Abstract
Today’s economy has enabled data to become a vital asset that rivals financial and physical resources in driving organisational growth and profitability. In this situation, effective data management, particularly through Building Information Modelling (BIM), is essential. BIM leverages project and asset information models to centralise data across construction lifecycles, reflecting a shift towards analytics-driven decision-making. Advances in cloud computing and data storage technologies coupled with openBIM standards have further revolutionised data management in the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) sector, leading to exponential growth in data complexity. While this expansion presents challenges in managing large datasets, it creates opportunities to integrate BIM with big data and complementary technologies to enhance efficiency and productivity.The AEC industry has entered the era of big data with BIM sitting at its core, which is a paradigm referred to as big BIM data (BBD). However, many organisations are not adequately equipped to navigate the complexities of this transformation. To address these challenges, this study conceptualises a framework grounded in the strategic alignment model to integrate BBD effectively within the context of AEC organisations. It begins with a systematic review of BBD literature coving the period from 2013-2023. Building upon the insights gained from this review, semi-structured interviews are conducted to identify a sequence of critical success factors for developing a conceptual framework. Last, the developed exploratory framework is validated by evaluating four alignment perspectives, and the resultant findings are used to create a predictive analytical model that identifies the perspective with the greatest potential to maximise alignment and operational efficiency. The paradigm identified and examined through the sequential triangulation conducted in this study offers significant contributions to the extant body of knowledge and provides AEC organisations with actionable strategies to thrive in the BBD era.
Findings indicate that among the four strategic alignment perspectives examined, the Service Level Alignment Perspective is the most effective in aligning BBD initiatives with organisational objectives. The study contributes a validated AEC Organisational–BBD Strategic Alignment Model and highlights the enabling role of BIM Stage 3 in system-of-systems level integration. Theoretically, it advances strategic alignment literature by contextualising SAM within BBD environments. Practically, it offers actionable insights for AEC firms to enhance internal governance, digital workflows, and supply chain collaboration. This research thus provides a structured pathway for transitioning towards data-driven construction practices, improving organisational resilience and competitiveness in the Construction 4.0 era.
| Date of Award | 2025 |
|---|---|
| Original language | English |
| Supervisor | Saeed BANIHASHEMI (Supervisor), Hamed GOLZAD (Supervisor) & Henry LIU (Supervisor) |