Implementation of BIM in Small Home-Building Businesses

Angelo Joseph Garcia, Ph.D.1; Sinem Mollaoglu, Ph.D., A.M.ASCE2; and Matt Syal, Ph.D., M.ASCE3

Abstract: Implementation of building information modeling (BIM) in all levels and types of building projects in the architectural, engineer-
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ing, and construction (AEC) industry can considerably improve cost, time, quality, and sustainability outcomes. Despite the potential benefits,
upfront costs required to implement BIM hinder its diffusion in small home-building businesses. These costs mainly include consultancy fees,
hiring/training and retention of BIM experts, and software license fees. Based on the small business management and innovation implementa-
tion literature, this study presents a framework for effective BIM implementation in small home-building businesses. The framework posits
three phases with their associated business practices: (1) initiation phase: preliminary BIM adoption setup via external and internal support,
and creation of in-house BIM experts; (2) stabilization phase: retention of in-house BIM experts via business practices improving their skills
and motivation; and (3) progression phase: scanning and exploiting external innovative BIM knowledge to sustain or gain a competitive
advantage. The framework was qualitatively analyzed and verified via interviews. The findings can help facilitate BIM implementation in
small home-building businesses as well as in other small construction firms. DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)SC.1943-5576.0000362. © 2018
American Society of Civil Engineers.

Introduction know-how; therefore, they are not widely followed, especially in

Although building information modeling (BIM) has constituted a
technological and team coordination breakthrough in the architec-
tural, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry, it has been
mainly used in commercial and/or large-scale building projects
while being mostly neglected by the residential construction indus-
try (NAHB 2016). According to a recent study (NAHB 2014), only
15% of home builders claim to be very familiar with BIM, and
another 30% shows interest in using it in the future.
Underutilization of BIM in the residential industry relates to (1)
the misperception that BIM is a mere software to produce fancy
three-dimensional (3D) models, ignoring its use to facilitate collab-
oration across different disciplines (NAHB 2014); (2) initial invest-
ment required to set up BIM infrastructure, including new software,
employee training, and/or new hires with BIM expertise (Nellis
2012); (3) home builders’ perception that BIM practices are suited
for complex projects, such as health care facilities and data centers
(Fabris 2010); (4) the severe financial crisis in the residential build-
ing market during the last decade, limiting home builders’ ability to
invest in innovative methods and technologies (McGraw Hill
Construction 2014); and (5) small businesses’ need for rapid returns
after significant investments to avoid bankruptcy (Robinson et al.
2006).
Adoption of innovative and administrative technologies, such as
BIM, requires significant capital investments, infrastructure, and
1
Postdoctoral Fellow, Construction Management Program, School of
Planning, Design, and Construction, Michigan State Univ., East Lansing,
MI 48824 (corresponding author). E-mail: garci239@msu.edu
2
Associate Professor, Construction Management Program, School of
Planning, Design, and Construction, Michigan State Univ., East Lansing,
MI 48824. E-mail: sinemm@msu.edu
3
Professor, Construction Management Program, School of Planning,
Design, and Construction, Michigan State Univ., East Lansing, MI 48824.
E-mail: syalm@msu.edu
Note. This manuscript was submitted on August 2, 2017; approved on
October 17, 2017; published online on January 31, 2018. Discussion pe-
riod open until July 1, 2018; separate discussions must be submitted for
individual papers. This paper is part of the Practice Periodical on
Structural Design and Construction, © ASCE, ISSN 1084-0680.
small home-building businesses. The literature defines small busi-
nesses as having fewer than 100 employees (Way 2002; Sels et al.
2006). In the home-building industry, on average, small single- and
multifamily home builders with a focus on construction have nine
employees (NAHB 2015). Most small firms specializing in home
design in the United States have fewer than 10 employees (AIA
2012). Despite BIM’s promise in improved multidisciplinary col-
laboration and project outcomes (e.g., time, cost, quality, and sus-
tainability) (Fabris 2010; Poirier et al. 2015), economies of scale
(Ferris et al. 1998; Sels et al. 2006) create a barrier to its adoption.
In other words, the imbalance between high capital investment need
for BIM infrastructure and low numbers of home productions in
small home-building business makes this market the least attracted
to adoption of BIM in comparison to mid- and large-size home-
building and commercial construction businesses. In addition, small
businesses frequently lack financial resources to support research
and development departments to experiment with innovations such
as BIM and figure out how to effectively implement them (Mazzei
et al. 2016; Sels et al. 2006).
To help small home-building businesses adopt BIM and success-
fully implement BIM in their projects, this study presents a detailed
literature review that (1) analyzes BIM innovative features, benefits,
and implementation challenges in residential projects; (2) presents
relevant BIM software for residential projects; and (3) develops a
framework of BIM implementation in small home-building busi-
nesses, including key phases and business practices. To qualita-
tively analyze and verify this framework, interviews were con-
ducted with three home builders. Results supported the framework
and revealed key business practices that can help small home-
building businesses successfully adopt BIM.
BIM Overview
BIM embraces two main components, “modeling software and
associated set of processes to produce, communicate, and analyze
building models” (Eastman et al. 2011). BIM was developed as a
response to traditional AEC methods that were unable to (1) show-
case final products in a satisfactory manner to clients before

