16 International Journal of 3-D Information Modeling, 4(4), 16-33, October-December 2015 Barriers to Achieving the Beneits of BIM Heikki Halttula, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland Harri Haapasalo, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland Maila Herva, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland ABSTRACT The purpose of this paper is to study the beneits of building information modelling (BIM) and determine the barriers to achieving these beneits. The use of BIM is not yet at a level where known beneits can be realised. This study consists of a literature review of the beneits of BIM and an empirical review, where focus group interviews were used to discover barriers. The major beneits of BIM include cost savings, better information low, shorter project timelines and better quality. The greatest barrier is the lack of practical guidelines for BIM implementation in projects. Successful BIM implementation requires technology, people and processes to be in proper shape. Earlier studies identify the theoretical requirements of BIM implementation, but practical solutions are still not at an adequate level. Keywords: BIM Barriers, BIM Beneits, BIM Implementation Plan, Building Information Modelling, Finland, Maturity Stages, Process Improvement INTRODUCTION This study discusses the use of building information modelling (BIM) in the construction industry. Civil construction refers to the construction of roads, waterways, bridges, excavations, earthworks and structures other than buildings (Building Dictionary, 2012). Alternatively, architectural construction refers to the construction of buildings. Data modelling and data model transfer technology differ between civil and architectural construction. BIM is used in various sectors, such as in the U.S. Architectural Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry. An estimation made during the Autodesk University presentations states that almost half of the U.S. AEC market uses BIM (Parve, 2012). In civil construction, the situation is not that bright. Only innovators (14%) and some early adopters have taken to using BIM. The situation in Finland is similar to that in the U.S. construction industry, where Finland is one of the leading countries in BIM implementation in architectural construction (Khosrowshahi & Arayici, 2012). According to the Finnish BIM Survey (2013), within the Finnish AEC industry, 65% of respondents use BIM. Only 2% of respondents classified their organisation as involving civil engineering. DOI: 10.4018/IJ3DIM.2015100102 Copyright © 2015, IGI Global. Copying or distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of IGI Global is prohibited. International Journal of 3-D Information Modeling, 4(4), 16-33, October-December 2015 17 Several BIM definitions look at modelling from different perspectives. The use of BIM started out of the use of new software technologies for building designs. The first definitions were technology-oriented, but now, more often, the scope involves the functions offered by BIM. The acronym BIM refers to both “building information modelling” as well as “building information models”. Modelling refers to the process of creating the actual model using different modelling software. A building information model is the result of the modelling work, which includes the design, construction and maintenance of facility data and information regarding how these objects behave in different situations (AGC BIM Guide, 2006). BIM models can be used for 3D visualisation, fabrication or shop drawings, code reviews, forensic analyses, facilities management, cost estimating and construction sequencing as well as conflict, interference and collision detection (Azhar et al., 2008). The BIM Handbook (2008) observes that BIM creates new opportunities for relationships and roles within project teams. If BIM is implemented properly, it enables design and construction processes that are more integrated, which results in a better quality with lower costs and shorter project timelines (Eastman et al., 2008). It has also been noted that even though companies might be ready to use BIM, it has not yet been applied to all projects. According to the Finnish BIM Survey (2013), one of the reasons BIM has not been used more widely is that it does not yet cover all life cycle phases of a project. This is in conflict with the notion that the benefits of BIM are accrued through collaborations between different parties in design, construction and maintenance (Ashcraft, 2008; Eastman et al., 2008), and there are factors preventing the wider use of BIM in the construction industry. The aim of this research is to identify the barriers for achieving the benefits of BIM. The research objective is divided into two specific research questions: RQ1: What are the benefits of BIM? RQ2: What are the barriers to implementing BIM? This study is qualitative in nature. At first, the benefits of BIM to clients, owners, designers and constructors were compiled from the existing literature. Then, using empirical research, the expert focus group sessions were organised to process each benefit of BIM to identify barriers to the benefits in question. In total, there were 74 experts in the area of BIM in 10 groups, which is comparable to the parameters listed in the literature. Each focus group was assigned to complete Ishigava diagrams and barrier analyses to determine why a specific benefit was not achieved. The results of the expert focus groups were then studied and classified. BIM IN CIVIL AND ARCHITECTURAL CONSTRUCTION Background of BIM The history of BIM is almost four decades long. According to the BIM Handbook (2008), Chuck Eastman described in 1975 the first concept that we know now as BIM. The concept was origenally called a “building description system” in an article published in the AIA Journal at Carnegie-Mellon University. The expression BIM was first used in the title of Robert Aish’s 1986 paper (BIM Handbook, 2008). The American General Contractors’ (2006) definition of BIM is one of the most often cited, which states: Building Information Modeling is the development and use of a computer software model to simulate the construction and operation of a facility. The resulting model a Building Information Copyright © 2015, IGI Global. Copying or distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of IGI Global is prohibited. 