Comparative analysis of drivers to BIM adoption among AEC firms in developing countries

Purpose Building information modelling (BIM) adoption is vital to the productivity and competitive nature of the construction sector. However, BIM adoptions have not been generally embraced by many architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) firms, particularly in developing countries. Moreover, studies that investigate the important drivers to BIM adoptions among construction professionals through quantitative approach are limited. The purpose of this study is to address the aforementioned gap. Design/methodology/approach This study involves a literature review, a pilot study and a questionnaire survey. The primary data were carried out using structured questionnaires distributed to four different BIM adopter AEC firms. These comprised architectural firms, facility management firms, quantity surveying firms and structural engineering firms in Lagos, Nigeria. Data obtained were analysed using mean score, standard deviation, Kruskal–Wallis test and factor analysis. Findings The study identified 23 drivers to BIM adoption, and the relative importance of the identified drivers was gauged from each selected BIM adopter AEC firm category. The result of the Kruskal–Wallis test showed that there is no statistically significant difference in the perceptions of the four selected AEC firms in the mean ranking of the identified 23 drivers to BIM adoption. The findings from factor analysis categorized the identified drivers into two major factors to include cost and time savings, improved communication, and BIM awareness and government supports. Practical implications The study empirically identifies important drivers to BIM adoption that will be useful for construction stakeholders to formulate strategies to adopt the full implementation of BIM in the AEC firms of Nigeria and other developing countries. Also, this study is important as it identifies, analyses and compares the drivers to BIM adoptions from four different AEC firms, thereby providing robust and more reliable findings. Originality/value The study findings will provide information to policymakers and construction stakeholders to make policy recommendations that are capable of positively influencing the widespread adoption of BIM in AEC firms in particular and the construction industry at large. This study is important because the studies that comparatively and empirically analyzed BIM drivers in AEC firms are rare, particularly in developing countries. Hence, this study could be used to benchmark future studies in developing countries.