Exploring the adoption of building information modelling technology using the TOE framework in the Saudi construction industry
Creators: name: Alojail, Abdulrahman
Publisher: name: RMIT University
Year: 2024
Subjects: classificationCode: 460908
subject: Information systems organisation and management
classificationCode: 460911
subject: Inter-organisational, extra-organisational and global information systems

description: The construction industry has reached a point of digital transformation. A digitalised industry will increase productivity and innovate infrastructure and urban development. The construction process will be changed through the introduction of new tools and technologies such as Building Information Modelling (BIM). The BIM process relies on collaboration between different project stakeholders to drive digital transformation of the design and construction processes within the construction industry.
 
The adoption of Building Information Modelling (BIM) technology is steadily increasing in the global construction industry. The Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry has been revolutionised by BIM which enhances the efficiency of design processes. BIM has become a powerful technology for resolving and preventing issues such as lack of coordination and communication between project teams that result in innumerable delays and unnecessary costs within the construction industry.
 
Building Information Modelling (BIM) is a 3D visualisation of physical features and provides accurate details of building components in a single system that all project stakeholders can use at all stages of the project's lifecycle. BIM additionally manages materials, costs, and schedules. However, in the Saudi construction industry, BIM is rarely used, and the adoption of BIM is still at an early stage compared to developed countries. The construction industry in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is experiencing challenges of constant delays, cost overruns, and poor quality due to the massive construction growth required for the KSA 2030 vision. The government of Saudi Arabia announced this vision in 2016 to encourage all sectors to be creative, efficient, and environmentally responsible. The adoption of BIM could be significant in improving the performance of the Saudi construction industry.
 
This study aimed to review understanding of the benefits of BIM adoption, and to develop a model based on the Technology–Organisation–Environment (TOE) framework to explore project participants' perception of key technological, organisational, and environmental drivers affecting the adoption of BIM in Saudi construction firms. As the first phase, an online survey was used to provide the current status of BIM adoption within the Saudi construction industry in terms of adopting technologies such as BIM and the barriers, benefits, and status of BIM usage in the KSA construction industry. The findings from the survey, from both government and private sectors, revealed various reasons for expediting the adoption of BIM within the construction industry. The most significant reasons are: BIM reduces conflict and changes; BIM facilitates clash detection in design components and minimises miscommunication between project teams in the construction field, and BIM improves productivity. The survey analysis revealed various challenges to the introduction of BIM. Lack of BIM awareness and employee training were the key impediments to adopting BIM in the government and private sectors within the Saudi construction industry. As a result, there is a need to develop and implement a BIM awareness-raising campaign throughout the industry. The educational and training programs currently available require some refocusing.
 
Semi-structured interviews were conducted as the main data collection for this study to elicit the opinions of twenty-two professionals such as BIM experts, engineers, and architects to capture their experiences and identify the key drivers that impact the adoption of BIM in Saudi Arabia. In addition, this study examined the barriers for non-BIM adopters in construction firms in order to identify the key drivers that facilitate the adoption of BIM in construction industry. Several key technological drivers were found in this study, including the advantages of BIM, compatibility, complexity, and existing IT infrastructure. The most important organisational drivers for BIM adoption are organisational readiness, top management support, and collaboration. Finally, the key environmental drivers include client requirements, market pressure, government regulation, and external support.

This research contributes to understanding of the awareness of the Saudi construction industry of the BIM adoption process, in both government and private sectors, and the tangible key drivers for BIM adoption. This study also contributes to understanding security in BIM software in terms of sharing information with project stakeholders and using BIM in a cloud as a key technological driver for BIM adoption, which has not been investigated in previous Saudi Arabian studies. The study's findings suggest that the growth of construction projects as a result of the Saudi Vision 2030 may push construction companies in Saudi Arabia to adopt BIM to be competitive in the market. Due to the fragmentation of the Saudi construction industry the findings of this study suggest that the use of a single platform such as BIM would improve collaboration between project stakeholders, such as clients and contractors, as well as increase their morale and attitude towards BIM. BIM would allow clients to monitor the contractors' progress instantly throughout the project lifecycle, reducing unexpected issues such as design conflict and changed orders.
 
A theoretical TOE framework was developed to understand key drivers to assist project stakeholders in expediting the adoption of BIM within the construction industry in Saudi Arabia. Several elements are added to the TOE framework under the technological drivers in this thesis, contributing to the body of knowledge. Among the technological drivers for successful complex innovations, such as BIM adoption, are elements under relative advantage, such as information and time management, design quality, and cost management. Regarding the organisational drivers, this study shows that behavioural changes can enhance collaboration and communication during construction projects by considering employees morale and enthusiasm. This study has also included the element of change management, which has been shown to be significant. Due to the diversity of nationalities of Saudi construction workers, it is necessary to implement a change management approach to cope with the changes in culture. Further, this study contributes to the TOE framework by emphasising the significance of vendor support to facilitate BIM adoption in regard to environmental drivers.