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 Table 1. BIM Innovative Features and Related Benefits

BIM innovative feature Description Benefits

Parametric modeling
Automation of drawing
updates
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Building components in BIM models contain parametric
rules dictating how their geometry and position are to be
adjusted according to the surrounding elements (e.g.,
specific HVAC ducts must be parallel to the roof)
(Eastman et al. 2011).
All 2D drawings, such as sections, plans, site plans, and
elevations, are linked to and extracted from a single 3D
model. Thus, any change in the 3D model is automatically
Enables clash detection to identify design incompatibilities.
This feature reduces change orders during construction
(Smith 2015).
Eliminates the need to redraw all 2D drawings for any design
change, and eliminates incompatibilities between 2D draw-
ings (Indovance 2015).

applied to all 2D drawings (Indovance 2015).

Automation of construction
management tasks
Multi-disciplinary
collaboration
Building performance
assessment
Virtual construction
Interactive 3D walkthroughs
BIM software enables automatic count of elements, and
calculation of areas, volumes, and material quantities. This
allows, for example, creation of 5D models composed of
3D models with cost estimate and project schedule attached
(Eastman et al. 2011).
BIM models can be simultaneously designed by multidisci-
plinary experts (e.g., architects, constructors, and struc-
tural, mechanical, energy, and electrical engineers) in a
shared software. They have instant access to each other’s
systems to ease integration and reduce incompatibilities
(Eastman et al. 2011).
BIM software includes tools to simulate and assess, before
construction, buildings’ performance (e.g., sustainability
and structural performance) before construction during their
lifecycles (i.e., materials manufacturing, construction,
operation, maintenance, and demolition or deconstruction)
(GIT et al. 2010; Azhar et al. 2011; Jalaei and Jrade 2015).
Construction sequences can be virtually simulated to detect
constructability issues and assess construction material/
equipment layouts on site (BSRIA 2013).
Clients can see the final product via virtual 3D walkthroughs
before construction start (Smith 2014).
Improved (1) takeoff processes reducing material waste
during construction, (2) generation of cost estimates and
schedules, and (3) designers’ productivity (e.g., designer
performs simultaneously both drafting and takeoffs)
(Larson 2011).
Facilitates multidisciplinary collaboration and subsequent
creation of a consistent BIM model (Eastman et al. 2011).
For example, accurate prediction of buildings’ construction,
operation, and maintenance costs (Eastman et al. 2011).
Reduces construction time, and improves project scheduling
and safety on the field (BSRIA 2013).
Improved project sales due to clients’ increased satisfaction
when they can see what they are paying for (Sears 2015),
and reduced rework during construction due to clients’
improved understanding of the final product during design
(Smith 2015).

Table 2. BIM Challenges

BIM challenge Description

Interoperability
Scalability
Design limited to library components
or time to develop initial library
Client initiated setbacks to the design
process
Geometric data can be easily transferred between different BIM software, but transfer of data related to BIM
component behaviors (i.e., parametric rules) might not be possible. Thus, ideally, all designers in a project should
handle the same BIM software. In addition, data transfer between a 3D model and specific tools (e.g., energy efficiency
analysis) within the same BIM software might not be trivial (Eastman et al. 2011).
BIM models, depending on their size and level of detail, might contain thousands of BIM elements constituting
huge loads of information overwhelming computer memory size. This might slow down software and reduce
designers’ productivity. To address this, designers can partition BIM models in different files and run applications
spreading changes made in one file to the rest (Eastman et al. 2011).
Design might be limited to library components within a BIM software (Smith 2014). Creating library components
might be time-consuming due to the programing required to develop parametric rules. However, creating a standard
library satisfying a company’s unique designs eventually pays off by increasing productivity (Smith 2015). Most
BIM software typically comes with a standard library (Eastman et al. 2011).
BIM can quickly apply changes throughout the design and show the final product to the client before construction
starts via 3D walkthroughs. This might encourage clients to keep demanding changes to check different design
outcomes. Thus, builders might have to limit clients’ opportunities to demand new design changes (Smith 2014).

construction, (2) facilitate multidisciplinary collaboration to evalu-
ate building performance during design, and (3) avoid redundant
work during construction and design incompatibilities (Fabris
2010). Main innovative features of BIM are applicable to all types
of AEC projects (e.g., residential, industrial, and commercial) and
are presented in Table 1 along with their benefits. In contrast, BIM
also presents some important challenges for effective implementa-
tion, as described in Table 2.
BIM modeling software may refer to various concepts (Eastman
et al. 2011):

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 1. BIM tools to perform analyses (e.g., energy efficiency analysis
and quantity takeoff);
2. BIM platforms to collect project data from BIM tools and inte-
grate them in an interface (for example, a BIM platform can
collect material thermal properties stored in a 3D model to de-
velop energy efficiency analysis); and
3. BIM environments to manage data across multiple 3D models,
typically used by upper management to oversee implementa-
tion of organizational practices and policies.
Typically, builders first look for a suitable BIM platform and
then add BIM tools to the adopted platform according to their needs.
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implementation. Last, these practices were classified under three
different phases of a BIM implementation process based on work
by Frank et al. (2011) on implementation of innovations:
1. Initiation of innovation adoption processes: An initial BIM
adoption setup is designed, emphasizing exposure to and learn-
ing of an innovation. This requires properly exploiting avail-
able resources (e.g., investing financial resources in the right
BIM software) with external support if necessary (e.g., consul-
tancy services), generating a business culture supporting BIM
adoption (e.g., top management support), and creating in-house
BIM experts via training existing employees and/or hiring new

