The challenges of managing stakeholders within BIM-implemented projects

Sukhtaj  Singh, Ezekiel Chinyio, Ph.D. and Subashini Suresh, Ph.D.
University of Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton, England, UK

Construction projects are getting much more complex and difficult to manage. Part of this complexity is the high number of diverse stakeholders to be managed. Meanwhile, the use of Building Information Modelling (BIM) in construction practice has proliferated along with other information and communication technologies (ICTs). BIM bring cost and time savings to construction, among other benefits. However, its implementation is also associated with challenges, especially as it profoundly affects the ways of communication and transmission of information in the course of projects. The study being reported thus focused on investigating the particular challenges which project managers face while managing stakeholders in the course of BIM-implemented construction projects particularly. While the challenges of implementing BIM are identifiable in the literature, their assessment and prioritisation in the context of construction stakeholder management is the novelty of this research.

The objectives of the research were to: investigate the key challenges that construction organizations  face while managing stakeholders within BIM-implemented projects; explore how BIM assists with stakeholder management; explore the key techniques which organisations use for managing stakeholders effectively; and, study the key (and extra) benefits of managing stakeholders within BIM-implemented projects. The current dissemination concerns the first objective indicated, i.e. the key challenges of managing stakeholders within BIM-implemented construction projects.

The primary data were collected through 23 semi-structured interviews conducted in the UK. The information generated, which was audio-recorded and later transcribed, was analysed by means of content analysis, which was facilitated by using the NVivo software. The data is presented in the form of percentage.

The top five challenges identified in the study were: incomplete understanding of the BIM concept, resistance to change and adopt BIM, lack of integration of the different BIM technologies, lack of incentives for adopting BIM, and insufficient knowledge and training to implement BIM fully.

The results of the study will increase awareness of construction project managers on:

  1. How they can leverage BIM to make informed decisions for managing stakeholders.
  2. How they can use BIM for improving collaboration among stakeholders.
  3. The challenges they would encounter while managing stakeholders within BIM-implemented projects.

Action on these three dimensions on BIM-implemented construction projects will minimise the potentials of communication breakdown and disputes, cost and time wastage and cases of poor quality of construction products. Overcoming the challenges will also enhance transparency, availability of project information that can be accessed quite quickly, and greater satisfaction of stakeholders, among others.

Keywords: Building Information Modelling (BIM), Challenges, Construction projects, Project managers, Stakeholders