BIM-Lean relationship assessment framework: A conceptual establishment

Abstract

The construction industry is seeking ways to reduce waste (material and production related process waste) to improve productivity and efficiency. Building Information Modelling (BIM) and Lean are two vital innovations for the Architecture, Engineering, Construction and Operation (AECO) industry used in the industry to improve aspects of productivity and efficiency. BIM has been used to generate and compare designs to ensure optimum use of resources, reduce design time, improve collaboration between stakeholders, and reduce errors in design and construction. On the other hand, the main agenda of Lean is to reduce (both material and production process) waste, increase value, and thrive for continuous improvement. In the construction industry, BIM and Lean have been mostly used in isolation. However, studies suggest that BIM and Lean have mutual relationships and are complementary to achieve each other’s objectives. To do so, it is very crucial to understand the mechanism behind the relationship and the interaction between BIM and Lean. Informed analysis and understanding of the mutual relationship would help construction management decision-makers to achieve the utmost benefits from the implementation of these two drivers. However, previous studies have explored BIM and Lean relationships, but limited studies were done to support construction management decision-makers in identifying relevant BIM functions to enable Lean or to identify relevant Lean principles to support BIM. Therefore, this paper aims to represent a conceptual BIM-Lean relationship assessment framework by using Design Science Research methodology to identify and measure the relationship between BIM and Lean to support construction management decision-makers