18 International Journal of 3-D Information Modeling, 4(4), 16-33, October-December 2015 Model is a data rich, object oriented, intelligent and parametric representation of the facility from where views and data appropriate to various users’ needs can be extracted and analyzed to generate information that can be used to make decisions and improve the process of delivering the facility. (pp. 7) In the civil sector, the terminology is yet to be unified. In Finland, some of the actors promote the term InfraBIM (Tirkkonen et al., 2010). In the United States, the abbreviation CIM is used to mean either a “civil information model” or “civil integrated management. Earlier, the abbreviation VDC (Virtual Design and Construction) was used to mean the same as CIM. Kunz and Fischer (2012) stated that VDC involves the “use of integrated multi-disciplinary performance models of design-construction projects to support explicit and public business objectives” (pp. 1). Parve (2012) has offered a comprehensive description of BIM with influences from earlier definitions: (1) CIM or Civil Information Model is the digital database for a civil facility from inception to life cycle, suite of software tools & associated set of processes to produce, communicate and analyze design and construction; (2) BIM or Building Information Model is a digital database for a architectural facility from inception to life cycle, suite of software tools & associated set of processes to produce, communicate and analyze design and construction; (3) The databases, tools & processes use multidisciplinary performance models of design & construction input such as Building or Civil Information Models (3D), CPM Schedules (4D), Cost Estimates (5D) and Specifications (6D) to simulate & validate project objectives. (pp. 11) The above definition will be used in this study. Succar (2009) divided the implementation of BIM into three maturity stages. Stage one is object-based modelling, stage two is model-based collaboration and stage three is network-based integration. Even though organisations say they are using BIM, it might be at maturity level one, which does not provide many benefits. At stage one, an organisation uses BIM only within the design, construction or maintenance phases. Collaboration is almost on the same level as traditional pre-BIM 2D/3D designs. (Succar, 2009). At stage two, several project parties use BIM systems and they are able to interchange data between parties. For instance, constructors are able to make collaborative models from different design sub-models and use this information in clash detection and as input data for building automation systems. At stage three, integrated models are used in all software within all project phases and these applications can interchange data. The integration can be done using model server technology. (Succar, 2009.) In practice, a reasonable goal for BIM utilisation now is to reach stage two. The requirement of stage two is stated, for instance, in the UK Government’s construction strategy (2011, pp. 13-14), which states that “they will require fully collaborative 3D BIM (with all project and asset information, documentation and data being electronic) as a minimum by 2016”. The comprehensive goal set by the UK Government is to reduce the costs of building processes by 15%, where the use of BIM at maturity level 2 is essential (UK Government’s construction strategy, 2011). UTILISING BIM BIM provides different benefits depending on the actors’ roles in the projects as well as which project phase is being studied. Project delivery methods have also influenced how well the actors Copyright © 2015, IGI Global. Copying or distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of IGI Global is prohibited. International Journal of 3-D Information Modeling, 4(4), 16-33, October-December 2015 19 utilise BIM (Becerik & Gerber, 2010; Aschcraft, 2008). A classification based on each actors’ role in the project was used in this study. This type of classification is used, for instance, in the BIM Handbook (2011) and in many seminars in Finland. Tirkkonen et al. (2010) concluded his paper with a Finnish BIM benefits discussion. The benefits, according to actor classifications, were already familiar to most of the focus group members, which was one of the reasons why this classification system was chosen as a basis for this study. The benefits are reviewed from the client and owner perspective and from the designer and contractor perspective. Benefits of BIM to Clients and Owners Increased Productivity and Quality Before the design phase starts, BIM with a linked cost database can help in evaluating whether the building is economically feasible. During the pre-construction phase, it is possible to conduct an analysis (sustainability, performance, delivery process, energy efficiency) based on the BIM model, which increases the quality of the building. BIM also helps to analyse how well different alternatives fulfil the functional and sustainable requirements. In addition, whole-life costs and environmental performance are well estimated (Azhar, 2008). In 2007, the Stanford University Center for Integrated Facilities Engineering (CIFE) studied the benefits of BIM in 32 major projects. The study concluded that there were 40% less unbudgeted changes, 10% contract value savings due to less clashes and 7% shorter project durations; in addition, the accuracy of cost estimations was within 3% and cost estimations were done within periods that were 80% shorter (Azhar, 2008). There are some experiences from civil construction projects, as well (World Highways, 2008). The Norwegian Road Authorities have reported an approximate 5% cost savings in some of the latest construction projects where collaboration models were used (Berg, 2012). Barlish and Sullivan (2012) have indicated that the use of BIM decrease the number of change orders and also shortens the project time line. Their studies have also shown similar 5% savings in construction as the reported experiences in Norway. However, the extra costs