I recently returned from the American Institute of Architects National Convention and Expo in San Antonio. After spending a couple days at the show, one thing seems clear — building information modeling is coming. And soon.

Of course the idea has been around for a while. The most sophisticated type of BIM would be a three-dimensional computer representation of the physical and functional characteristics of a building that contained in one accessible database virtually all the information about a facility, from warranty information about components such as chillers and roofing systems to floor plans and seating charts.

What's happening now is that theory is giving way to practice. Companies are seeing the advantages of BIM and are starting to experiment. It's true that the technology is still evolving, but even now the advantages are clear to early adopters.

Most companies begin by using BIM to manage new construction projects.  I spoke to one former contractor who said using BIM on one project shaved a month off of his construction schedule.

Facility executives who have used the software say it reduces change orders. Creating a model that all the separate stakeholders — facility executives, architects, contractors — have access to improves cooperation, which often leads to reduced costs. As one facility executive said, "problems that are discovered together, get solved together."

Sound too good to be true? There are complications. Managing data will be important. But cost doesn't look like it will be a barrier to adoption. Several people I spoke to said the software more than paid for itself by discovering design flaws before the mistakes were made in the field.

Moving beyond construction and using BIM for facility management has the potential to improve the cost picture even more. How much easier would your job be if all the various warranty, design documents and contract information, weren't on paper, but in a central database you could view from your home or office?