NBS BIM survey 2015 shows drop in BIM adoption

The fifth annual NBS BIM survey has shown a drop in BIM adoption, with the number of respondents saying they had implemented BIM on a project in the last 12 months dipping to 48% compared to 54% last year.

Find more coverage on the results of the NBS survey on BIM+.

The sample of 900 respondents was – as in previous years – dominated by architects, who made up 44% of the survey pool, while architectural technologists were the next largest group at 13%. BIM managers accounted for 5%, quantity surveyors represented 4% and contractors made up just 2% of the sample.

Adrian Malleson, head of research, analysis and forecasting at NBS, said that the decrease was possibly due to “greater clarity on what BIM is – a process, and not a piece of software”.

He added that it could also follow a standard life-cycle adoption curve for new technologies, awaiting the “late majority” to follow on from the early adopters, the innovators and the early majority.

The full report can be downloaded here.

Those who have adopted BIM, however, see clear benefits: 59% see cost efficiencies, 56% an improvement in client outcomes, 51% an increase in the speed of delivery, and 48% an increase in profitability.

Asked about the three levels of BIM, 75% said they were aware of the stratification. This year, 59% said they were operating at Level 2, up from 51% last year. Meanwhile, 35% positioned themselves at Level 1 and there was a slight decrease in the number claiming Level 3 competence.

On the perceived barriers to BIM adoption, the issue identified by the largest number of respondents (74%) was lack of in-house expertise, while 67% named lack of training options.

However, 63% cited lack of client demand, which the NBS said “raises the question of how something that is mandated by central government and is likely to spread quickly throughout the public sector can penetrate the consciousness of private sector clients”.

Cost was cited as a barrier by 56%, while 51% said they lacked the necessary time to get up to speed on BIM. And 43% said that the projects they work on were too small.

This is the fifth year the survey has been published, tracking attitudes to and adoption of BIM.

Awareness of BIM is now near-universal, at 95% and the same proportion envisage usage within five years. Meanwhile, 83% predicted they would be using BIM within one year, and 92% said they would be working with BIM in three years.

Encouragingly for the government and its UK BIM Task Group, the majority believe that it is “on the right track” with BIM, but only a quarter believe that the UK is a world leader, with a further 45% ambivalent.

David Philp, head of BIM for the government’s UK BIM Task Group, commented: “The survey results are hugely encouraging for all of us at the UK BIM Task Group. It’s immensely heartening to know that a majority of the industry feels that the government is on the right track with BIM.

“A digitised and integrated built environment is the future of our industry and increasing numbers of people are recognising this. We must continue to make it clear that BIM, and associated technologies that enable and support collaborative working, are of benefit to everyone, not just to central government. We’re very optimistic that the industry itself is in a great position to carry BIM forward towards a Digital Built Britain.”