Many of the BIM platform developers offer many extra tools on
their websites at additional costs. For instance, the EcoDesigner
tool can be added to the ArchiCAD BIM platform to facilitate green
design (GRAPHISOFT 2016a), or the BIM A360 tool can be added
to the Revit BIM platform to support construction field management
(Autodesk 2016).
In general, BIM platforms specializing in 3D drafting also offer
(1) five-dimensional (5D) modeling to develop cost estimating and
project scheduling attached to 3D models, (2) capability to develop
a number of design alternatives based on a set of standard or master
design options, and (3) tools to link building components’ data to
compute numerical control machines for manufacturing processes.
Many other BIM platforms only facilitate model imports from other
platforms and provide tools for key construction management func-
tions, such as estimating, scheduling, and construction simulation.
Table 3 presents a list of popular BIM platforms along with their
suitable application areas. None of these can be deemed as the best
option because each one has its own strengths and weaknesses.
Selection of the BIM platform best suiting a home-building business
mainly depends on a project’s size and complexity (Merschbrock and
Munkvold 2014; Lucas 2017).
employees with BIM expertise.
2. Stabilization or constant use of an innovation: In-house BIM
experts created in the initiation phase are retained via practices
allowing them to experiment with and explore BIM, while
enhancing their BIM knowledge and performance and willing-
ness to stay in the business.
3. Progression of innovation implementation performance: Retained
expertise in the stabilization phase can enable effective scan-
ning and exploitation of external innovative BIM knowledge
in the progression phase (Cohen and Levinthal 1990). Scanning
and acquiring external innovative knowledge requires devel-
oping or participating in BIM knowledge sharing networks.
Exploitation of this knowledge can improve a business’s
BIM performance and competitive advantage. After the pro-
gression phase, a business must return to the stabilization
phase to ensure retention and constant use of the acquired
innovative knowledge.
The aforementioned phases and their associated business prac-
tices based on the innovation implementation and small business
management literature are displayed in Fig. 1. The next sections
describe these practices in detail.

Initiation: Initial BIM Adoption Setup

BIM for Small Home-Building Businesses
To assist small home builders with BIM implementation, this study
developed a framework of key business practices as follows. First,
based on a review of the small business management literature, the
researchers identified a number of key practices for effective BIM
Initial BIM adoption requires new software and information sharing
processes that might redefine business capabilities and employees’
relationships, roles, and skills (Rue and Ibrahim 1998; Terziovski
2010). The practices listed here can give a vital initial impulse to
small home-building businesses for BIM adoption.

Table 3. BIM Platforms for Residential Projects (Data from Fabris 2010; Eastman et al. 2011; Green 2016)

BIM platform Overview

VisionREZ For drafting residential projects, especially easy to learn if familiarized with 2D AutoCAD (BCG 2016).
Vertex BD To primarily design medium to large-sized residential projects. Includes a tool for managing multiple design options based on a set
of standard building components or systems (Argos Systems 2016).
Envisioneer For home building and light commercial. Includes tools to guide energy-efficient design (i.e., passivHaus package) (Cadsoft 2016).
ARCHICAD 19 Solo Incorporates built-in tools for renovation and home expansion projects, and energy-efficient design tools (GRAPHISOFT 2016b).
SoftPlan Allows simultaneous generation of design, construction documents, and bills of materials (Green 2016). Includes the SoftPlan
Remodel program for remodeling bathrooms and kitchens (SoftPlan 2016).
Chief Architect Similar to SoftPlan (Green 2016), offers specific tools for kitchens, bathrooms, landscaping, and decks (Chief Architect 2016).
Vectorworks Applicable to residential and commercial projects, it can 3D scan the physical location of the building, eliminating traditional field
surveys. Incorporates tools for sustainable design (i.e., Energos) (Vectorworks 2016).
Revit Appropriate for designing complex roofs and light-frame construction in residential projects (Autodesk University 2016).
StrucSoft Solutions’ Add-on for Revit (Green 2016). Generates light-gauge steel and wood framing, and offers computer numerical control output for
MWF framing elements (StrucSoft 2016).
FreshBrix Mobile application to connect builders and homebuyers before/during/after construction. Offers virtual tours, design updates,
construction real-time updates and pictures, and databases for home operation/maintenance (FreshBrix 2016).
BuilderTREND Application for mobile devices for home builders and remodelers. Imports a BIM model for construction, financial, and customer
management (BuilderTrend 2016).
BIM Pipeline For design options management, based on a set of standard BIM models, allows to quickly build up new BIM design options and
automatically calculates new cost estimates (CG Visions 2016a).

