Lean Construction and BIM: Complementing Each Other for Better Project Management

Abstract

Recently lean construction concept and building information modeling (BIM) have become one of most mainstream tools for solving many project management problems in construction. Thus, the purpose of this article is to investigate opportunities of increasing project management efficiency in construction by integrated use of lean construction principles and building information modeling. Results of contemporary research on lean construction and BIM were inspected. Analysis and synthesis methods were used to achieve the goals of this research. Knowledge of project management methodology was combined and matched to the known tools of lean construction and BIM to generate ways in which the latter can contribute to more efficient project management in the era of knowledge- based economy and rise of information technologies. The research has shown that the vast majority of lean construction principles can be practically realized with the use of BIM (eight of them - fully, four - partly, another four - none). The authors systematized the benefits of simultaneous application of Lean and BIM in existing knowledge fields of project management (project quality, risks, cost, time, scope, human resources, communications, procurement and stakeholders management). Lastly, the consequent link from lean principles to BIM to project management objectives and to overall business success were shown. The presented results correlate with ideas mentioned in most research on the topic. However, it is seen that more emphasis in the article unlike other research were put on the specific opportunities of lean and BIM application for project management. Thus, the results can be useful for further research of academics (especially in Russia, where this topic isn’t covered enough) as well as for project managers and other specialist in construction industry.