Barriers and Enablers to Adopting an Integrated Approach for Lean Construction and BIM

BARRIERS AND ENABLERS TO ADOPTING AN INTEGRATED APPROACH
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BIM Barriers to adopting lean construction and BIM
technique
Adoption of Business information modeling and lean construction will remain a challenge unless
these barriers are approached promptly. Building companies are challenged with the need to
creatively integrate the procedure of construction and addressing challenges facing the
development of projects. However, due to the lack of clear understanding and the absence of
holistic execution guidelines, numerous companies are not capable of achieving BIM potential or
implementation of BIM in their projects. Implementation of BIM and lean construction is
becoming a challenge in the construction industry and this can only be enhanced by identifying
the barricades and defies which is a basic requirement needed before adopting BIM.
In recent years, Lean construction and BIM is considered as a creative way to do away with
outdated problems gotten from the AEC industry. The way construction is executed is changed
by these techniques and they also provide numerous chances for improving the supply chain in
construction by minimizing errors, design and building faults by providing a dependable and
recyclable digital data about a whole life of the building.
The construction companies are faced with the need to innovatively integrate the construction
process and address project development challenges. Building Information Modelling (BIM) is
being signaled as a remarkable innovation in the built environment sector with expectations.
Adoption and implementation of BIM in a given construction industry come with many inherent
risk and uncertainties thus making it a complex business process for many construction
companies. BIM is considered by certain people as a simple technological invention but it needs
to be re-classified as an organizational innovation. Implementation of BIM in an industry entails
adjusting the culture of the industry and value for its outline. It also involves a change in
infrastructure and structure of the firm but most significantly, implementation of these integrated
techniques entails a high degree of difficulties since it deals with significant change in
management and resistance of the individual to embrace it. The implementation of lean
construction, as well as BIM, needs a proper arrangement and synchronized approach while
considering diverse phases of invention management and execution. Some of the barriers to the
adoption of BIM and lean construction include;

Compatibility
The degree of consistency and adaptability of a new innovation within an organization existing
operating procedure needs, beliefs, values, and past experience has been defined as being
compatible. Increased compatibility between existing policy and technology of an organization is
positively correlated with the rate of innovation adoption. Interoperability and compatibility have
been major technology-related barriers to adoption of BIM and lean construction (Hardin, 2013,
p. 78).
Trialability
The degree of experimentation available with the new innovation of BIM is defined as
trialability. Trialability has an added advantage of examining different benefits of BIM without
putting company's bottom line at risk. Greater possibility of innovation trilability reduces
uncertainty and tends to enhance the rate of adoption. Thus trialability positively affects BIM
adoption.
Top management support
The support top management is giving to an association is a wide condition accepted in the
innovation. Adoption of lean construction and BIM increases when a greater support is received
from top management. With support from top management, the construction industries can also
ensure that appropriate changes in the organization are made (Kumar, 2015, p. 453).
Cost
A high setup cost is demanded by these techniques during initiation of BIM and lean
implementation on a construction project. The costs of these techniques are classified into cost of
setting it up and general system-related costs. The building industry is more likely to adopt BIM
having a lower financial cost thus high seeming cost depressingly affects the adoption of BIM.

Expertise
The level of innovation increases in case there is an availability of expertise which increases the
feeling to adopt multifaceted technological inventions. Availability of skilled workers in the
construction industry enhances high chances of adopting BIM and lean application and it
positively affects Building Information Modelling.
Trade Partner Readiness
Adoption of Building Information modeling relies on partner relationships as well as the
competitive pressure which are significant determinants of inter-organizational system adoption.
Competitive pressure has long been recognized as an important impetus for adopting
innovations.
Client requirements
In construction, an increased and effective adoption of these techniques such that when project
owner actively participates. The client-driven BIM mandate programs can enhance the rate of
BIM adoption within the construction firm thus affecting adoption positively (Kumar, 2015, p.
55).
Performance
Adoption of BIM is believed to assist in time, process efficiency and cost optimization. BIM is
seen as a way of organizing, envisioning data and enabling communication. The adoption of
Building Information Modelling will only take place when its performance behind achieving a
better result is really recognized and helpful.
Training
The workers in construction need to be trained and the company needs to invest more in the
software in order to give training to staff. Workers should have knowledge concerning the
benefits of BIM and practicing lean construction as well as how it is used and also how it can be
applied in an organization to achieve better results in the construction industry. Skilled workers
will be capable of acquiring the knowledge from the training being conducted to ensure the