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Fig. 1. Framework for effective BIM implementation in small home-building businesses
External Support
External support might come from consultancy services for train-
ing, advising, running the start of BIM projects, or leading the BIM
implementation process during the entire initiation phase (Fig. 1)
(Fabris 2010). In particular, these services for home builders might
include the following (CG Visions 2016b):
• Selection of the BIM platform best tailored for a specific home
builder, avoiding costs of shifting to other BIM platforms
later;
• Converting home builders’ sets of two-dimensional (2D) plans
into 3D master models, and developing strategies to update
these master models;
• Creating strategies to generate and manage 3D structural and
design options embedded in 3D master models;
• Helping designers and trade partners to solve interoperability
issues, and designing workflows to develop consistent 3D
models;
• Conducting building performance analyses, such as clash
detection or energy efficiency; and
• Coordinating diverse business areas, such as design sales, cost
estimates, and purchase operations.
External support might also come from other home builders’
experiences. Many of them recommend the following (Miller 2012;
Sears 2015):
• Initially implementing BIM in pilot projects for testing pur-
poses, where going back to former methods is easy if BIM
fails;
• Hiring a BIM champion to lead BIM projects until employees
gain enough confidence to take over;
• Buying a library with standard BIM components to save exces-
sive time developing them; and
• Limiting the level of design details because, e.g., files above
50 or 100 MB might substantially slow down BIM software
and, consequently, employees’ productivity.
Internal Support
Gaining internal support from both upper management and lower-
level employees is crucial when adopting BIM. Upper-management
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support can provide financial resources and empower employees to
make changes in software and workflow structures within a busi-
ness. This support is easier to obtain if the BIM adoption process
follows a thoroughly designed program (Nellis 2012). Lower-level
employee buy-in is also vital because they can experiment with
BIM processes and adapt them to businesses’ cultures and policies
(Dearing and Meyer 2011). Employee buy-in is improved if new
roles with BIM are clearly defined, including responsibilities of
tasks to be performed, skills to be acquired or improved, and inter-
actions with other peers (Chen and Klimoski 2003; Terziovski
2010).
Time and Cost Objectives
Small home builders should set up cost and time objectives for
adopting innovative processes, such as BIM (Rue and Ibrahim
1998). Nevertheless, it is very difficult to find home builders in the
market establishing and sharing such objectives. Instead, many
home builders just keep track of cost and time outcomes during
BIM adoption and share their outcomes. For instance, it might take
up to 3 months with daily training before employees proficiently
handle BIM software (Sears 2015), or BIM software and training
costs can be up to $13,000 for businesses with fewer than 10
employees (Miller 2012).
Acquisition of In-House Expertise
In-house BIM expertise can be created via hiring or training as
explained here.
Hiring. Small home-building businesses can acquire BIM expertise
by hiring employees with BIM explicit or tacit knowledge (Nonaka
and Takeuchi 1995). Explicit knowledge is “academic, or theoreti-
cal knowledge or know-what” [Smith 2001 (e.g., BIM definition
and overall functioning)]; is easy to share; and is gained through
books, education, or training. In contrast, tacit knowledge is
“practical, action-oriented knowledge, or know-how based on
practice”; is more difficult to share; is mainly acquired through
experience; and is frequently similar to intuition (Smith 2001).
Individuals with BIM tacit knowledge might be essential to effi-
ciently adopt BIM as an innovation because they can help to
Pract. Period. Struct. Des. Constr.
 avoid naïve errors and advise employees with mostly BIM
explicit knowledge (Grant 1996).
Training. Small home-building businesses can also develop their
in-house BIM expertise by training their own employees. Training
might only develop employees’ BIM explicit or theoretical knowl-
edge. Consequently, initially their performance might not be effec-
tive due to missing tacit or experienced-based knowledge allowing
them to better understand and interpret their explicit knowledge
(Brown and Dugid 2000). Therefore, effective training practices
should (1) involve real-life projects where trainees can absorb tacit
knowledge, and/or (2) be guided by employees with tacit knowl-
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edge supervising trainees’ interpretation of explicit knowledge.
Stabilization: High-Performance Work Practices for BIM
Small businesses struggle with retention of their hired and/or
trained experts. Over time, these experts develop specific knowl-
edge about a business’s culture, policies, employees’ skills, and
work procedures that is necessary to optimize business performance
(Chen 2005). However, they frequently migrate to larger businesses
seeking better financial security or broader professional develop-
ment (Raymond et al. 2013). Losing these experts might harm small
businesses’ performance due to not being able to replace them.
In the literature of small business management, practices to
retain employees in a business via improving their skills and moti-
vating them to optimize their performance are referred to as high-
performance work practices. These practices require low financial
resources, improve employees’ skills and knowledge while decreas-
ing their voluntary turnover, enhance their productivity, and foster
their creativity and collaboration (Way 2002; Sels et al. 2006;
Messersmith and Guthrie 2010; Mazzei et al. 2016). In contrast,
these practices might raise employees’ work intensity and stress
(Ramsay et al. 2000) or increase labor costs due to creating valuable
employees requiring higher compensation for their additional skills,
which could be attracted by other competitors in the market (Sels
et al. 2006; Faems et al. 2005). Based on the work from Way
(2002), Sels et al. (2006), and Mazzei et al. (2016), practices to
retain BIM experts due to improving their skills and motivating
them to excel comprise the following.
Feedback Sessions
In-house feedback sessions (e.g., weekly informal huddles or for-
mal meetings to share BIM experiences) to reflect on, discuss, inter-
pret, and assimilate BIM procedures and outcomes can increase
employees’ BIM knowledge at no additional cost (Ruiz-Mercader
et al. 2006; Mazzei et al. 2016). The quality of feedback sessions is
enhanced by trust among employees. Trust generates psychological
safety, decreasing fear of embarrassment due to potential negative
reactions of peers when sharing doubts, insights, comments, or sug-
gestions (Edmondson 1999).
Employee Autonomy
Employee autonomy is the extent to which employees can make im-
portant decisions without being disrupted. Employees with high
autonomy experience a greater sense of responsibility of the work
performed (Campion et al. 1993). Consequently, they increase their
motivation to exploit their skills and stay in a business (Elmuti
1996; Mazzei et al. 2016). However, employees’ degree of
autonomy should depend on their capacity to make the right deci-
sions and improve business performance (Cohen and Bailey 1997).
For instance, home-building businesses might benefit from endow-
ing individuals with high experience-based BIM knowledge with
high autonomy. Conversely, they might have to tightly supervise
recently trained employees’ decisions due to their lower ability to
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foresee the consequences of their decisions on business perform-
ance (Brown and Dugid 2000).
Task Flexibility
Task flexibility refers to the degree to which employees can perform
or influence other peers’ tasks (Campion et al. 1993; Way 2002).
BIM collaboration processes allow multidisciplinary experts to
access and learn from each other’s task progress and outcomes.
Eventually, they develop a common knowledge, enhancing their
ability to understand multidisciplinary information (Alavi and
Leidner 2001; Reagans and McEvily 2003). Therefore, they
improve their capability to develop or influence tasks from disci-
plines other than their own. This facilitates building a consistent
BIM model, eliminating design incompatibilities.
Shared Goals
Creating shared goals induces employees to perform according to
businesses’ standards and policies by increasing their sense of iden-
tity with businesses’ cultures and values (Dyer and Nobeoka 2000).
This motivates employees to adopt a team-oriented behavior by
which they collaborate via open-minded discussions to produce sol-
utions satisfying both personal and business interests (Campion
et al. 1993; Tjosvold et al. 1999). Ultimately, shared goals foster
employees’ creativity if they clearly understand pursued goals and
receive feedback on the current progress (Latham 2004; Mazzei
et al. 2016). In small home-building businesses, shared goals might
include a project’s time, cost, and sustainability standards, or the
number of projects completed per year.
Performance Recognition
Publicly recognizing employees’ BIM performance spreads their
reputation in the market among professionals, increasing their will-
ingness to stay in a business and improving their performance to
preserve their reputation (Coleman 1988; Reagans and McEvily
2003).
Progression: Innovative BIM Knowledge Acquisition
Small businesses need to continuously search for and exploit exter-
nal innovative knowledge to improve their performance and sustain
or gain a competitive advantage (Zander and Kogut 1995).
Commonly, large businesses possess a research and development
department examining and experimenting with innovative knowl-
edge to effectively exploit it (Cohen and Levinthal 1990). However,
small businesses frequently lack financial resources to support these
types of departments (Mazzei et al. 2016; Sels et al. 2006).
An economical method to gain and effectively exploit innova-
tive BIM knowledge is to develop or participate in knowledge-
sharing networks connecting BIM users (e.g., small businesses for
residential design or construction, or BIM platform development)
(Cooke and Wills 1999; Wiklund and Shepherd 2003; Gronum
et al. 2012; Zacca et al. 2015). Frequently, small businesses utilizing
BIM cannot efficiently exploit their innovative knowledge, thus
they are willing to share it in networks to figure out how to best
exploit it (Van de Vrande et al. 2009). Features of knowledge-
sharing networks for acquiring and exploiting valuable innovative
BIM knowledge should include the following.
Network Cohesion
Network cohesion refers to the degree to which removing net-
work actors results in the formation of disconnected subnetworks
(Tortoriello et al. 2012). In highly cohesive networks, trust
among home builders might arise because reputation is easily
spread (Coleman 1988). This strengthens BIM users’ interest in
Pract. Period. Struct. Des. Constr.
 collaborating and sharing valuable BIM knowledge to increase or
preserve their reputation in a network (Reagans and McEvily
2003). High network cohesion can be fostered (e.g., having
monthly meetings gathering all home builders in a network, or
promoting their participation in communities of practice).
Scope of Network Interactions
Optimal business performance requires creating connections
beyond close communities to avoid redundant knowledge and to
access new knowledge (Cooke and Wills 1999; Ahuja 2000).
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vendors until they identify a valuable new platform that could
potentially improve BIM implementation in their businesses.
Frequent Interactions for Valuable BIM
Knowledge Acquisition
Once valuable knowledge has been scanned and identified, then fre-
quent and planned interactions for acquiring it might be established
(Gronum et al. 2012). For example, a home builder detects a BIM
platform suiting his or her business and engages in frequent interac-
tions with the vendor to learn how to handle it, or a home builder

