Challenges of BIM-enabled FM

An improvement in BIM skills and understanding by FM professionals can only increase the awareness of BIM among clients. A greater demand from clients and enhanced collaboration between project stakeholders for modelling and model utilisation would help develop the implementation of BIM-enabled FM. BIM-enabled FM requires continuous maintenance to remain valuable, adding to the challenge of adopting BIM. The BIM4FM survey (2013) also supports this by emphasising that there is a challenge around the initial cost of software, but that staff training is also a cost that has to be allocated.

The benefits of BIM-enabled FM need to be clearly proven before its application within the FM industry picks up. In addition, the design and construction industry need to see the business case for FM. This can be partly achieved by establishing long-term relationships by providing FM information services as part of the project specification aligned with the client’s goals.