Improving cost and time control in Malaysian construction industry using building information modelling

Cost and time control in construction projects has been one of the most important issues in construction. A successful project should meet not only the quality output standards but also time and budget objectives. The management of cost and control of time are fundamental in every project. An effective cost and time management and control technique for construction projects is important in managing risk of cost overrun and delay in completion of projects. Construction projects are becoming more complex as they involve many stakeholders from different disciplines. The emergence of Building Information Model (BIM) which is an alternative technology for management of construction projects is anticipated to be able to solve issues relating to project cost and time control. The aim of this research is to develop a framework strategy that can be used to control cost and time-related issues in the construction industry using BIM to reduce the frequency of occurrence of delays and cost overrun in Malaysia which are the main causes of disputes and abandonment of projects in the industry. A mixed method of research design (qualitative and quantitative) was used in the data collection phase of the study to make enquires and to validate findings from the literature. The data obtained were analysed using content analysis, Cronbach’s alpha test, descriptive statistics, Pearson’s product moment correlation analysis, Pareto analysis, and Principal component analysis. The result from the Pareto analysis showed that “poor schedule and time control”, “changes in scope of work”, “poor budget and cost control”, and “inaccurate estimates” are the most important factors that cause delays and cost overrun. Similarly, the result from the principal component analysis showed that quantity take-off and estimation, clash detection and coordination, integration and collaboration of stakeholders, design and visualisation are the main application areas of BIM in Malaysian construction industry. The results of the study also showed that there is a negative relationship between the applications of BIM and the causes of delay and cost overrun, which means that an increase in BIM applications leads to a decrease in the occurrence of these causes of delay and cost overrun. The relationship was used as means for the development of the model which serves as a guide to contractors for improving control of cost and time in their various projects. The contribution of this research to the field of project management and Malaysian construction industry is that it identified the two most recent causes of delay and cost overrun each experienced by contractors in the construction industry. The study also provides a guide in the form of an improvement model for contractors and all key stakeholders in the industry on how to control cost and time in construction in order to mitigate the causes of delay and cost overrun in their various projects.

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