Overcoming Resistance To BIM: Aligning A Change Management Method with A BIM Implementation Strategy
Document Type
Article
Rights
Available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike 4.0 International Licence
Abstract
The adoption of Building Information Modelling (BIM) in the Irish construction industry has risen from 10% in 2011 to over 70% in 2018. Where there is criticism towards BIM concerning its ability to reduce environmental impact, it is not about the ambition to adopt BIM but more so the capacity to embed BIM within the industry. The National BIM Council introduced a Roadmap to Digital Transition for Ireland’s Construction Industry 2018-2021, which defines a strategy to transform the construction industry to digital. This research paper explores how small to medium size companies within the Architectural, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry in Ireland can respond to both organisational and individual resistance to the implementation of BIM processes in practice. A literature review and stakeholder interviews from organisations at various stages of implementing BIM have demonstrated that to change how the industry works there must be an overall goal to adopt BIM. In order to achieve business goals, it is important to investigate change management processes which can support the reduction of resistance from employees. While it has been found that implementation needs to come from a bottom-up approach, more importantly it is top-down from management that will make BIM practices the norm. As a response to the industry’s introduction of BIM and the transition to digital, companies are embarking on organisational change through the review of business structures and operational strategies. To reduce resistance companies have come up with new approaches, such as introducing an implementation team, developing training programmes, and altering the organisational structure with new roles and responsibilities. A BIM adoption roadmap that aligns change management methods with a BIM implementation plan can bridge the gap and ensure that BIM becomes commonplace within an organisation.
Recommended Citation
TUDublin, BIM and MacLoughlin, Sarah, "Overcoming Resistance To BIM: Aligning A Change Management Method with A BIM Implementation Strategy" (2019). Capstone Reports. 4.
https://arrow.tudublin.ie/schmuldistcap/4