BMW Spartanburg

The Spartanburg plant is the largest BMW Group plant in the world, producing more than 1,500 vehicles each day and making up one of the most important parts of the BMW global production network.

In 2022, the Spartanburg plant began an expansion programme which will see the modification of the existing paint shop to accommodate the production of a new series of sport vehicles, a new press shop to facilitate on site metal stamping (expected to be completed in 2024), and a $1.7 billion investment into a facility for the building of electric vehicles and batteries.

Following on from their Hungary plant upgrade for which BIM Academy played a key role, BMW Group mandated the use of Building Information Modelling (BIM) for the entire project. Once again, BIM Academy was tasked with ensuring that the design team and contractors adhered to high standard BIM protocols.

The BIM Academy team became a part of the BMW project team, collaborating on innovative ways of working, ensuring BMW’s standards of delivery, and analysing the design to optimise cost and schedule for construction. These digital models gave the project team the ability to assess and reduce risk, as well as focusing on granular optimisation of every aspect of the upgrades.

BIM Academy led on the implementation of a digital and BIM strategy, from the establishment of the contract to the handover workflow. As a result, once complete, the plant will be handed over to BMW Group’s facilities management team with a wealth of well organised data that will enable consistent and optimised management and allow for any future changes and upgrades to be carried out with ease.

The complete facility upgrade will see the addition of a total of nearly 2 million sq. ft, creating tens of thousands of jobs in the area and increasing both the rate and quality of vehicle production. BIM Academy’s work on this project will ensure the efficient running and management of each area of the facility – from its optimised design to its detailed data handover.