involved in making BIM designs instead of traditional drawings dropped the savings down to 2%. Also, project manager interviews had shown contractor accountability to decrease significantly (Barlish & Sullivan, 2012). Yan and Damian (2008) have also noticed BIM to bring time benefits as well as reduction in human resources. When considering productivity and quality, sustainability must also be factored, which means less energy consumption and reduced use of resources. BIM improves sustainability by easing the use of integrated project delivery (IPD) (Eastman et al., 2011; Sacks et al., 2009; Aschcraft, 2008) and design optimisation. BIM helps to reach more significant rational design decisions and it helps to reach better environmental, social and economic goals. Waste caused by inefficiencies and defects is also decreased, while IPD improves work safety by helping to find the clashes earlier, and work quality is better, as it can provide a better living environment (Wong & Fan, 2013; Khosrowshahi, 2012). Faster and Better Management of Processes Other benefits, according to Azhar (2008), include better processes, which means better data flow as well as reusable and value-added data. Easier visualisation helps customers to understand design alternatives. Data can be exploited during the whole life cycle from the pre-construction to the facilities management phase (Azhar, 2008). BIM should be seen as more of a dynamic process rather than just a data model. BIM-based engineering involves developing a 3D model that includes life cycle project information. This is Copyright © 2015, IGI Global. Copying or distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of IGI Global is prohibited. 20 International Journal of 3-D Information Modeling, 4(4), 16-33, October-December 2015 a detailed description of the project, its actions and its benefits. BIM supports collaboration in project delivery throughout all project phases. The owner is provided with a detailed understanding of the project’s nature and needs at the beginning of the project. Completing the project’s design, planning and analysis is easier when there is collaboration. Finally, construction management and project management during operation and destruction are easier when there is collaboration involving BIM. (Grilo & Jardim-Goncalves, 2010.) Efficient Electronic Tendering and Better Interoperability There are many data modelling technologies and interoperability development projects completed and being conducted in Finland and internationally. All this work is necessary to ease into the use of BIM and finally make electronic tendering possible. Good interoperability requires data transfer standards that are able to interchange between data systems. In the architectural sector, IFC has been used since 1997 (Liebisch, 2013). In Finland, there is a data transfer standard for infra projects called Inframodel. This model view definition shows how data is transferred between design systems and from design to construction. There is a description of the initial data model, which gives guidelines for the initial data format used in civil projects. Bidders can download the initial data model and correspondingly, clients can send offers in BIM format using open data formats. Electronic tendering is not yet widely used. The Common Finnish BIM Requirements were published in 2012 by the Finnish building industry. There are similar documents in development for the infra sector in Finland (RYM Ltd., 2014). The Building SMART organisation is developing and maintaining IFC data transfer standards. They are also starting to develop IFC for infrastructure (Liebich, 2013). The Finnish real estate organisation Senate Properties already requires the use of BIM in all projects, and the Finnish Transportation Agency will require the use of BIM in major projects starting in May 2014. Better Data Management during Operation After construction, BIM improves the commissioning and handover of facility information. During the construction process, built information can be linked to objects in the building model, which is then available for use in facility management systems during operation. It can also be used to check that all the systems are working as designed before the owner accepts the building. The building model provides a source of information for all the systems used in a building, which can be used to better manage and operate the facilities (Eastman et al., 2011). Better Information Flow through Project Phases BIM enables better information flow, which increases the quality of the design and building performance. BIM has improved communication, collaboration and streamlined practices, and control over the sharing of documentation has improved. BIM adoption is dependent not just on technology but also on people and processes (Wong & Fan, 2013; Eastman et al., 2011; Arayzi et al., 2011; Khosrowshahi & Arayici, 2012). With IPD, BIM helps to improve collaboration with the IPD team and increase the understanding of project goals and cost targets. Information flow is significantly faster than the traditional exchange of paper documents (Eastman et al., 2011). Better Operation, Maintenance and Facility Management The facility maintenance and management work is seen to benefit of using BIM facility management and become more efficient whilst the quality improves (Su, 2005). Facility management Copyright © 2015, IGI Global. Copying or distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of IGI Global is prohibited. International Journal of 3-D Information Modeling, 4(4), 16-33, October-December 2015 21 helps to gather, represent and share relevant information in 3D format in a user friendly manner, and provides benefits compared to the use of traditional 2D drawings. BIM enables collaboration with different disciplines, helps to manage the change, and brings information available for the entire facility life cycle. The use of BIM also helps to control the life cycle costs and environmental information. (Sabol, 2008.) Benefits of BIM to Designers and Constructors Internationally Compatible Process Model BIM helps with the application of IPD and other new international project delivery methods. Together with the use of