Development of a tool for measuring building information modeling (BIM) user satisfaction – method selection, scale development and case study
Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management
ISSN: 0969-9988
Article publication date: 4 May 2020
Issue publication date: 8 October 2020
Abstract
Purpose
With the increasing attention acquired from researchers and practitioners in Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry, building information modeling (BIM) has fundamentally changed the approach we design, construct and delivery, as well as operate and maintenance of buildings and civil infrastructures. This study tries to provide an innovative perspective on BIM research. This study aims to analyze the necessity and feasibility of BIM user satisfaction research and define what BIM user satisfaction is, and then to develop a quantitative method for the measurement of BIM user satisfaction.
Design/methodology/approach
As it is indicated in the content, BIM user satisfaction is measured by the sum of the user's weighted reactions to a set of factors. To be specific, the entropy method was adopted to calculate the “weighting” of the factors, and the triangular fuzzy number (TFN) method was selected to compute the “scoring” of the factors. Through the literature review, methodology and tool development, as well as case study and discussions, this paper was generated sequentially.
Findings
This study found that the proposed tool for the measurement of BIM success is valid and reliable; it formerly translated the conceptual definition of BIM user satisfaction into an accurate measurement instrument. It also indicated that many factors are affecting the BIM users' satisfaction, and each of the factors inherited various importance and score, and the findings are expected to improve the performance and effectiveness of BIM management.
Originality/value
Through the translation of the conceptual BIM user satisfaction into a valid quantitative measurement instrument, this research provides an excellent framework for the management of BIM from the user's perspective, and it could help to stimulate user's acceptance of BIM in the AEC industry in future.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This research is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 7177010134) and the China Scholarship Council (Grant No. 201506260074). The authors are grateful to the respondents for their efforts in this research, Dongping Cao, Pengfei Wang, Hao Lu and Yingxia Xue at Tongji University, Dr Lei Zhang at Shandong Jianzhu University for their precious help during indicators generation procedures, Dr Guixiang Chen at Henan University of Technology, as well as Dr Giovanni C. Migliaccio, Dr Ken-yu Lin and Dr Carrie Dossick at University of Washington for their precious guidance during theory selection and framework building. The authors also appreciate the editor and the reviewers for their valuable suggestions and comments.
Citation
Liu, H., Song, J. and Wang, G. (2020), "Development of a tool for measuring building information modeling (BIM) user satisfaction – method selection, scale development and case study", Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, Vol. 27 No. 9, pp. 2409-2427. https://doi.org/10.1108/ECAM-08-2019-0448
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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