Evaluating the Impact of Building Information Modeling on the Labor Productivity of Construction Projects in Malaysia

Abstract

Globally, the construction sector suffers from low productivity levels due to a large proportion of the workforce consisting of low-skilled laborers. There is a significant need to move from traditional approaches to advanced methods, such as Building Information Modeling, in order to integrate design and construction workflows with the aim of improving productivity. To encourage more organizations, especially small to medium enterprises (SME), to transition to building information modeling (BIM), clear and convincing benefits are key to ensuring the viability of the BIM implementation process. This study presents the findings obtained through a quantitative structured close-ended survey questionnaire distributed among BIM-pioneering construction companies in terms of the three factors of the project, organization, and individual. The results suggest that BIM factors related to the individual supervision category have the highest positive impact, while the Individual (Labor) factor has the most negative impact on labor productivity. The study concludes by recommending the incorporation of BIM in the Individual (Supervision) category to improve the low construction productivity. A practical recommendation for building regulatory bodies is to develop comprehensive credential training programs with the greater utilization of BIM-related design and construction management to diminish the negative impact of Individual (Labor) factors and thus improve labor productivity in the construction sector.