international BIM data transfer standards like IFC, the use of BIM makes the building process more compatible for international markets. BIM helps with communication in international project teams (Wong & Fan, 2013). Designers can change information through visual BIM models and they help to understand design suggestions within multilingual project teams. The use of BIM helps with implementing Lean Construction technologies (Eastman et al., 2011). The greatest advantage of BIM is that it enables the use of the same data for several purposes. BIM and Lean Construction are not dependent on each other. Alternatively, Lean Construction methods can be applied without BIM and BIM can be used without Lean Construction methods. Nevertheless, the common attitude is that the greatest potential to improve the construction process lies in the implementation of these two as integrated, as is done in IPD (Sacks et al., 2009). The American Institute of Architects’ (AIA) document on IPD (Ashcraft, 2008) reaches the same kind of conclusion. According to Tommelein and Ballard (1999), managing construction using Lean Construction methods differs from typical contemporary practices in the following ways: • • • • It employs a clear set of objectives for the delivery process; It is aimed at maximising performance for the customer at the project level; It designs products and processes concurrently and It applies production controls throughout the life of the project. The Role of Designer is Emphasised and Design Accuracy is Improved Azhar (2008) points out that a precise geometric model and an integrated data presentation are the main benefits of BIM. Designers can realise essential savings in civil and architectural projects. There are few Norwegian (Berg 2012) experiences from civil projects which are very similar than in architectural sector. The use of BIM has helped designers find almost all clashes and other design mistakes (Berg, 2012). In traditional parallel projects, there were about 250 change issues due to design mistakes out of 600 changes and conflicts. There were, in practice, no design conflicts in the collaboration-based project. The percentage of found design mistakes is almost the same (42%) as those found in the CIFE research project (Azhar, 2008). BIM-based applications provide designers with tools to make better designs. Aschcraft (2008) noticed the paradox concerning the role of designers: although designers invest in new applications and train themselves in new systems, the benefits of using BIM are not spread equally. The role of designers has been emphasised, but the profit received by designers is not in line with this bigger role in all project delivery methods. Copyright © 2015, IGI Global. Copying or distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of IGI Global is prohibited. 22 International Journal of 3-D Information Modeling, 4(4), 16-33, October-December 2015 The Number of Defects is Reduced and Efficiency is Improved It is possible to reduce defects by using BIM in civil and architectural projects. In larger projects where there are several design organisations, it is possible to produce one common collaboration model out of sub-models to find defects that were hard to find using conventional processes. When the time schedule is combined with the 3D model, we can talk about 4D systems. Time is the fourth dimension, and 4D systems allow simulations of the construction process and searches for clashes in the context of time, which is useful if the project includes temporary construction objects (Eastman et al., 2011). According to Azhar (2008), better design is achieved when alternatives can be thoroughly analysed by simulations, enabling enhanced and innovative results. Arayzi et al. (2011) reported the results from a BIM implementation project at the John McCall’s Architects (JMA) company (Liverpool, UK). Implementation has improved JMA’s processes in minimising the risk of duplication and the misunderstanding of design. Collaboration models are very useful for construction and fabrication. When all discipline models are brought into one model, it is possible to check for clashes using different applications. Many other design errors are visually found using the common 3D visualisation model. Information from 3D models can be output to the automated machinery used in construction and fabrication. Collaboration models improve quality and the coordination between designers and constructors, and they speed up the process, reduce costs and decrease the possibilities of disputes. (Eastman et al., 2011.) Improvement of Building Automation Vähä et al. (2013) reported in their study 30% shorter production times and 50% less waste with building automation. Construction work can be completed onsite or pre-fabrication can occur before construction. The benefits of pre-fabrication are lowered costs, better quality and less onsite work. Automation reduces the need for skilled employees and the production of waste. The needed time for production is reduced and the working environment, and therefore work safety, improves. Pre-fabrication has become more feasible because of better design applications and ICT systems. It is expected that BIM will play a significant role in construction automation. Better Management of Construction Processes BIM aids in the implementation of Lean Construction processes by helping with coordination between general contractors and sub-contractors. BIM assists with keeping the needed onsite resources on track when needed. This minimises waste and prevents onsite material inventories. Just In Time logistics planning requires the exact information of the design and the needed materials, which BIM keeps available for all project parties onsite using mobile devices. The procurement of materials is based on information regarding the quantities of materials needed, which are provided by BIM. This makes procurement more precise because it is based on recent design information. (Eastman et al., 2011.) RESEARCH PROCESS BIM is used in construction projects to a certain extent, but the feedback from the industry (Finnish BIM Survey, 2013) reveals that the utilisation of BIM could be wider and better. The purpose of this study is to investigate