BIM, is it prototyping or documentation?

There seems to be a fundamental challenge in the conflicting goals of the development of virtual prototypes (which are developed for design and decision making), and final virtual models which are developed for documentation of design decisions. The challenge is to identify the appropriate time to move from prototypes to digital model. Any potential information reuse between the prototyping process and the digital model can be valuable, particularly if it makes the prototyping process more efficient.

Prototyping the Digital Model

One important item when planning a model is to perform a virtual prototype of the digital model. This will assist with the definition of the appropriate information / elements to include and the appropriate level of detail for these elements. It can also assist with the identification of any interoperability issues if multiple applications or participants are involved in the modeling process.