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Building Information Modelling (BIM) is transforming the construction industry by improving project efficiency, accuracy, and teamwork. However, failure to determine accurately soft costs during BIM-based construction projects can lead to financial uncertainty and management issues, making it difficult to assess the return on investment (ROI) of BIM. Identifying the factors that influence BIM-related soft costs is crucial for determining the ROI of BIM. To address this issue, this study aimed to investigate the factors affecting soft costs in BIM-based construction projects, using Malaysia as a case study. Data collection involved conducting semi-structured interviews with BIM professionals, followed by thematic analysis to analyse the collected data. The findings revealed that the factors influencing soft costs can be categorised into two main themes: organisational factors and project factors. Within the former, the subthemes included development charges, certification fees, commissioning fees, and ongoing maintenance costs. Meanwhile, project factors encompassed contingency fees, levy fees, and documentation fees. Understanding these factors is crucial for determining the ROI of BIM, which can drive more widespread BIM implementation in developing countries. The study reveals that accurately identifying the factors influencing soft costs in BIM-based construction projects is essential for effective cost management. As a result, the findings emphasise that these factors must be addressed in order to improve financial planning and project execution in the construction industry. The originality of this study lies in its focus on soft costs within BIM-based construction projects, an underexplored area of the existing literature. This nuanced understanding will help organisations and policymakers to manage costs more effectively, contributing to more efficient construction practices and supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goals 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure and 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities by promoting sustainable building practices and resilient infrastructure development.

PurposeBlockchain technology is booming in many industries. Its application in supply chain management is also gradually increasing. Supply chain management (SCM) has long been committed to reducing costs and increasing efficiency and is trying to optimise resources and reduce the sector's fragmentation. Trust has always been an important factor in managing supply chain relationships, and it also affects the efficiency of supply chain operations. To this end, this study aims to examine how trust is affected by the introduction of blockchain technology in construction supply chain management.Design/methodology/approachThis study is based on semi-structured interviews and publicly available information from experts in blockchain and construction supply chain management. Through content analysis, the data are analysed thematically to explore how various types of trust, such as system-based, cognition-based and relation-based, are affected by blockchain technology.FindingsBlockchain technology provides solutions for data tracking, contracting and transferring resources in supply chain management. These applications help enhance the various sources of trust in SCM and provide supply chain partners with protection mechanisms to avoid the risks and costs of opportunistic behaviour in collaboration, shifting trust from relational to system-based and cognition-based.Research limitations/implicationsThis study focuses only on inter-organisational rather than interpersonal trust and empirical data from experts whose knowledge and cognition could be subjective.Practical implicationsLeveraging the potential of digitalisation to manage trust requires that leaders and managers actively try to improve contractual arrangements, information sharing and being open to new innovative technologies like blockchain.Social implicationsFrom a relational view of supply chain management, the extent to which blockchain technology can develop and spread depends on the readiness of the social capital to accept decentralised governance structures.Originality/valueThis study builds upon an original data set and discusses features and applications of blockchain technology, explores the sources and dimensions of trust in supply chain management and explains the impact of blockchain technology on trust.