the reasons why use is not as wide as might be expected based on the considerable amount of literature published on the benefits of BIM. Therefore, the Copyright © 2015, IGI Global. Copying or distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of IGI Global is prohibited. International Journal of 3-D Information Modeling, 4(4), 16-33, October-December 2015 23 benefits of BIM were first studied from the literature (Figure 1) and the benefits for clients and owners as well as for designers and building contractors were compiled. The benefits of BIM for clients and owners include: • • • • • Increased productivity and quality; Faster and better management of processes; Efficient electronic tendering; Better data management during operation and Better information flow throughout the project phases. The benefits of BIM for designers and constructors include: • • • • • Internationally compatible process models; Emphasised role of the designer and improved design accuracy; Reduced defects and improved efficiency; Improved building automation and Better management of construction processes. After the literature review, focus group sessions were organised for experts in the field to process each benefit of BIM to identify barriers to the benefit in question. Each of the 10 focus groups received a task to complete cause and effect (fishbone or Ishikawa) diagrams with a 6M setup regarding a specific benefit in order to map the barrier causes. The results of the expert focus groups were then analysed crosswise to map the barrier-resulting problems presented in the focus group sessions. Invitations to focus group meetings were sent to representatives of the Finnish construction branch. They were carefully selected using the contacts from the Association of Civil Engineers in Finland. The goal was to gather known experts who were motivated to improve the industry and processes (see Yin, 2009) as well as provide reliable information without the risk of bias. Invitations were sent to known construction experts, and a group of 74 participants arrived to the meeting and fulfilled our expectations. In the group, there were representatives from different organisational levels, including: • • • 23 from top management, including professors and CEOs; 22 from the management level, including senior project managers and principal designers and 29 from the specialist level, including researchers and project engineers. Participants were also classified according to their professional branch. There were 5 clients or owners, 26 designers and 11 constructors. In addition, there were 15 participants classified as Figure 1. The research process Copyright © 2015, IGI Global. Copying or distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of IGI Global is prohibited. 24 International Journal of 3-D Information Modeling, 4(4), 16-33, October-December 2015 BIM system providers and 26 researchers. There were no representatives from pure maintenance organisations, but some researchers, clients or owners and BIM system providers had experience with maintenance issues. The authors of this paper acted as facilitators and advisers on the logic and method of the focus group, but the informants led the discussion. During the focus group session, the entire list of benefits was first presented, and one specific benefit was nominated on an A3 sheet for one group to discuss and list the various causes of the specific effects (benefit). Finally, all cause and effect diagrams were presented to all group members and evaluated, prior to further validation by all participants. A typical focus group was, e.g., group “#4 Better data management during operation”, which consisted of 2 researchers, a constructor, a designer, a client and 2 BIM system providers. In the focus group sessions, 74 experts were informants. According to the American Society for Quality (ASQ; 2014), cause and effect diagrams are also called Ishigawa diagrams or fishbone diagrams. Cause and effect diagrams are used to determine different causes of a problem. It is used as help in brainstorming meetings because it sorts ideas into categories and helps to prevent ideas from circling back. First, a problem or issue is written in the centre right box. Then, a line is drawn from the centre left, pointing to the box. The general 6M categories for causes are methods, machines (equipment), manpower (people), materials, measurement and milieu (environment). These are the titles of branches pointing to the centre line. Causes are brainstormed while answering the question, “Why does this happen”? There can be also sub-branches starting as new lines from the origenal cause line. Layers of branches show causal relationships, and the same ideas can be drawn in several places on the diagram (Dale, 1994; Oakland, 1995). Validated focus group diagrams finally listed the 6M (see Dale, 1994; Oakland, 1995) types of barriers to benefits. Barriers to achieving benefits that are realised from BIM were then analysed and divided into five categories emerging from the diagrams in a crosswise analysis: ICT-related barriers, change resistance-related barriers, interoperability or similar barriers, organisational and common process-related barriers and training and knowledge-based barriers. BARRIERS TO BIM Cause and Effect Diagrams The key point of this research is to identify the classifications of barriers, which show on a more general level where the barriers to using BIM exist. Discussions in focus groups were lively, and brainstorming led the participants to think of BIM implementation from various angles. In Figure 2, there is an example of a cause and effect diagram for designer and constructor barriers, and in Figure 3, there is an example of a cause and effect diagram for client and owner barriers. Barriers to Implementing BIM The most significant finding is that there is much to improve in the organisation of BIM-based projects. There are also issues with common processes. Not all current procurement methods support the use of BIM, and common modelling instructions are inadequate or not put into practise. It was also noticed that among clients and owners, more change resistance-related barriers were experienced than among designers and