Design workflow analysis of BIM-based projects : integrating social and process dynamics -

Abstract

The ongoing advancement and increasing complexity of design and construction requirements result in the rapid proliferation of information that needs to be properly integrated and coordinated among multidisciplinary parties. Inefficient planning, the abstract and interdependent nature of design tasks, and poor communication disrupt design workflow, which consequently increases cycle times, costs, rework, and degrades quality. Workflow in design is the flow of information, deliverables, specifications and requirements, calculations and analysis, as well as solutions to design problems. Design concepts should be transformed into a value adding proposition for the client and be effectively translated into the desired facility during construction. Sub-optimal design workflow has captured research interests where researchers have developed several frameworks to either tackle design task structuring, measure information flow, or understand the organizational network involved. However, a formerly unexplored perspective of workflow is one that integrates both the process, i.e., flow of design information, and the social network, i.e., interactions among design teams. To bridge this gap, this study approaches workflow at the intersection of the social and process aspects of design in order to understand, measure, and analyze the flow of design information within construction project networks. This research uses multimodal agent-based modeling and social network analysis to dynamically explore and analyze design workflow patterns resulting from the use of Building Information Modeling (BIM). The study presents a novel design management strategy that focuses, simultaneously, on interaction dynamics and information diffusion to assist design teams and managers in enhancing the flow, transformation, and value generation. Cross-analysis of results from a case study show that using BIM-based design solely as a production tool in the absence of collaborative social interactions does not yield the desired design workflow imp