The business value of BIM for asset owners: a cross-case analysis

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate and identify the activity systems that drive building information modelling (BIM) business value in asset management (AM). The utilisation of BIM has widened in scope, functionality, flexibility and interoperability to support the AM business process. However, research concerning BIM business value in AM has been inadequate despite its considerable potential and significance in the attainment of organisational objectives. The realisation of BIM business value requires a concerted effort by the asset owner to be able to determine and appraise the critical activities that drive business value in AM. Design/methodology/approach The study adopted a qualitative research approach based on a multi-case study strategy that aimed to identify the key business processes that drive BIM business value in AM. The study involved a three-stage research design using interviews and document analysis to facilitate a cross-case analysis from the perspective of the activity systems and dimensions of BIM governance. Findings The paper identified six critical activity systems that drive BIM business value for an asset owner: BIM strategy, contract management, lifecycle management, maintenance management, work-order management and value realisation management. The study found that the most developed activity system is the BIM strategy, and the least is value realisation management across all cases. Also, the paper points out that the most proficient BIM governance dimension is process, and the least is people across the three cases. The study noted that the ability of an asset owner to realise BIM business value has maturity undertones and that the asset owner could derive BIM business value, if the six activity systems are effectively executed and continuously improved to an advanced stage of maturity. Originality/value An original contribution of the study is the development of the understanding of asset owners in relation to the discovery of key activity systems that drive BIM business value in AM. Another significant contribution of this paper is the demonstration of a novel approach to evaluate organisational maturity of asset owners from the perspectives of the activity systems and BIM governance dimensions of people, process and technology.

Digitisation of Existing Water Facilities: A Framework for Realising the Value of Scan-to-BIM

“…At the same time, collecting too much information may become a case of 'information for information sake', rendering a useless BIM model for the intended application [32]. Moreover, before embarking on a BIM process, asset owners and stakeholders should consider what information will be of value to them to support their long-term project and organisational requirements, along with how this information should interact with their current enterprise management systems [33][34][35]. Therefore, since BIM involves a high investment in terms of both time and money, it is critical to prioritise the key elements, systems and components for which BIM can offer the greatest benefits [36].…”

IoT-BIM-based digital transformation in facilities management: a conceptual model

“…material texture, light sources) and building exterior conditions (e.g. hardscaping, landscaping) (Kassem et al, 2015;Munir et al, 2020;Pärn et al, 2017;Volk et al, 2014;Yalcinkaya and Singh, 2019). IoT systems deliver dynamic information of the facility including real-time occupancy, occupancy of spaces, underutilised spaces and movements IoT-BIM-based digital transformation (Atkin and Bildsten, 2017;Becerik-Gerber et al, 2011;Chang et al, 2018;Halmetoja, 2019).…”

“…IoT-BIM-based systems facilitate asset tracking along with the physical location, upcoming scheduled maintenance, maintenance hours, spares and consumables used during maintenance, which leads to cost savings over a while (Chang et al , 2018; Cheng et al , 2020; Tang et al , 2019). Moreover, IoT-BIM-based systems facilitate the integration of FM information systems such as computer-aided facilities management (CAFM) systems, computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS) and integrated workplace management systems (IWMS) software (Munir et al , 2020). Real-time information of IoT-BIM systems maintains updated CAFM, CMMS and IWMS databases, which facilitate proper evaluations in asset management and maintenance scheduling (Mcarthur, 2015).…”

“…The consistency of design data, cost information and scheduling data in BIM ensure efficient and effective quality control process during the operations stage (Munir et al , 2020; Chen and Luo, 2014). Alnaggar and Pitt (2018) argue that the lack of a systematic approach to manage COBIe data throughout the building life cycle is the reason for issues and confusion of mishandling of responsibilities of stakeholders, particularly in managing asset data.…”

“…The key focus of FM is the integration of people, place, process and technology (Munir et al , 2020). IoT-BIM provides an excellent platform for this integration through occupant requirement analysis, smart facility operation, real-time operational analysis, automated system operation and real-time analytics.…”