Applying 4DX Methodology to BIM Project
Management
Lance Kirby – Autodesk, Inc.
BO3715
The Four Disciplines of Execution (4DX) methodology is a simple, repeatable, and
proven formula for executing on your most important BIM Projects using Revit, Navisworks and other
tools during the most turbulent of projects. By following the four disciplines: Focusing on the Wildly
Important (Process, process, process), Acting on Lead Measures (It’s all in the BEP), Keeping a
Compelling Scoreboard (What we can measure, we can know), and Creating a Cadence of Accountability
(Setting your BIM teams’ momentum); leaders can produce breakthrough results, even when executing
the strategy requires a significant change in behavior from their teams.
4DX practices have been tested and refined by thousands of teams over many years. When a BIM
Project Team follows these disciplines, they will achieve outstanding results—regardless of the
deliverables required. 4DX represents a new way of thinking and working that is essential to thriving in
today’s AEC marketplace.
Learning Objectives
At the end of this class, you will be able to:
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Critically focus on process to become a highly functional BIM team.
Act on the lead measures that impact goal achievement for your BIM project.
Create compelling, motivating metrics to focus, motivate, and inspire team members.
Establish specific responsibilities for the team to foster accountability toward the BIM deliverables.
About the Speaker
Lance Kirby, Autodesk, Inc.
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Customer Success Manager
Business Consultant – AEC Team Lead
Architect with Rosser International and Perkins+Will
Projects in justice, commercial, education, sports, aviation and healthcare
Joined Revit Technologies in 2000, Autodesk in 2002. Helped develop Revit
Trained and mentored thousands of architects and engineers in the use of BIM.
Worked with firms such as AECOM, ADD Inc., Balfour Beatty, Ballinger, Cannon Design, CDM
Smith, Dar, DLR, Ellerbe Becket, exp, Friedmutter, Gensler, Gilbane, GSA, HOK, HKS, Jacobs,
Kling Stubbins, MWH, NBBJ, Perkins+Will, RTKL, Skanska, SNC-Lavalin, SOM, URS, USACE,
VA, and the Zeidler Partnership.
B. Arch from Mississippi State U. & the Technical U. of Budapest.
Applying 4DX Methodology to BIM Project Management
The Four Disciplines of Execution
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One: Focusing on the Wildly Important
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Two: Acting on Lead Measurement
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Three: Keeping a compelling Scoreboard
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Four: Creating a Cadence of Accountability
Section One - Define
Discipline One: focus on wig (wildly important goals)
Aim for less so you can do more
Discipline Two: Acting on Lead Measurement
Lag and Lead measures
Lag = tracking measurements that quantify success i.e. profitability margins, time to complete projects
Lead = input metrics needed to reach goals. I.e. services to be rendered, hours to translate inputs or
outputs
Discipline Three: Keeping a compelling Scoreboard
High performance comes from emotional engagement
Engagement comes from keeping scores, competition
Discipline Four: Create a cadence of accountability
Regular review of what the WIG is, what to do to achieve it, and what is the score.
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Applying 4DX Methodology to BIM Project Management
4DX: says easy, does hard. It’s counterintuitive and like an operating system.
Define
Discipline One
Focus on the wildly important.
80% of your team’s time is dedicated to the whirlwind, 20% to the WIG.
2-3 goals achieved with excellence. Going after more is less effective.
If every other area of our operation was static, what is the one area where change would have the
greatest impact?
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Rule One: No team focuses on more than two WIGS’ at a time,
Rule Two: The battles you choose must win the war.
Rule Three: Senior leaders can veto, but not dictate.
Rule Four: All WIG's must have a finish line in the form of X to Y by when.
Discipline Two
Act on lead measures
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Focus on the lead measures early and often.
Lead measures are predictive and influenceable.
Select activities that make the most impact.
Discipline Three
Keep a compelling scoreboard.
It’s how to know you're winning.
Is it simple? Is it visible? Does it show lead and lag measures? Can winning or losing be determined at a
glance?
A 4DX project is a winnable game where there's a relationship between lead and lag measures.
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Applying 4DX Methodology to BIM Project Management
Discipline Four
Create a cadence of accountability.
WIG Session: holding each team member accountable for advancing the lead measures based on 2
rules: time should be consistent and should be the sole focus.
Agendas should include:
1. Account: Report on commitments.
2. Review the scoreboard.
3. Plan: Clear the path and make new commitments.
Three reasons individuals disengage from work: anonymity, irrelevance, and immeasurement.