Hence, small home builders might need to establish connections
across, for example, their cities and/or states to obtain innovative
BIM knowledge (e.g., for obtaining knowledge about innovative
BIM platforms or tools only used in other states).
Occasional Interactions for Scanning Valuable
BIM Knowledge
Occasional interactions involve knowledge sharing without exces-
sive detail. These interactions are not planned and are preferred
when home builders simply scan new BIM knowledge and rapidly
assess its potential value to their businesses (Gronum et al. 2012).
Such interactions might occur, for example, in the International
Builders’ Show, where innovative BIM platforms are presented,
and home builders quickly scan their features and potential value
for their businesses. In doing so, they can interact with many
identifies a peer who knows how to handle a BIM tool to assess
buildings’ sustainability performance and interacts frequently until
learning it.
Types of BIM Knowledge in Networks
Overall, explicit (i.e., theoretical) knowledge coming from books,
training, or education is easily available to most businesses.
Conversely, tacit (i.e., experience-based) knowledge is frequently
stored solely in individuals’ brains (Smith 2001). Hence, tacit
knowledge might be key to gaining a competitive advantage
(Wiklund and Shepherd 2003). Therefore, home builders might
benefit more from networks with home builders with tacit knowl-
edge. For example, a home builder might learn a BIM tool for sus-
tainability analysis via online tutorials or manuals (i.e., explicit
knowledge); however, a home builder’s experience (i.e., tacit

