The benefits of BIM use to improve information flow; making the design process more leaner

Mollasalehi, S

Abstract

The construction industry faces many problems, such as poor productivity and efficiency, that mainly occur during the design process. Many construction problems associated with the design process are due to a lack of effective information flow management through innovative and technological strategies. As the technology matures, the amount of information and data generated and shared during the construction design process has rapidly increased. Despite the increased amount of available information in the design process, most of the shared information not only adds any value to the project but also generates waste. So, it is critically important to improve the design information by managing the information exchange effectively.
Ineffective information sharing is a significant contributing factor to waste and the root cause of many construction problems. Major design problems related to information management are due to a lack of appropriate information exchange and effective information flow. Therefore, effective information flow management is crucial to project success. This can be achieved through the application of new innovative and technological approaches such as Lean and Building Information Modelling (BIM).
Due to the lack of systematic exploration between the information flow management challenges, and the application of BIM and Lean, this research intends to make a number of significant and original contributions in this area of research. In identifying this gap in knowledge, this research makes a substantial contribution to the theory in understanding how information flow management could be improved by studying the implications of using the BIM/Lean approach from a cross-case studies perspective.
Although the application of BIM and its benefits in the design process is commonly seen, its application with Lean construction in different BIM maturity levels and in relation to effective information flow management is seemingly very poor. The existing research suggests multiple reasons for this situation; however, the gap in theoretical grounding leaves it vulnerable to interpretation. Therefore, this study aims to explore how the information flow in the design process could be improved by applying BIM and Lean approaches in relation to the BIM maturity levels.
A qualitative methodology is being followed to provide an explanation for the social phenomenon based on realist ontological and epistemological principles and assumptions. This study is structured under four phases; the first phase focuses on research design, providing a deeper understanding of the problem, and the second phase is the preparation and collection of information based on the research problem. The findings are analysed and developed in the third phase. The final phase is dedicated to discussing the findings and developing the solution to meet the research aim and objectives.
Three case studies are selected to obtain in-depth information on effective information flow management, the challenges associated with the management of information flow, and the role of BIM/Lean in improving information flow management in relation to different BIM maturity levels. Semi-structured interviews are conducted within the three case studies as the data collection method, while data is analysed using thematic analysis to form the research findings.
The research brings together scholarly work on effective information flow management and the role of BIM/Lean in information sharing and exchange while interrogating different value theories to develop a unique understanding of how the usage of BIM/Lean could improve information flow management in the design process and in relation to the BIM maturity levels. Value’s role as the primary dependent variable in social science has contributed to a deep understanding of the phenomenon. This research reveals how value is represented through challenges and benefits, and possibilities of value enhancement through adapting BIM/Lean to improve information flow management. This leads to a new perspective by identifying challenges of information flow management as unfulfilled expectations of users, therefore, act as recommendations for improvement required in managing information flow by the adaption of BIM/Lean approaches and in relation to different BIM maturity levels to help promote the best practice.
Finally, the research contributes to the knowledge by providing a great insight into the problems and challenges of information flow management in the design process and how these challenges can be better tackled and addressed through the implementation of BIM/Lean.
This study intends to make both academic and practical contributions. This research contributes to raising awareness regarding the challenges associated with information flow management in relation to projects’ BIM maturity level and how these challenges could be tackled through a set of recommendations. Therefore, the findings of this research would help academic professionals to rethink the importance of research in information flow management by the BIM/Lean and IPD application with its relation to the BIM maturity level.
Also, this study would benefit the construction industry practitioners to better understand the critical information flow management challenges and how these challenges could be reduced through a set of recommendations. The beneficial role of BIM/Lean and IPD to enhance information flow would be better realised by industry professionals. This would assist them in taking logical and necessary actions to enable the practical application of BIM/Lean and IPD, thus achieving better-enhanced information flow management. A set of recommendations are designed which would help both industry practitioners and academia to realise the importance of effective information flow management and how BIM/Lean could enhance effective information flow management and to take recommended actions to better manage the information flow in practice.

Citation

Mollasalehi, S. The benefits of BIM use to improve information flow; making the design process more leaner. (Thesis). University of Salford

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Dec 12, 2022
• Publicly Available Date: Dec 12, 2022
• Award Date: Jul 2, 2022