PurposeRapid advancements in blockchain technology transform various sectors, attracting the attention of industrialists, practitioners, policymakers and academics, and profoundly affect construction businesses through smart contracts and crypto-economics. This paper explores the blockchain innovation ecosystem in construction.Design/methodology/approachThrough a qualitative study of 23 diverse interviewees, the study explores how open or closed the blockchain innovation ecosystem in construction is and who its emerging orchestrators are.FindingsThe data showed that construction aims towards an open innovation blockchain ecosystem, although there are elements of hybridisation and closedness, each system pointing out to different orchestrators.Practical implicationsThe study has implications for governments and large companies in construction, showing that open innovation initiatives need to be encouraged by policymakers through rules, regulations and government-sponsored demonstrator projects.Social implicationsThe data showed that there is lack of readiness for business model change to support open innovation blockchain ecosystems in construction.Originality/valueThis is the first study applying the open innovation theory in the construction industry and sheds light into the phenomenon of blockchain, suggesting routes for further democratisation of the technology for policymakers and practitioners.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present a modified model for collaboration in BIM-based construction networks (BbCNs). Though BIM is increasingly adopted and implemented across the construction industry, the problems associated with the lack of collaboration among teams in BbCNs remain a major hindrance to reaping the full potential of BIM. Previous studies have been conceptual in nature. This paper, therefore, attempts to modify and validate existing conceptual models that describe collaboration in BbCNs.Design/methodology/approachTo modify the conceptual model for collaboration in BbCNs, qualitative data through semi-structured interviews with BIM experts in the industry were collected and analysed using qualitative methods including the use of NVivo software.FindingsThe proposed model includes influential factors and their sub-factors to collaboration in BbCNs, as well as considering their indicators. Findings reveal that several overlooked concepts, particularly unfavourable BIM contractual arrangements, act as the root causes of the unwillingness of team members in BbCNs to engage in collaborative efforts.Research limitations/implicationsThe study's findings must be viewed in light of several limitations. First, the interviewees in this study were based in Australia hence their perceptions of BIM collaboration are reflective of the sociotechnical setting of BIM-enabled projects in this country. Also, the findings are based on the perception of experts in the field, rather than analysis of performance measures or quantitative assessment of associations among collaboration outcomes and various factors. This, however, provides the field with fertile grounds for future research.Practical implicationsThe study benefits researchers by shifting the collaboration discourse in BIM-enabled projects from technology-related issues to the people and contractual-related domains. Moreover, the developed qualitative model provides industry professionals with a point of reference to improve collaboration on BIM-enabled projects.Social implicationsThe study benefits researchers by shifting the collaboration discourse in BIM-enabled projects from technology-related issues to the people and contractual-related domains. Moreover, the developed qualitative model provides industry professionals with a point of reference to improve collaboration on BIM-enabled projects.Originality/valueArguments provided in this study highlight the necessity of considering the contractual arrangement of BIM-related projects and foster the willingness of team members to collaborate. This can be addressed using clear and comprehensive BIM execution plans and clearly explaining the role of BIM managers in the process.

PurposeOff-Site Construction (OSC) has received much government and public attention during and after COVID. Building Information Modelling (BIM) is an initiative discussed widely to promote OSC implementation. Although many policy promotions have been published, there are many challenges to implementing BIM and OSC in real life and questions of whether they really offer value to healthcare design professionals. This research aims to investigate BIM and OSC to understand their commonalities and differences of challenges by collecting empirical evidence from China’s healthcare construction.Design/methodology/approachThis exploratory research adopted a mixed method with a questionnaire survey and interviews. A total of 261 questionnaires were received (with 183 valid), followed by 31 semi-structured interviews.FindingsThis research reveals that although both OSC and BIM face similar adoption challenges and suspicious attitudes in real-life projects, their challenges’ connotations and reasons are different. OSC faces scepticism for its customisation costs and technical constraints, while BIM is seen as limited in utility and complex to integrate. Highlighting these as socio-technical challenges, the research advocates for an integrated framework to effectively implement OSC and BIM, addressing both technical and collaborative needs in healthcare construction.Originality/valueThis research examines OSC and BIM within the context of healthcare construction, a focus that is relatively underexplored. The research provides a juxtaposition of the perceived and practical challenges of adopting these technologies, revealing a gap between the industry’s expectations and the current capabilities of OSC and BIM, thereby contributing to the development of modern methods of design in healthcare.

Purpose Digital twin (DT) and building information modeling (BIM) are interconnected in some ways. However, there has been some misconception about how DT differs from BIM. As a result, industry professionals reject DT even in BIM-based construction projects due to reluctance to innovate. Furthermore, researchers have repeatedly developed tools and techniques with the same goals using DT and BIM to assist practitioners in construction projects. Therefore, this study aims to assist industry professionals and researchers in understanding the relationship between DT and BIM and synthesize existing works on DT and BIM. Design/methodology/approach A systematic review was conducted on published articles related to DT and BIM. A total record of 54 journal articles were identified and analyzed. Findings The analysis of the selected journal articles revealed four types of relationships between DT and BIM: BIM is a subset of DT, DT is a subset of BIM, BIM is DT, and no relationship between BIM and DT. The existing research on DT and BIM in construction projects targets improvements in five areas: planning, design, construction, operations and maintenance, and decommissioning. In addition, several areas have emerged, such as developing geo-referencing approaches for infrastructure projects, applying the proposed methodology to other construction geometries and creating 3D visualization using color schemes. Originality/value This study contributed to the existing body of knowledge by overviewing existing research related to DT and BIM in construction projects. Also, it reveals research gaps in the body of knowledge to point out directions for future research.

