BIM Implementation in Facilities Management: An Analysis of Implementation Processes

The potential of building information modeling (BIM) to add value to facilities management (FM) has long been recognized. The usefulness of BIM in asset management, including operations and maintenance has been described by numerous authors. Crucial to its implementation is the integration of information, which increases efficiency and productivity on the job and, in turn, positively impacts the primary organization’s mission and goals. In view of the potential of BIM to add value to FM which in turn can boost the mission of organizations, there is a potential to study the experiences of early adopters, map out patterns and differences and to record lessons learned. This research aims to investigate how BIM is implemented in FM operations, how value can be derived and what the critical success factors are. It further explores the areas of process waste and consequent loss of value within the lifecycle phases of facilities. To this effect, the case study of a large tertiary educational institution is undertaken, mapping the processes of information flow during the translation phase from 2D drawings to 3D models of existing buildings. Value stream mapping of organizational processes will identify areas of potential waste or non-value-adding activities, and also areas of potential value-adding opportunities. By studying BIM value through the lifecycle value chain, and identifying good practices and challenges in light of the more subjective nature of value delivery in FM, more impactful outcomes should be derived.