Study on Business Value of Building Information Modelling - Applied in Developing Countries

Abstract

This research investigates the business value of implementing building information modelling (BIM) in developing countries. The study of BIM in this research is conducted with a focus on its return on investment (ROI) in the construction sector. There is an imperative need for such new systematic studies to contribute to the growing knowledge of the practicing communities. After studying the extensive body of literature, it was determined that there were numerous surveys and/or workshops that addressed the same topic from various angles. This led to the research methodology used in the current paper. Such existing research analysed respondents' responses to arrive at some conclusions. Based on this, the author chose to analyse these prior studies and not necessarily create an independent questionnaire that would ultimately add more questions than it would solve. The study's key conclusion is that no quantitative formula for ROI can be used, and the only option to address this issue is to rely on qualitative research that claim adopting BIM has a high potential to provide both direct and indirect income. Due to disputed underlying assumptions, every attempt to estimate the ROI of BIM discovered in the literature cannot be generalised.