Assessing implementation of Building Information Modelling for facility management in Uganda

Abstract

Facility Management is a multi-faceted discipline that is rapidly growing globally. It is a combination of a multitude of functions like change management, space management, risk management, building maintenance and management among others. Each of these functions requires and generates vast amounts of information which is crucial for effective Facility Management. Facility Management also spans the whole of a building life cycle, with stages like design, engineering, construction and operation which also generate and require volumes of information. With the rising trend of data-driven decision making, Facility Managers must find a way to efficiently collect, store, secure and use all the available data to increase value of facilities, hence the need for solutions like BIM. This study is aimed at investigating the implementation of Building Information Modeling for Facility Management in Kampala. The study focused on three objectives; to develop an understanding of Facility Management as part of the building life cycle, to determine understanding of the Building Information Modeling process and to determine the level of implementation of Building Information Modeling in Facility Management. In order to obtain primary data, the study employed questionnaires with open and close ended questions. A sample of 16 officials from Property Management companies in Kampala were involved in the study. The findings of the study indicated that most of the companies start Facility Management at the operation stage of the lifecycle and yet only a few are availed with building information from building life cycle stages prior to that, hence the need for BIM. BIM integrates building information from design, engineering, construction and operation stages so that it can be properly stored, easily accessed and shared. However, findings showed that implementation of BIM is still low in the Uganda Facility Management practice, with some of the hindrances being lack of BIM awareness among some of the Facility Management stakeholders, the high costs associated with BIM, lack of training and use of Property Management software.