Table 4. Practices for Initial BIM Adoption Setup (Initiation Phase)

Initial BIM adoption setup
External support
Internal support
Time and cost parameters
Hiring and training
Note: When home builders interviewed in this study made the decision to adopt BIM, all of them immediately applied BIM for 100% of their projects.
Descriptions and practices reported based on interviewee responses
External coaching or consultancy services are appropriate strategies to initiate the BIM adoption process, especially if
there is a lack of internal BIM expertise. Consultancy services can help in, for example, software selection and estab-
lishment of new workflows within/across departments within home-building businesses. If these services are dis-
carded, then possessing employees with experience-based BIM implementation knowledge is crucial for successful
BIM adoption.
Interviewed home builders in this study are top managers of their businesses who initiated the BIM adoption processes.
They devoted the required resources to implement BIM in 100% of their projects since the beginning. In addition, they
highlight the importance of employees’ positive attitudes toward learning and implementing BIM to smooth BIM
adoption processes.
Cost and time requirements and return on investment for BIM adoption in small home-building businesses might be
difficult to estimate. As an interviewee highlighted, “The time to train somebody would be offset by the time saved by
BIM and not redrawing/reworking two dimensional drawings. I didn’t know exactly how much training would cost,
but I knew that investing in BIM would be in the end productive and valuable.”
Either hiring or training BIM experts, or a combination of both are effective strategies to create BIM expertise. The
hiring strategy should mainly capture employees with BIM experience if there is little BIM expertise within a busi-
ness. Employees with a basic BIM foundation can be hired if a business possesses experts with BIM experience to
train or guide them. As an interviewee claimed, “At the beginning I temporarily hired an expert training all the
employees together for 6 months, he would come once a month for one week… but now I have some people with
BIM experience teaching the others in both BIM software and collaboration processes.”
Effective training should involve a real-life project: “I first train employees on a BIM tutorial to allow them to under-
stand BIM capabilities in our internal system, then I train them in an internal project,” and “When my employees are
trained, they actually build a home, using our projects, our whole concepts of floor plans, anything is done real time…
You need some real bullets in your gun.”
Regarding training cost and time, a home builder with approximately 50 employees claimed that “Training takes
between 3 and 4 weeks before the employees are productive and become an asset to me… Training costs between
$100 and $110 per hour… It's expensive up front, but the yield on the back is very good,” whereas another with
approximately five employees said, “Training is costly, between $1,500 and $2,000 per month at least. The learning
curve is steep in the beginning and then the steep is off. Initially the steep curve could be stressful 3 weeks with hard
learning, afterwards it becomes easier.” New hires with BIM expertise avoid training cost and time but require a
higher salary than trained employees.

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 Table 5. Practices for BIM High-Performance Work Practices (Stabilization Phase)

BIM high-performance practices
Feedback practices
Employees’ autonomy
Task flexibility
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Descriptions and practices reported based on interviewee responses
Some interviewees utilize feedback sessions, such as formal weekly meetings, to share, discuss, and interpret BIM
experiences. These sessions help to spread and exploit BIM knowledge about software, information flows, and new
products created within home-building businesses.
Experts with high BIM experience should be able to make important decisions without managers’ interference from
projects’ conception to completion: “If there is someone brand new, I'm going to be very watchful… but after this
person has been here for a while and knows enough, then their autonomy in scale from 1 to 5 would be more than
4.5,” but “The rules of the game are our company and architectural standards, guidelines for planning.”
Allowing multidisciplinary experts to influence each other’s design portions helps to develop a consistent BIM model,

