ASSESSMENT OF FUTURE EMPLOYMENT AND COMPETENCY SKILLS IN BUILDING INFORMATION MODELING: A DELPHI STUDY

Abstract

Many mainstream architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) professionals are using Building Information Modeling (BIM). Although more and more firms are using BIM and this trend is forecast to continue, it is unclear what skills and competencies a construction manager will need in five years related to BIM. This research aims to answer that question through the use of a Delphi panel comprised of AEC professionals. The panel consists of members with the following qualifications: a minimum of eight years industry or academic experience or a combination of the two, a minimum of three years BIM experience, and membership in a nationally recognized professional organization. The results of the three round Delphi study identified skills and competencies in the following areas related to construction management: cost estimating (78 skills and competencies), scheduling and control (85 skills and competencies), project administration (71 skills and competencies), contract documents (29 skills and competencies), and other skills that were not in other categories (20 skills and competencies). In addition, this study reached consensus on descriptors that individual firms (24 descriptors) and construction mangers (22 descriptors) will need to possess to maintain or increase BIM usage in five-years. Although the panel identified many “new” BIM related construction management skills and competencies, “traditional” skills and competencies are a top response in each respective category. Within these “traditional” skills was the reinforcement of soft skills. BIM is a collaborative project management system so many soft skills are more important than with traditional project management systems. BIM requires some efficient communication along with strong soft skills, an area reinforced by the findings of this research. Furthermore, this research concluded that as BIM diffuses into the construction community, social systems interested in increasing BIM usage should augment “traditional” skill sets with the “new” BIM related skills and competencies. Any academic programs seeking to implement BIM related topics into existing courses should do so in a careful manner. This research revealed in five-years BIM will continue to enter the mainstream. Building Information Modeling theory suggests that AEC industry will completely change because of BIM. However, this is not the entirely the case. This research discovered that soft skills are more important because of BIM diffusion. This research will be of particular interest to industry and academic programs seeking to increase BIM usage, or begin development of curriculum that incorporates BIM. The results include a consensus of the most important skills and competencies related to BIM for a construction manager to possess, as ranked by mean and standard deviation,