Customer story: ABB
What manufacturers can learn from ABB's BIM strategy
ABB won Most Downloaded Brand in the Electronics & Electrical categories at the BIMobject Awards 2026. This case study shows how ABB got there: 5 lessons from more than a decade of BIM, and ABB's practical advice for manufacturers starting or growing their own BIM strategy.
Free PDF. 11 pages. 10-minute read. No sign-up needed.
INSIDE THE CASE STUDY
5 BIM strategy lessons from ABB
The case study is based on an interview with Emanuele Tosatti, BIM Program Manager at ABB Electrification. It shows how ABB went from publishing BIM objects to building a channel that architects and engineers use every day. Here's what you'll learn:
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01
Treat BIM as a business opportunity, not a technical requirement
ABB asked a bigger question from the start, and its BIM library became "a new digital storefront" where designers find and specify its products.
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02
Build trust through quality content
Designers put your objects into real project documents, so accuracy matters. ABB publishes, tracks how objects are used, collects feedback and improves the content, again and again.
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03
Turn BIM platforms into engagement channels
For ABB, BIMobject is a way to stay visible during design, tell architects and engineers about new products, and stay in touch with the people who choose them.
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04
Build a collaborative ecosystem, not a standalone library
No company creates a building alone. ABB sees BIM as a shared source of information for designers, contractors, facility managers and building owners.
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05
Think beyond product specification
ABB is adding scheduling data (4D BIM) and cost data (5D BIM) to its content. The next step is digital twins: BIM objects linked to live building data.
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Read all 5 lessons, plus ABB's advice for getting started
Download the free case study
"For us, BIMobject is far more than a repository for BIM content distribution. Above all, it is an important channel for engaging with the millions of platform subscribers who work daily on the design of buildings and infrastructure.”
ABOUT ABB
How ABB became the most downloaded brand in its category
ABB is a global technology leader in electrification and automation, working in more than 100 countries. On BIMobject, ABB didn't stop at publishing files. Over more than a decade, it built a BIM library that designers trust and download year after year.
Browse the objects in ABB's BIM library on BIMobject.
ABB on BIMobject at a glance
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600+
BIM products published
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235K+
downloads per year
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5K+
monthly users
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Winner 2026
Most Downloaded Brand, Electronics & Electrical, BIMobject Awards
GET THE CASE STUDY
Stop guessing your BIM strategy. Learn from the best.
The case study ends with ABB's advice for manufacturers starting or growing a BIM program:
- Listen first. Talk to designers and check your data before you build content.
- Start small. Begin with one product category or market, then scale.
- Set clear rules. Use central governance in line with ISO 19650 for naming, data and versions.
- Train your team. Build the skills to answer designers' technical questions.
- Think long term. BIM pays off over years, not months.
Share it with your marketing, sales and technical teams so everyone works from the same plan.
FREE 20-MINUTE STRATEGY SESSION
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BIMobject helps manufacturers create, manage and promote digital product information that reaches architects, engineers and construction professionals worldwide.
Book a free 20-minute session with our BIM experts. You'll leave with clear next steps for your own BIM roadmap.
FAQ: ABB's BIM strategy
ABB's case study shares 5 lessons: treat BIM as a business opportunity, build trust through quality content, turn BIM platforms into engagement channels, build a collaborative ecosystem, and think beyond product specification.
ABB has published more than 600 BIM products on BIMobject, with over 235,000 downloads a year and more than 5,000 monthly users. It won Most Downloaded Brand in the Electronics & Electrical categories at the BIMobject Awards 2026.
ABB follows a cycle: publish accurate BIM objects, track how designers use them, gather their feedback, then refine the content. This keeps the objects useful in real projects.
Listen to designers first, start with one product category, set up central governance in line with ISO 19650, train your team, and commit for the long term.
ABB is adding scheduling data (4D BIM) and cost data (5D BIM) to its BIM content, and is working towards digital twins that connect BIM objects to live building data.
BIM, short for Building Information Modelling, lets manufacturers give architects, engineers and contractors digital versions of their products to use directly in building design software.
BIMobject helps manufacturers create, manage and promote BIM content, and puts their products in front of architects, engineers and contractors on a platform with millions of registered users.