minimizing errors. For example, the study interviewees allow architectural, structural, or mechanical designers to
suggest modifications in each other’s systems.
Shared goals Imposing shared goals among multidisciplinary experts (e.g., developing a consistent BIM model) can promote a
more coordinated design. They tend to examine more carefully the impact of their systems on those of their peers.
Performance recognition Two interviewees had established systems to formally and publicly recognize BIM experts’ noteworthy performance. For
example, “We have an internal BIM competition. There is a rating system for three BIM aspects: design, collaboration
processes, and construction field readability. Employees get graded from all their peers, and at the end of that, there is a
tangible gift which is also some sort of recognition which is company-wide.”
Retention of BIM expertsa The two home builders interviewed with approximately 50 employees claimed to be able to retain their BIM experts.
Conversely, the interviewee with approximately five employees was not able to retain them after three or four years.
This is probably because, based on his responses, the latter interviewee neglected practices such as feedback sessions,
employee autonomy, and performance recognition.
a
Retention of BIM experts is not a BIM high-performance work practice. It is included to qualitatively assess whether retention of BIM experts is influenced
by proper implementation of BIM high-performance work practices.

Table 6. Practices for Innovative BIM Knowledge Acquisition (Progression Phase)

New BIM knowledge acquisition
Networks of BIM users
Networks cohesion
Scope of network interactions
Occasional interactions for scan-
ning BIM knowledge
Frequent interactions for BIM
knowledge transfer
BIM knowledge types in
networks
Descriptions and practices reported based on interviewee responses
Small home builders can easily and economically gain new valuable BIM knowledge via networks connecting diverse
BIM users. These networks should include not only home builders but also other BIM users, such as architects, engi-
neers, or commercial general contractors.
Highly cohesive networks for BIM knowledge sharing can be created via monthly meetings bringing together all network
members. This promotes trust generation and reputation spread within the network, pushing network members to share
their best valuable BIM knowledge.
Because BIM is still relatively new in the residential construction market, only one interviewee claimed to have a
well-defined network of BIM users, all of them located within the same state.
Home-builder B attends events such as the International Builders’ Show to scan innovative BIM knowledge (e.g., new
BIM platforms or smartphone applications). These events provide home builders with occasional interactions at low
cost to scan valuable knowledge potentially improving their BIM performance.
Monthly interactions (e.g., via formal face-to-face meetings with PowerPoint presentations) might be suitable to take
advantage of BIM users’ knowledge within a network. Nonetheless, they might need to occur more frequently for
effective knowledge transfer. For example, when a home builder acquires a new BIM platform and interacts daily or
weekly with the vendor until proficiently handling it.
BIM knowledge shared in networks is mostly experience-based and can be either business-related (e.g., planned
portfolio and its management, number of residential projects and employees) or project-related (e.g., BIM software
techniques, tools, workflows, uses in the field during the construction phase, or solutions to specific issues).

knowledge) might give him or her key tips for practical applications
unavailable in online tutorials or manuals.
Methods
The purpose of this study was to examine effective implementation
of BIM in small home-building businesses. A review of the small
business management and innovation implementation literature
was performed to develop a framework with key phases and busi-
ness practices for BIM implementation. This framework is illus-
trated in Fig. 1. To verify the framework via qualitative analysis, the
researchers conducted interviews with three top managers of
different small home-building businesses with 50 or fewer employ-
ees. The interviewees were found via a Web search of home build-
ers currently implementing BIM for all of their projects. These
builders had previous experience with implementing traditional
methods and then shifting to BIM. The aim was to interview small
home builders of different sizes and geographical locations.
Especially helpful for the Web search were BIM software websites
where home builders commented on their experiences using spe-
cific BIM software, and online construction magazines, such as
“Professional Builder” (www.probuilder.com), which offers a num-
ber of articles interviewing home builders who use BIM. A ques-
tionnaire of open-ended questions regarding the business practices
in Fig. 1 was developed for the interviews. The interviews were

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 conducted in March and April 2016, took an average of 25 min, and
were recorded and coded for research purposes. Collected data were
analyzed qualitatively, and findings were reported.
Results
When searching for home builders implementing BIM, the research-
ers observed that most of them offer not only construction manage-
ment but also design services. The underlying reason might be two-
fold: first, the need for tight collaboration between designers and
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midwest, and southeast regions. On average, they have 20 years of
experience in residential construction, and all of them currently use
BIM for 100% of their projects. Two of them have 50 employees,
develop more than 200 residential projects per year, use Revit and
Vertex BD BIM platforms, and have 5 and 13 years of BIM experi-
ence. The other home builder has six employees, develops fewer
than 5 residential projects per year, utilizes Revit, and has 14 years
of BIM experience. Only one of them uses mobile devices (e.g., tab-
lets and smartphones) with BIM applications on site.
Their responses to the interview questionnaire provided in-depth
descriptions of the business practices in Fig. 1. Tables 4, 5, and 6

constructors to fully exploit BIM practices has led many home build-
ers to incorporate design services or to join hands with design firms;
and second, architects are leading BIM adoption in the residential
market, thus home builders solely offering construction manage-
ment without design services might be very scant (NAHB 2014).
Interviewed home builders perform both design and construction
activities in their residential projects. The three home builders are
from different areas of the United States, including the west,
detail interviewees’ responses regarding initial BIM adoption setup,
BIM high-performance work practices, and innovative BIM knowl-
edge acquisition, respectively. All interviewees confirmed that they
used the business practices in Fig. 1 for effective BIM implemen-
tation. Only one of them did not thoroughly implement the prac-
tices under the stabilization phase. Consequently, he pointed out
that he was unable to retain his BIM experts for more than 3 or 4
years. Therefore, results verified the study framework (Fig. 1).

