Interorganizational use of building information models: potential for automational, informational and transformational effects

Numerous potential barriers to the interorganizational use of building information models (BIMs) have been reported. These potential barriers are technological and organizational. Further, potential barriers are specific to building information models and general to the diffusion of innovation. In spite of potential barriers, there is interorganizational use of BIMs in Finland. The research was carried out in Finland, and investigated organizations' existing and planned interorganizational use of BIMs. The research revealed the potential for interorganizational use of BIMs to enable three types of effects. These are automational effects, informational effects and transformational effects. The generalizability of findings is restricted by at least three factors. First, the research involved only 20 organizations. Second, the research was carried out in one country. Third, the research participants had previously developed skills which can contribute to the interorganizational use of BIMs. Notwithstanding these limitations, consideration of findings suggests that there are few, if any, fundamental barriers to the achievement of automational, informational and/or transformational effects.