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Purpose: This paper aims to establish a model to evaluate the benefits of building information modeling (BIM) from the owners' perspective. The model analyzes the correlation between five secondary benefit indicators and their subsystems: product, financial, organizational, management and strategic. The final key factors of BIM benefits provide a decision-making basis for owners to raise the efficiency of BIM application. Design/methodology/approach: Firstly, the authors combed 31 BIM-related literature and interviewed experts to identify 15 preliminary benefit indicators. The authors established a BIM benefit evaluation system based on relevant concepts, including two primary indicators, five secondary indicators and 15 tertiary indicators. Secondly, the authors analyzed the indicators by the extension theory of matter element analysis and a questionnaire survey of expert opinion. Finally, the new method was applied to a case study of a large shopping center in east China for empirical verification. Findings: A BIM benefit evaluation model, including a three-tiered hierarchy of primary, secondary and tertiary indicators, was constructed through literature review and expert opinions. The model determined the critical factors of BIM benefits, enhanced understanding of owner benefits and improved BIM application under the owners' leadership. Originality/value: At present, most studies focus on specific project stages or benefit indicators. This study developed an integrated BIM benefit evaluation system that targets owners. The findings could foster the development of China's construction industry, promote owner-led BIM application and advocate adopting the benefit evaluation method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to target on individual perceptions of BIM practice in terms of BIM benefits, critical success factors (CSFs) and challenges in Chongqing which represented the less BIM-developed metropolitan cities in China. Design/methodology/approach: Adopting a questionnaire-survey approach followed by statistical analysis, the study further divided the survey population from Chongqing into subgroups according to their employer types and organization sizes. A further subgroup analysis adopting statistical approach was conducted to investigate the effects of employer type and organization size on individual perceptions. Findings: Subgroup analysis revealed that governmental employees held more conservative and neutral perceptions toward several items in BIM benefit, CSFs and challenges. It was inferred that smaller organizations with fewer than 100 full-time employees perceived more benefits of BIM in recruiting and retaining employees, and considered more critical of involving companies with BIM knowledge in their projects. Originality/value: This study contributed to the body of knowledge in managerial BIM in terms that: it extended the research of individual perceptions toward BIM implementation by focusing on less BIM-mature regions; it contributed to previous studies of influencing factors to BIM practice-based perceptions by introducing factors related to organization type and sizes; and it would lead to future research in establishing BIM climate and culture which address perceptions and behaviors in BIM adoption at both individual and organizational levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to systematically identify, assess, and categorize the barriers to digital transformation (DT) in the engineering and construction sectors, and thus to better understand the impact and how these sectors might be overcome. Design/methodology/approach: This study adopted a sequential mixed qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis approach. DT barriers were first identified from relevant literature and verified by an expert panel. Then, a questionnaire survey assessing the impacts of the identified DT barriers was distributed to construction professionals in China, and 192 valid responses were retrieved. Further, the data obtained were analyzed using ranking analysis, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Findings: Based on the ranking analysis, the top three barriers are "lack of industry-specific standards and laws," "lack of clear vision, strategy and direction for DT," and "lack of support from top management for DT." EFA enabled the grouping of the 26 barriers into 3 categories: (1) lack of laws and regulations (LLR), (2) lack of support and leadership (LSL), and (3) lack of resources and professionals (LRP). The PLS-SEM analysis revealed that LLR, LSL, and LRP were found to have significant negative impacts on DT. Originality/value: These findings contribute to the body of knowledge on DT in the construction industry and help construction firms and government bodies improve the understanding of these barriers to DT and put forward relevant policies and incentives, thus seizing the DT benefits as a way to enhance construction project management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]