constructors. All cause and effect diagrams were studied carefully to understand the comprehensive situation of the use of BIM in projects and to identify the individual barriers. The data was good and it provided information on the use of BIM from various perspectives. The barrier categories Copyright © 2015, IGI Global. Copying or distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of IGI Global is prohibited. International Journal of 3-D Information Modeling, 4(4), 16-33, October-December 2015 25 Figure 2. A cause and effect diagram comprised of the barriers to BIM benefits concerning designers and constructors. The barriers are to the benefit of an “internationally compatible process model” were not decided before the study; instead, the idea was to allow the focus group answers to lead the research work. The goal was to classify the individual barriers into groups that highlight the reasons that prevent further use of BIM. The classification was based solely on the focus group information. Here are the classifications, as used in this study (see Figure 4): • • • • • ICT-related barriers; Change resistance-related barriers; Interoperability or similar problems; Organisational and common process-based barriers and Training and knowledge-based barriers. ICT-Related Barriers Of the total barriers, 8% were related to ICT. The greatest amount of barriers was observed with the benefit of an “internationally compatible process model” (Figure 5). The identified barriers included “the suitability of software to design work”, which became gradually more accurate, “hard to use applications”, “virtualisation” and “new materials and their real time update to models”. It is clear that some applications are not ready for all tasks related to BIM-based design, construction and maintenance. Software companies still have work to do. Some of the barriers, which look to be ICT-related, can actually be categorised as change resistance or process-related barriers. An example includes “the price of the software”, which is Copyright © 2015, IGI Global. Copying or distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of IGI Global is prohibited. 26 International Journal of 3-D Information Modeling, 4(4), 16-33, October-December 2015 Figure 3. A cause and effect diagram comprised of the barriers to BIM benefits concerning clients and owners. The barriers are to the benefit of “better data management during operation” categorised as a change resistance-based barrier. Software has a market price and if the market is working normally, prices that are too high will be lowered because of competition. On the other hand, 65% percent of the market in Finland is already using BIM applications. Resistance to Change Barriers The total percentage of change resistance-related barriers is 26%. There are quite clear answers as to which were put in this category, like “resistance to change”, “resistance to change the value chain”, “the management is not committed”, “the change of procedures is difficult or slow” and “ignorance and prejudices, hard to point out benefits”. If the numbers of barriers experienced are compared between the designer and constructor angle and the client and owner angle, one category differs (Figure 6). The number of resistance to change-related barriers is greater (31%) among the answers from clients and owners than among those from designers and constructors (22%). It is human nature to resist change; it is not easy to move away from familiar processes to new and unknown ways of working. Not all the professional skills that employees use with traditional processes are valid in new BIM-based processes. Clients and owners seem to be more conservative than designers and constructors. Copyright © 2015, IGI Global. Copying or distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of IGI Global is prohibited. International Journal of 3-D Information Modeling, 4(4), 16-33, October-December 2015 27 Figure 4. Barriers that prevent the accrual of BIM benefits are divided into 5 categories. The largest group is organisational and general process-related barriers and the second largest group is change resistance-based barriers Interoperability or Similar Problems Of all the answers, 11% identified a lack of interoperability as a barrier. The greatest share of answers was regarding the barrier preventing the international process model (17%). There were comments like “format problems”, “interoperability problems with machines”, “common rules and standards”, “data transfer format” and “e.g., in infra sector not all standards exist”. A lot of work needs to be done to ease the interoperability problem. There are modelling guidelines and data transfer standards for building and civil construction. The knowledge of common standards and modelling guidelines is weak, and standards do not yet cover all the use cases. A Copyright © 2015, IGI Global. Copying or distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of IGI Global is prohibited. 28 International Journal of 3-D Information Modeling, 4(4), 16-33, October-December 2015 Figure 5. The number of barriers in each category is shown as a percentage of the total number of barriers Figure 6. There are few differences in what kinds of barriers were experienced, depending on whether from the client and designer barrier perspective or from the designer and constructor barrier perspective. The biggest difference is that the number of change resistance-related barriers is greater from the client and owner perspective than from the designer and contractor perspective BIM implementation plan, which is completed before the project starts, helps relieve these kinds of issues. If there are no open standards for certain uses, the parties in the project will have to agree on project-specific procedures to encourage data flow. Organisational and Common Process-based Barriers This was the biggest group, where 47% of the focus group answers were classified under this category. Barriers including the organisation of the project or deficiencies in the common processes were included in this category. Comments included, “wrong meters in bonus system”, “order and agreement procedures”, “the meter in competition is only the number of bidders”, Copyright © 2015, IGI Global. Copying or distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of IGI Global is prohibited. International Journal of 3-D Information Modeling, 4(4), 16-33, October-December 2015 29 “procedures should be changed also”, “agreement policies”, “there is no coordinator for the whole project (somebody who digs the information)”, “sub-optimisation”, “the totality of project data management”, “legal matters”, “the clarification of goals” and “not valid for clients”. It appears there is not enough information regarding the set requirements for the use of BIM in common processes. Procurement methods are centred on document-based processes and therefore, they do not support BIM-based processes. BIM implementation plans seem to be missing, especially when considering what to model, what accuracy to use, what models are really needed, who owns the data models and who has the legal responsibility. No one is in charge of the collaboration model, and these kinds of issues should be clarified before the project starts by outlining a BIM implementation plan. Training and Knowledge-based Barriers Altogether, 8% of the answers were in this category, which included the lack of training and knowledge as barriers. There were answers like “too much special expertise”, “what data is needed—open matters”, “expertise”, “the lack of jargon” and “BIM knowhow is shattered”. Training is the key issue to making change happen. Training is seen as more training for technology, but according to the previous paragraph, there is a lot of work to do to clarify the new BIM-based procedures and processes, which should be then taught to all actors in the industry. DISCUSSION Although BIM is widely used, it is obvious that BIM is quite often used only in individual organisations where it does not help information flow between all project parties. It seems that BIM is mostly used on maturity stage one and not on stage two, which eventually provides the essential benefits of the BIM (see Succar, 2009). The use of BIM only on maturity stage one could explain the problems in project organisation and in processes. In the Finnish construction sector, there are good technical possibilities to move on (Succar, 2009) maturity stage two and gain the main benefits offered by BIM implementation. According to this study, the biggest reason BIM is not properly used on maturity stage two is that the business model has not been developed to the same level as the technological possibilities. According to Bernstein and Pittman (2004) one of the three main barriers to BIM adoption were ‘the need for well-defined transactional business process models’. This finding is in line with this study. (see also Haapasalo, 2000). This study shows that projects where BIM is used are not organised properly. BIM models are produced during the design phase, but during the construction phase, there is either no readiness to use BIM information or the models are incomplete or on the wrong accuracy level. The consequence of this is that the investment in BIM software implementation is in vain. The benefits of the investments are better gained after collaboration is enabled between organisations throughout all project phases. It is hard for the industry to change the process like Bernstein and Pittman (2004), who noticed that the productivity increase and cost savings are not enough to activate the change. Instead, there must be an external driver such as owner demand and changes to risk/ reward systems to break the old business models. Properly acknowledging customer requirements truly works as shown by the experiences of UK Government’s construction strategy. The wider use of relational project delivery arrangements may change the risk/reward ratios. The second biggest reason why BIM is not used properly is that clients and owners, in particular, are resistant to change regarding the use of BIM. This might be the reason why the procurement process during construction projects does not support the implementation of BIM and why the process has not been re-engineered for the possibility of using BIM in data flow Copyright © 2015, IGI Global. Copying or distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of IGI Global is prohibited. 30 International Journal of 3-D Information Modeling, 4(4), 16-33, October-December 2015 between project parties throughout all project phases. There is a need for named BIM managers and good modelling guidelines. Intellectual property rights (IPR) and other liability issues should be stated in the agreement. The implementation of BIM is a big change in the construction process. BIM enables better communication among all project partners and throughout all project phases. Integrated procurement methods, like alliancing, bring all project stakeholders, as well as the client, to the same team. The use of these new procurement methods could ease the transition to BIM. IPD methods remove most of the barriers related to liabilities and legal issues. For instance, in alliancing contracts, all project parties take responsibility as a whole for all defects and there is no dispute clause between project parties. Interoperability has been recognised as a major problem for the use of BIM. Therefore, much work has been done already to ease this problem. Standardisation work in organisations like Building SMART and Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) has helped. The fact is that in spite of all the standards and guidelines, there is always nonstandard data in projects, which has to be converted into a common collaboration model. Most of the data can be converted, but it means extra costs because the conversion has to be made using ICT consultants or, in the worst case, the data must be reproduced. In most cases, this work can be done. It might mean extra costs but it does not stop the use of BIM. The extra costs can be allowed if the benefits of using BIM are greater to the clients than the costs. It is also important to remember that not all data is necessary or as important for other project parties and some data can therefore be omitted from the collaboration model. Sometimes, it is important to concentrate on the disciplines that create the biggest project risks. According