PhD Proposal Texas A&M University 05/11/10 JAMES HALIBURTON AIA LEED AP CONTENTS Building...

PhD Proposal Texas A&M University05/11/10 JAMES HALIBURTON AIA LEED AP

CONTENTS

Building Information Modeling and Small Architectural Firms: An Analysis of the Impacts of BIM Transition on the Small Architectural Practice

•Introduction•Problem Statement•Theoretical Framework•Research Objectives•Guiding Statements•Research Questions•Hypotheses•Methodology•Expected Outcomes•Limitations and Timeline


INTRODUCTION


Title:Building Information Modeling and Small Architectural Firms: An Analysis of the Impacts of BIM Transition on the Small Architectural Practice

Knowns

BIM is altering the nature of professional design services.

Fundamental shift in:Process/MethodTechnology/Communication

Necessitates shift in business practices

Unknowns

How has BIM changed the delivery of professional design services?

Are theoretical shifts in processes and methods happening?

How are technology and communication changing?

What new business models are emerging that support BIM processes?


PROBLEM STATEMENT


BIM Transition:

•Delivery of architectural services is well defined and tied to a specific process or method

•BIM is a fundamental shift in the process—models not drawings

Problem Statement:The factors and strategies that can position a small firm for successful BIM adoption are

not known or defined.There is no defined business model for the delivery of BIM enabled design services for the

small professional practice.


THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK


Information for practical application

Authors state:The most important and least addressed issue of BIM implementation is the required change in business practices needed to successfully leverage the associated technologies and processes for beneficial practice.




Innovations and Adoption Processes

“Rate of Adoption”Perceptions derived from personal experiences

BIMComplex toolCompletely different process—fundamental change from accepted norm

Assessing BIM adoption strategies and developing a framework for small firm adoption based on past failures and successes will require quantifying the personal experiences of both adopters and non-adopters and relating those experiences to actions taken by the organizations




Small Firms as Organizations – Unit of Analysis

Rogers defines an organization as “a stable system of individuals who work together to achieve common goals through a hierarchy of ranks and a division of labor”.

BIM:Redistribution of laborReorganization of processesCreation of new goals

Assess how BIM is changing business models will require creating theoretical models of BIM enabled practice and evaluating them against actual processes derived from data




Define four principal characteristics of small professional practices

1. Professional services are knowledge-intensive in nature.

2. Professional services are delivered by professional/knowledge workers.

3. Professional services are nonetheless co-produced between the knowledge worker and the client.

4. The majority of construction professional services are provided by small firms




Resource-Based Innovation

Market-Based Innovation

Knowledge Based Innovation“The effective generation and implementation of a new idea which enhances over all organizational performance, through appropriate exploitative and explorative knowledge capital which develops and integrates relationship capital, structure capital, and human capital.”




This investigation approaches BIM as a knowledge-based innovation.

Human Capital

Structure Capital

Relationship Capital

Knowledge Capital


RESEARCH OBJECTIVES


Three Central Goals:1. Identify the current state of BIM adoption in small architectural and engineering firms

and current perceptions and attitudes toward BIM in small architectural and engineering firms. This will establish and define a “culture of change” the precedes a shift to BIM. This will also relate the culture of change to successful BIM adoption strategies which can be compared to theoretical models

2. Analyze small firm BIM adoption processes. This process will record and evaluate the decision making processes of a small firm’s shift to BIM and any adoption strategies employed. It will also compare small firm design and production processes business models pre and post BIM adoption

3. Use this data to develop a strategic model for small firm BIM adoption and compare that model to and in depth case study on a small firm’s transition to BIM


GUIDING STATEMENTS


Guiding statements from general literature review and personal experience:1. Major challenges in small firm BIM adoption lie in attitudes and perceptions of guiding

personnel.2. The underlying business model for a small firm is based on a CAD-centric design and

delivery process; BIM does not readily support this business model.3. The majority of small firm adopters operate at a BIM A level.4. Small firms are social structures centered around workflows and production methods.

When workflows and production methods change the social structures they support must adapt.


RESEARCH QUESTIONS


Primary Questions:1. What is the current state of BIM adoption across small architectural and engineering firms?2. What common factors are shared by small firm BIM adopters?3. What are the attributes of small firms that successfully adopted BIM?4. What strategies did small firm BIM adopters employ?5. What impact did the shift to BIM have on the small firm business model?

Secondary Questions:6. How is BIM affecting the small firm design process?7. What are the general attitudes and perceptions toward BIM in small AEC firms?8. What benefits have small firms seen from adopting BIM and at what level (BIM A, BIM B)

do they operate?9. Is BIM allowing smaller firms to manage larger projects?10. What new services, if any, is BIM allowing the small firm to provide?


RESEARCH HYPOTHESES


Hypotheses derived from innovation framework presented by Lu & Sexton

1. Successful BIM adoption at the small firm level will be reported when the three resources of Human, Relationship, and Structure Capital are integrated and BIM is treated as a Knowledge Resource.

a. Sub-Hypothesis 1a.—Firms with integrated structure capital will report more easily and successfully adopting BIM methods and processes.

b. Sub-Hypothesis 1b.—Firms which integrate all three aspects will report the decision to adopt BIM was based on a goal for long term advantage.


RESEARCH HYPOTHESES


Hypotheses derived from innovation framework presented by Lu & Sexton

2. Small Architectural practices will report difficulty or failure adopting BIM when the three resources of Human, Relationship, and Structure Capital are not integrated and BIM is not treated as a Knowledge Resource.

a. Sub-Hypothesis 2a.—Firms that do not integrate structure capital will report difficulty or failure adopting BIM.

b. Sub-Hypothesis 2b.—Firms that show no integration will report the decision to adopt BIM was project specific and not an entire shift.


RESEARCH VARIABLES


Independent Variables:Firm characteristics related to innovation, adoption, and individual strategies for BIM adoption

Dependent Variables:Successful BIM adoption/transition

Successful BIM Adoption

Human Capital

Relationship Captial

Knowledge Captial

Structure Capital


METHODOLOGY


Methodology:Primarily Qualitative methods:

SurveyBroadly distributed by AIA

Focus GroupsRespondents from survey and local contacts

Case Study2 possible firms, one success, one failure

Survey method was employed with success in:Suermann, P. C. I., Raja (2007). Evaluating the Impact of Building Information Modeling (BIM) on Construction. 7th International Conference on Construction Applications of Vitrual Reality

Survey

Focus GroupsCase Study

Reliability and Validity


EXPECTED OUTCOMES


Expected Outcomes:

Take a snap shot of small firm BIM adoption and perceptions toward BIM.

Produce a framework for BIM implementation and adoption in the small firm setting.

Identify emerging small firm business models based on altered processes of design and production.


LIMITATIONS AND TIMELINE


Limitations:

Deals with small firms, but survey is expected to receive a range of respondents.

Study will focus altering business models or methods of design and production. It is not meant to assess the appropriateness of BIM nor its efficacy as an architectural technology or process.

Timeline:IRB approval – May 26Survey Launch –June 15Survey Close –July 31Conduct Case Study/Studies June-JulyConduct Follow-up focus groups—AugustAnalyze Survey Results—August

PhD Proposal Texas A&M University 05/11/10 JAMES HALIBURTON AIA LEED AP CONTENTS Building...

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