Section 2 - Construct
Stages of change
Stage 1: Getting clear-commit to a new level of performance
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Be a model of focus on the WIGs
Identify high-leverage lead measures
Create a players' scoreboard
Schedule WIG sessions at least weekly and hold to them
Stage 2: Launch-intense focus is needed at the start to ensure momentum forward
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Recognize that the launch phase requires focus and energy from the leader
Trust the process
Identify your models, potentials, and resisters
Identify easy wins
Stage 3: Adoption-as momentum picks up, enthusiasm increases
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Focus first on adherence to the process, then results
Make commitments to hold each other accountable
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Applying 4DX Methodology to BIM Project Management
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Track results weekly on a scoreboard
Makes adjustments as needed
Invest in potentials through additional training and mentoring
Answer straightforwardly resisters, clearing a path
Stage 4: Optimization-Looking for ways to continually improve
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Encourage and recognize improvement to lead measures
Recognize excellent follow through and celebrate successes
Encourage team members to clear each other’s paths
Recognize potentials becoming models
Stage 5: Habits
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Celebrate the accomplishments of the WIG
Formalize 4DX by moving on new WIG
Reinforce 4DX creates superior performance by acting on lead measures
Move the Middle
Models-engaged top performers
Resisters-disengaged poor performers
Potentials-ready to become top performers
Leadership clarity, launching, adopting, optimizing, habits
Installing Discipline One
1. Consider the possibilities
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Getting input - team, leaders, or alone
Top down or bottom up - both is ideal
Which one area of our team’s performance would we want to improve most?
What are our greatest strengths?
What are our weaknesses?
2. Rank by impact
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Quality goal - efficiency gained, cycle times, productivity improvements, customer satisfaction
Financial - cost savings
Strategic - advantages gained, opportunities captured, threats reduced
3. Test top ideas
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Applying 4DX Methodology to BIM Project Management
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Aligned?
Is it measurable?
Is it owned?
Is it a leader or team game?
4. Define the WIG
Begin with a verb, and then define the lag measure in terms of X to Y by When. KISS (Keep it simple,
stupid). Focus on the what, not the how.
The deliverable is the WIG and the lag indicator
Installing Discipline Two
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Lag measures tell you if you've achieved your goal
Lead measures tell you if you're likely to achieve your goal
Lead measures need to be predictable and enforceable
Small outcomes have a short burn but allowed the team wide latitude
Leverage behaviors look to change habits
Examples:
The wildly important goal could be “Reduce RFI's by 20% for all BIM projects by December 2013”.
Small outcome might look like, “Reduce design clashes by 50 each week.”
Leverage behavior could be “Confirm that 50%of all clashes are resolved at weekly coordination
meeting.”
Four steps to installing Discipline Two:
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Step One: consider the possibilities
Step Two: ranked by impact
Step Three: test top ideas
Step Four: define the lead measures
Step One: Consider the possibilities
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Identify new and better actions
leverage pockets of excellence
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Applying 4DX Methodology to BIM Project Management
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fix inconsistencies
Step Two: Rank by impact
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Remember to focus on very few measures
Step Three: Test top ideas
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Is it predictable?
Is it influenceable?
Is an ongoing process?
Is it a leader’s game or a team game?
Can it be measured?
Is it worth measuring?
Step Four: Define the lead measures
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Are we tracking team or individual performance?
Are we tracking the lead measured daily or weekly?
What is the quantitative standard?
What are the qualitative standards?
Does it start with a verb?
Is it simple?
Installing Discipline Three
Are you using the coach’s scoreboard or the player’s scoreboard
Step One: Choose a theme.
Example chart types:
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Bar
Speedometer
Andon
Trend Lines
Pie
Radar
Step Two: Design scoreboard.
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Is it simple?
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Applying 4DX Methodology to BIM Project Management
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Can the team see it easily?
Does it contain both lead and lag measures?
Can we tell at a glance if we are winning?
Step Three: Build the scoreboard.
Step Four: Keep it updated.
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Who's responsible for the scoreboard?
What is to be posted?
How often will be updated question?
It’s simple; it's visible, it’s complete.
Installing Discipline Four
WIG session:
1. Account, report on last week's commitments.
2. Review the scoreboard, learn from success and failures.
3. Plan, clear the path and make new commitments
Make high-impact commitments for the coming week: one or two, most important, I, this week, and
performance on the scoreboard
Taking ownership of commitments: specific, aligned to the moving the scoreboard, timely
Things challenging commitments; competing whirlwind responsibilities, holding wig sessions with no
specific outcomes, repeating the same commitment more than two consecutive weeks, and excepting
unfulfilled commitments (routinely change commitments amongst team members)
How should you respond broken commitments?
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Demonstrate respect
Reinforce accountability
Encourage performance
Keys to successful WIG sessions: hold wig sessions as scheduled, keep the sessions brief, set the
standards as a leader, post a scoreboard, celebrate successes, share learning, refused live the
whirlwind enter, clear the path for each other, and execute in spite of the whirlwind
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Applying 4DX Methodology to BIM Project Management
References
George, M. (2005). Lean Six Sigma Pocket Toolbox. New York. McCraw-Hill
Patterson, K. (2002). Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High. New York.
McCraw-Hill.
McChesney, C. (2012). The 4 Disciplines of Execution. New York. Free Press
Green, R. (2007). Expert CAD Management. Indianapolis. Sybex.
Collins. J. (2001). Good to Great. New York. Collins.
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