Fig. 2. Study framework expanded with example practices

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Pract. Period. Struct. Des. Constr., 2018, 23(2): 04018007

 BIM Implementation
Effectiveness
3. Progression
2. Stabilization
1. Initiation
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Fig. 3. Phases and effectiveness of BIM implementation
Interviewees highlighted that BIM improved their businesses’
and/or projects’ performance in different areas, mainly including
information flows and management, employees’ productivity,
coordination in the field, projects’ time and cost savings, detec-
tion of design errors, and competitive advantage in the market.
Discussion
The results provided in-depth descriptions of business practices
adopted by small home builders for BIM application. These prac-
tices correspond to those previously presented in the framework for
effective BIM implementation. They are compiled again in Fig. 2
along with key examples or observations made by interviewees.
These practices are linked to different phases of the BIM implemen-
tation process (i.e., initiation, stabilization, and progression). The
most problematic practice was developing time and cost objectives.
The interviewees were unable to initially determine time and cost of
BIM implementation. However, they took the risk to adopt BIM
showing an entrepreneurial business orientation, defined as “will-
ingness to innovate and take risks to try out new and uncertain prod-
ucts and services, and be more proactive than competitors toward
new marketplace opportunities” (Wiklund and Shepherd 2005).
Phases in the BIM implementation framework (Fig. 2) (i.e., ini-
tiation, stabilization, and progression) were not empirically tested.
Based on the aforementioned literature review, they are important
to understand how innovative products or practices influence busi-
ness performance across time (Frank et al. 2011). Fig. 3 proposes
that they influence BIM implementation performance at varying
levels. First, during the initiation phase, home builders create BIM
experts and significantly improve BIM implementation; second, in
the stabilization phase, home builders retain their BIM experts and
maintain a stable BIM implementation effectiveness; and third, dur-
ing the progression phase, home builders acquire innovative BIM
knowledge facilitating a positive leap in BIM implementation effec-
tiveness. Retention of BIM expertise in the stabilization phase can
create common knowledge with external innovative BIM knowl-
edge, facilitating its exploitation in the progression phase (Cohen
and Levinthal 1990; Reagans and McEvily 2003; Alavi and Leidner
2001). After the progression phase, small businesses must go back
to the stabilization phase to underpin retention and constant use of
the acquired innovative knowledge. Future research should confirm
these phases and their impact on the BIM implementation process
via quantitative and qualitative analysis with longitudinal data.
The framework for BIM implementation in this study is suited
for small home-building business. The literature also offers more
© ASCE
Pract. Period. Struct. Des. Constr., 2018, 23(2): 04018007
3
2
Time / BIM Implementation Phases
complex frameworks, such as those from Gu and London (2010)
and Jung and Joo (2011). Their frameworks are applicable to larger
and more sophisticated businesses, and offer deeper details of tech-
nical aspects of BIM.
Conclusion
This study aimed to systematically review and report practices and
strategies to enable effective BIM implementation in small home
building businesses. To achieve this aim, a framework was devel-
oped based on the small management and innovation implementa-
tion literature. This framework posits three phases with their respec-
tive business practices for effective BIM implementation: (1)
initiation phase: preliminary BIM adoption setup via external and
internal support, and creation of in-house BIM experts; (2) stabiliza-
tion phase: retention of in-house BIM experts via business prac-
tices, improving their skills and motivation for high performance;
and (3) progression phase: scanning and exploiting external innova-
tive BIM knowledge to sustain or gain a competitive advantage.
Not all practices in the resulting framework might be applicable for
the many sole practitioners in the residential building market
(NAHB 2015) (e.g., hiring, training, performance recognition, and
shared goals). This study contributes to the body of knowledge by
expanding understanding on how small home-building businesses
and other small construction firms can effectively adopt and imple-
ment technological and administrative innovations, such as BIM.
The main limitation of the study is the low sample size, which
might have impeded the researchers from identifying key additional
business practices or examples in the study’s framework. The
framework was verified by qualitative methods for in-depth exami-
nation of how business practices should be implemented for effec-
tive utilization of BIM in small home-building businesses. Future
research should quantitatively analyze the study’s framework via,
for example, statistical tests with longitudinal data. This would
allow detection of correlations among business practices, confirm
phases of the BIM implementation process, and examine the rela-
tive contribution of the business practices to the effectiveness of
BIM implementation.
BIM constitutes the last technological and team management
breakthrough in the AEC industry. As with other technologies, such
as smartphones, that emerged and rapidly spread, BIM might be
adopted by most home builders in the following 5 years. As one of
the interviewees asserted: “We chose to go to BIM because it is the
future, a lot of other home builders do not upgrade because of the
cost and the fear of learning, but this is our success. If you do not
04018007-9 Pract. Period. Struct. Des. Constr.
 keep up with the times you will be behind times, you cannot succeed
in a world progressing.”
Acknowledgments
This study was supported by a graduate fellowship from the
Housing Education Leadership Program 2013 grant awarded by
the National Housing Endowment.
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