A BIM Readiness & Implementation Strategy for SME Construction Companies in the UK

Building Information Modelling (BIM) is a new found reality by construction industry towards a Digital Built Envelope (DBE). Realizing its potential, UK government has made achievement of BIM Level 2 mandate essential for all publicly procured projects by 2016. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) which form the backbone of UK construction industry are in perplex transition state as most of them are working on traditional project management workflows involving 2D drawings and production and possess silos oriented approaches. The push of government has forced the non BIM SMEs to transform and adopt the technology for long lasting results. The purpose of the research is to carry out an up to date analysis of recent BIM adoption state of UK construction industry SMEs, evaluate opportunities & challenges, and identify a suitable maturity assessment & implementation Strategy to upgrade their present skills and competencies. Both primary and secondary data is used in this paper. For primary data, UK construction SMEs professionals are the targeted groups of the survey questionnaire comprising 60 questions. For secondary data, the extensive literature review is obtained to gather considerable information. A case study of BIM implementation of Baxall Construction Company is also analyzed to glean into right maturity assessment and implementation strategy for a suggested template for wider SME organizations. The research employed questionnaire survey and interviews of top UK Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) practitioners and up-to-date literature review along with a case study revealed that almost 75% SMEs are non BIM. SMEs still need to upgrade their staffs and skills (43%), quality assurance systems (80%), and IT software/hard ware systems (60%). As a yard stick construction industry needs to follow Integrated Design and Delivery Solution (IDDS) as a holistic BIM readiness criteria towards coherent BIM implementation strategy.