Exploring the perspectives of project managers towards BIM application in the building industry

Abstract

BIM implementation is one of many developments in the building industry that is hindered by a resistance to change. Studies have shown that project managers are among the key players in BIM implementation. Especially when there is no clear vision on BIM, implementation is highly dependent on the project manager of a specific project. This research was initiated by a practical problem in the Dutch building industry. It has been observed that a group of project managers is still present who are reluctant to apply BIM to their projects. Furthermore, a research gap was found on how BIM is perceived by project managers. This research explores the perspectives of project managers towards BIM implementation in the building industry. This research aims to visualize the perspectives of project managers and develop a strategy to deal with contemporary barriers that project managers perceive towards BIM application. Through Q-methodology, three perspectives of project managers are found. Perspective one [N=17 participants], also called (BIM) supporters, consists of a group of enthusiastic BIM drivers who only experience the benefits of BIM and perceive no barriers to implement BIM. Perspective two [N=4 participants], also known as the moderately hesitant group of project managers, experience resistance to implement BIM because of multiple barriers. Not only do they lack knowledge about the possibilities, rules and standards of BIM, they also experience a lack of comfort to manage a project in which BIM plays a role. Perspective three [N=3 participants] is a critical group of project managers who are unsure whether BIM's benefits outweigh the investment costs. Furthermore, this group has doubts about whether the client is ready to apply BIM for facility management, in which, according to these project managers, the most benefits of BIM can be achieved. A strategy is developed to deal with the barriers found in this research. The strategy is based on well-known change and transition management theories such as Kotter’s eight-step model to lead change and Bridges’ transition model. To outline the structure of the proposed strategy, it is recommended to (1) identify the perspectives of project managers within the organization through a “BIM Insights” session, (2) implement a customized approach to deal with barriers of the perspectives, and (3) monitor the implementation of BIM through recurring “BIM Sharing” sessions. The customized approach aims to deal with the barriers perceived by the project managers from different perspectives in a tailored manner, in which the focus shifts between guidance and/or education. This research contributes to the research gap on the perspectives of project managers towards BIM application and presents a strategy that can be applied to stimulate project managers to apply BIM and reduce resistance to change.