Bridging the life cycle: a case study on facility management infrastructures and uses of BIM

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to study the conditions of the building information modelling (BIM) implementation in facility management (FM) specifically from the point of view of different groups of FM practitioners, and the FM infrastructures already in use. Design/methodology/approach A literature review on the gap between the uses of BIM in design and FM has been done. The key professional groups of FM in the Premises Centre of the City of Helsinki were interviewed on the information tools they use, and the needs and impediments of the BIM implementation in the FM. Cultural–historical activity theory is used as a theoretical framework. Findings The literature discussing the BIM implementation tends to omit the analysis of the existing FM information systems and software tools in use. The challenge in the BIM implementation is in which ways the relevant information included in the BIM models could be integrated with these systems. No well-articulated problems or developmental contradictions came up that would demand the investment in the BIM implementation. Practical implications The results call for experimenting with incremental implementation of BIM in different FM activities and in the FM information infrastructures in use. Originality/value This paper studies empirically different FM activities and information systems used by the professional groups. Such studies are needed for a realistic view of the potential integration of the BIM information to the FM information systems.

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