Stronger, Self-Sufficient BIM Practice
What began in June 2024 as a team “grasping at straws” evolved into a BIM practice AME now describes as leading ahead of their competition.
Today, AME has:
- Clear BIM standards and workflows
- Optimized Revit environments
- Embedded automation into daily work
- Structured QA/QC and model health practices
- Internal confidence to manage and evolve BIM independently
SolidCAD’s role was never to replace AME’s team.
It was to strengthen it, until they no longer needed the support.
And that is exactly where AME is today.
Testimonial
"What started as a need for short-term BIM support became an opportunity for us to step back and strengthen how we approach BIM across AME.
“Over time, our teams became more consistent, our standards clearer, and our use of automation more effective. Today, we feel confident in our ability to manage and evolve our BIM workflows internally — and that’s been a meaningful outcome for our organization made possible with the support of Drew and the SolidCAD team.”
— Louise McKenzie, Principal of Operations, AME Group
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