PurposeThis position paper urges a drive towards clarity in the key definitions, terminologies and habits of speech associated with digital engineering and building information modelling (BIM). The ultimate goal of the paper is to facilitate the move towards arriving at an ideal definition for both concepts.Design/methodology/approachThis paper takes the “explanation building” review approach in providing prescriptive guidelines to researchers and industry practitioners. The aim of the review is to draw upon existing studies to identify, describe and find application of principles in a real-world context.FindingsThe paper highlights the definitional challenges surrounding digital engineering and BIM in Australia, to evoke a debate on BIM and digital engineering boundaries, how and why these two concepts may be linked, and how they relate to emerging concepts.Originality/valueThis is the first scholarly attempt to clarify the definition of digital engineering and address the confusion between the concepts of BIM and digital engineering.

PurposeThis research investigates the distinct characteristics of blockchain technology to safeguard against the deterioration of handover information quality in the post-construction phase. The significance of effective management of handover information is highlighted by global building failures, such as the Grenfell Tower fire in London, UK. Despite existing technological interventions, there remains a paucity of understanding regarding the factors contributing to the decline in the quality of handover information during the post-construction phase.Design/methodology/approachThis study employed a multi-case studies approach across five higher education institutions. It involved conducting semi-structured interviews with 52 asset management professionals, uncovering the underlying reasons for the decline in handover information quality. Building on these insights, the study performed a mapping exercise to align these identified factors with blockchain technology features and information quality dimensions, aiming to evaluate blockchain’s potential in managing quality handover information.FindingsThe study findings suggest that blockchain technology offers advantages but has limitations in addressing all the identified quality issues of managing handover information. Due to the lack of an automated process and file-based information exchange, updating handover information still requires an error-prone manual process, leading to potential information loss. Additionally, no solutions are available for encoding drawings for updates and validation.Originality/valueThis study proposes a framework integrating blockchain to enhance the information management process and improve handover information quality.

PurposeIntegrating building information modelling (BIM) into facility management (FM) has generated fervent debate within the extant literature given an increasing realisation amongst practitioners that the majority of BIM benefits reside within the whole lifecycle management. Converting a building’s in-use data and information into tangible business knowledge to augment FM performance is crucial for business growth and prosperity. Yet curiously, scant academic attention has been paid in investigating the data and information hand-over process through BIM required by FM. The purpose of this paper is to address this knowledge gap.Design/methodology/approachThe research approach adopted draws upon pertinent BIM in the FM literature and a qualitative discourse accrued via focus group meetings of Australian FM experts.FindingsThe study’s findings are presented as a data and information typology matrix that captures the associations among different forms of data ownership, FM service delivery categories and data and information typologies for using BIM in FM.Practical implicationsThe analysis results will prove invaluable for policy-makers, researchers and practitioners by providing a relevant data and information typology and capturing the complex associations in the process of integrating BIM into FM.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the field by providing a better understanding of different forms of data and information, required by members of a FM team. The original insight shared here is the necessity to consider a distinctive array of interests and the potential for using different forms of data and information when integrating BIM into FM.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to propose a methodology to integrate the construction Supply Chain (SC) through the application of Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Supply Chain Management (SCM). It features a renovation case as a proof-of-concept. Design/methodology/approach – After analyzing the relevant gaps in the literature, the research followed a modeling approach. The proposed model merged product-, process- and organizational models in a graph-based model to represent and analyze a BIM-based SCM project. Findings – Presently, the information flows of the construction SC are vague. BIM is an aspiring integrator of information flows for construction. The proposed model for SC integration with BIM, offers an approach to identify the project complexities in relation to organizational structures, roles and interactions and integrate the industry. Practical implications – Currently BIM-enabled SCM is not very widely applied in the industry. However, the authors report the increasing interest of most construction stakeholders to engage in the application of the two, after acknowledging the benefits from the individual approaches. Since this combination is quite rare, the research uses a retrospective real-world case study of a SC project with an imaginary application of BIM. Originality/value – Thus far, there is no formal model to represent the interactions of the SC actors along with BIM. The unique combination of a product and a process model, i.e. BIM, with an organizational model aims at integrating the information flows of the SC. The proposed model aims at analyzing and supporting the BIM-enabled SCM in Architecture Engineering and Construction.