Analyzing the Association between Lean Design Management Practices and BIM Uses in the Design of Construction Projects

Abstract

There is a beneficial effect when integrating Building Information Modeling (BIM) with lean practices to identify and reduce waste in the construction industry. According to experts, it is possible to improve the design process through waste reduction by implementing lean practices and BIM. An unexplored perspective on these synergies concerns the relationship between the specific uses of BIM and lean practices. Therefore, this study analyzed the relationships between Lean Design Management (LDM) practices and BIM uses in the planning and design phases of the infrastructure lifecycle. To achieve this objective, the research was organized into three stages: (1) the explanation of LDM practices and BIM uses; (2) the characterization of sample projects and data collection strategies; and (3) data exploration, including reliability analysis, descriptive statistics, association analysis, and a causal analysis of LDM practices and BIM uses. The analysis of the relationship between LDM practices and BIM uses generated empirical evidence of the implementation of BIM uses and lean management practices at the design phase. LDM practices from the categories planning and control and problem-solving and decision-making were more related to BIM uses than LDM practices from the category stakeholder management. Additionally, it was concluded that if a project applies a higher proportion of BIM uses, it will tend to apply a higher proportion of LDM practices; however, this relationship is not as clear in the other way around.