Lean-Agile FM-BIM: a demonstrated approach

Abstract

Purpose This paper aims to respond to the high cost of facility management-enabled building information model (FM-BIM) creation and maintenance, a significant and under-researched barrier to adoption for existing buildings. The resultant approach focuses on only value-adding content (“Lean”) developed flexibly and iteratively in collaboration with end-users (“Agile”). Design/methodology/approach Five case studies were developed for university and hospital buildings in collaboration with end-users, guided by the process presented. These informed the refinement of a robust and flexible approach to increase BIM functionality with minimal geometry, focusing instead on the development of specific parameters to map semantic information necessary for each desired FM use. Findings The resulting BIM provided a breadth of model functionality with minimal modeling effort: 15 hours average implementation time per supported FM use. This low level of effort was achieved by limiting geometry to where it is necessary for the FM use implementation. Instead, the model incorporated the majority of geometry by reference and focused on semantic and topological parameters to house FM information. Research limitations/implications This study provides the basis for a new ontology structure focused on defining the rules for hosting asset management data (host entity, parameter type and characteristics) to reduce the reliance on complex geometric model development. Practical implications By prioritizing highly beneficial applications, early investment is minimized, providing quick returns at low risk, demonstrating the value of FM-BIM to end-users. Originality/value The Lean-Agile approach addresses the known research gap of low-effort, flexible approaches to FM-BIM model creation and maintenance and its effectiveness is analyzed through five case studies.