Digitalization and Procurement in the Construction Industry A qualitative case study of how the BIM-model can impact the procurement process of a construction project for a Norwegian contractor

Abstract

Digitalization has increased the productivity for many industries and contributed to change how companies interact. Construction projects are unique and consist of multiple specialized actors. The contractor coordinates the actors and is responsible for the construction to be built as agreed with the developer. There is plenty of research which describes the benefits of implementing BIM in construction projects. BIM was introduced to the markets in the early 2000s and promised to revolutionize the construction industry. Nineteen years later, the construction industry still suffers from low productivity and low margins. This paper investigates the BIM-model through a qualitative research method and aims to answer the research question: How can the BIM-model impact the procurement process of a construction project for a contractor? Through a literature review, three subresearch questions and a research framework have been identified. The sub-research questions and the research framework provides the basis of the discussion of literature and empirical data. A case study of a Norwegian contractor has been chosen to provide empirical data with a triangulation strategy to improve the credibility of the data collected. The research has identified critical areas for the contractor to improve before the BIM-model can impact the procurement process in a construction project. Furthermore, the paper has identified how BIMcan impact the procurement process of a construction project for a contractor.