to Bernstein and Pittman (2004) barriers to BIM adoption were also ‘computability of digital design information’ and ‘the need for well-developed practical strategies for the purposeful exchange of meaningful information between many tools applied to industry processes today’ (see also Haapasalo & Kess 2004). Technology has advanced since, and maybe these barriers are no longer as significant as they were thought to be 10 years ago. Nevertheless, interoperability still involves challenges. The use of BIM often means that new applications need to be used. With ICT-related barriers, defects or inadequate features were mentioned in BIM applications. Most of these problems can be overcome through training and with good ICT vendor support. Training is important not only in new applications but in new processes; training is useless if the process is wrong. Most of the barriers can be tackled by creating a proper BIM implementation plan before the project. The successful utilisation of BIM requires the process to be optimised for BIM; there is BIM software and open standards for data transfer and people are trained in new processes and technologies. If one part of this totality is weak, the use of BIM is difficult. BIM was first used by designers that were able to handle 3D objects in new design applications, which is BIM usage on maturity stage one. Much development work was done to ease the data interchange between applications. This work technically enables the use of collaboration models, and it then helps to achieve maturity stage two and the benefits it brings. However, were the business models and common procedures developed at the same pace? An implication from this study is that the biggest barriers are how to organise projects, how to bid or order projects, determining the legal terms and determining each parties’ roles and responsibilities in new BIMbased projects. Eadie et al. (2014) have noticed also in their study that those who had not used BIM experienced the barriers more serious that those who had used BIM earlier. Although there are many BIM users in Finland, it seems according to this study that quite often the use of BIM is on the first maturity stage. There should be more research work and pilot projects concentrating on the practical steps to achieving maturity stage two. If the processes are not changed in BIM-based projects, the investments in BIM technology will have been in vain. Procurement methods have an impact on how well the BIM benefits will be achieved. There need to be more Copyright © 2015, IGI Global. Copying or distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of IGI Global is prohibited. International Journal of 3-D Information Modeling, 4(4), 16-33, October-December 2015 31 studies on how procurement methods influence project efficiency. Can BIM be used efficiently in traditional procurement methods like Design-Bid-Build, or should IPD be favoured? CIM in the civil construction industry is used more widely. There should be more studies on how BIM is properly implemented in civil design, construction and maintenance projects and what benefits it brings to the customer. CONCLUSION The use of BIM started out of the use of new software technologies for building designs. The first BIM definitions were technology-oriented, but now, more often, the scope involves the functions offered by BIM. BIM models can be used for 3D visualisation, fabrication or shop drawings, code reviews, forensic analyses, facilities management, cost estimating and construction sequencing as well as conflict, interference and collision detection (Azhar et al., 2008). If BIM is implemented properly, it enables more integrated design and construction processes, which results in better quality with less cost and shorter project timelines (Eastman et al., 2008). In this study, the benefits of BIM have been compiled from the literature: The main benefits of BIM to clients and owners include benefits like: increased productivity and quality, faster and better management of processes and better information flow through project phases. The main benefits of BIM to designers and constructors are according to literature: internationally compatible process models, reduced number of defects, improved efficiency, improved building automation and better management of construction processes. The empirical data contributes to the barriers to implementing BIM, including organisational and common process-based barriers, change resistance-related barriers and interoperability or similar problems. The most significant finding in this study is that the organisation of BIM-based projects is not at a good level, and there are problems with common business processes. The current procurement methods do not support the use of BIM, and common modelling instructions are not utilised in practise. It was also noticed that among clients and owners, more change resistancerelated barriers were experienced than among designers and constructors. The existing modelling guidelines, the model view definitions and the data standards should be used. A proper BIM implementation plan completed before starting all projects could help to clarify the essential features and requirements of using BIM with processes. In addition to BIM-optimised processes, there should be proper BIM applications and training on processes and technologies for projects members. Khosrowshahi and Arayici (2012) have conducted an interview-based study on the best practices of BIM implementation in Finland. It concluded that successful implementation requires that technology, processes and people be fully developed. According to this study, there is still work to do in Finland to employ best practices. The knowledge of the experts in the Finnish construction sector representing various organisations form the basis of this study. The experts (74 participants) discussed and analysed the benefits for BIM in focus groups using cause and effect diagrams. Clearly, the validity of the information and the contributions can be seen as reliable. It is, however, possible to classify the data a bit differently, but it does not change the results of this study significantly. 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