BIM in the operations stage: bottlenecks and implications for owners

Purpose – The use of Building Information Modelling (BIM) in the Netherlands is increasing. Studies show that BIM is mainly used in the lifecycle stages of initiation, development and realisation. Owners and operators are presumably yet to discover the added value of BIM for maintenance and information management within their organisations. The purpose of this paper is to investigate information management during the operations stage from the viewpoint of owners and determines the added value of BIM within this growing field of construction. Design/methodology/approach – This research is based on a literature review, explorative interviews and process modelling. In total, 21 semi-structured interviews were conducted among public real estate and infrastructure owners and operators, software companies, service providers and contractors. Findings – This paper provides empirical insights into the sources of inefficiency and ineffectiveness in the activities of Dutch semi-public and public clients. It finds that the current added value of BIM in the operations stage is marginal. The main reasons for this are a lack of alignment between the supply of and demand for information and the context-dependent role of information. Practical implications – The authors propose a structured approach that supports client organisations in establishing greater alignment between the supply of and demand for information, and a less context-dependent role for information during the operations stage. Originality/value – In contrast to previous studies, this paper offers a new perspective on BIM in the operations stage, a growing field of interest in practice and science.