Competencies Expected from an Information Manager Working in BIM Based Projects

Abstract

An Information Manager (IM) has an exclusive and unique role to play in a project. Yet, the competencies expected of an IM have not been adequately defined. The other professionals in the construction industry define this role in their own way ignoring the industry needs. Thus, this study aimed to define the competencies expected of an IM. To achieve this, the tasks expected of an IM were first determined through a desk study using BIM guidelines. Secondly, an informal public opinion study was carried out using online data sources. The collected data were then analysed using NVIVO software to outline the competencies required of an IM for each task. Finally, an expert interview survey was carried out to validate the outcomes of the study. The findings revealed that an IM must be a construction professional well-versed in construction technology and contract administration and that the IM must be competent in using Building Information Modelling (BIM) workflows/software. The study contributes to knowledge by identifying the gap that currently exists between industry needs and the performance of professionals working as IMs, which would be invaluable when designing a curriculum for a course on information management within a BIM environment.

A preliminary review of the opportunities and challenges in training and certification for computing in construction

“…Moreover, the growing familiarization of construction management staff with the new roles or the development of traditional ones based on the introduction of IT in construction promotes a new organizational plan that will gradually prevail over existing ones (Bosch-Sijtsema et al, 2019). This plan is further supported or formed by the implementation of proposed protocols that aim at specializing roles in the new context of construction projects delivery (Ariyachandra et al, 2020).…”

“… Projects in the AEC industry are increasingly taking place in distributed environments, often internationalized (Charef et al, 2019), where knowledge and information are shared and reproduced and collaboration among various stakeholders that work in distributed teams is imperative (Ariyachandra et al, 2020;Anderson et al, 2020).…”

“… Accreditation bodies in the field are adjusting to address the requirements of the new environment, thus bringing forward the need for training and education in computation in construction (Anderson et al, 2020), especially for new roles and disciplines that are added to the traditional ones in the construction process (Ariyachandra et al, 2020).…”

Constructive and Destructive Leadership Behaviors, Skills, Styles and Traits in BIM-Based Construction Projects

“…An efficient and successful project depends on the efficiency, behaviors, and skills of project members throughout the life cycle of the project, and BIM-based construction projects are not excluded [4,8]. BIM professionals must adapt and possess competencies such as technological and soft skills [9][10][11]. According to the authors in ref.…”