Key Indicators for Measuring BIM Collaboration Performance

Abstract

Building Information Modelling (BIM) has been developed as an answer to the poor performances of the construction industry caused by its fragmentation. By gathering all projects actors on a central model, BIM is intended to facilitate a more integrated design, enhancing collaboration. However BIM achieves only partial benefits if not used collaboratively. Therefore project teams need to improve so manage their collaboration performance. Previous studies have enlighten the benefits of measuring performance with quantifiable metrics for a better management. Quantifiable metrics are more objectives, easier to understand and compare but have the disadvantage to require a qualitative interpretation to be used appropriately. Hence this research aims to investigate BIM collaboration performance in order to identify appropriate metrics to measure collaboration performance in a BIM environment. A definition of collaboration performance as the collaboration process effectivity was used to retrieve 65 metrics from the literature. Then a survey supported by the Delphi method was conducted to evaluate them regarding two quality factors, appropriateness and suitability, to identify the ten most important metrics. A series of experts interviews were performed to set up an interpretation of each metric. The results show that some categories of metrics appears more appropriate to measure BIM collaboration performance. Moreover the metrics present a non-linear relation with collaboration performance, contrary to what previous methods to evaluate BIM performances used. This research contributes to enable BIM practitioners and researchers to measure and monitor teams collaboration performance. It enables managers to identify critical situations and take correcting actions faster. Ultimately, it will contribute to the quantification of BIM collaboration performance and the comparison and identification of better BIM collaborative practices.