By Nidhi DhullReviewed by Susha Cheriyedath, M.Sc.Nov 28 2024
A recent article published in the Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research examined how manufacturers can help improve the effectiveness of building information modeling (BIM). Accordingly, the strategy of coopetition, combining competition and cooperation, was proposed and tested in the Portuguese ornamental stone (POS) sector using industrial internet-of-things (IoT) technology.
Background
Despite its critical role in the global economy, the construction industry faces persistent challenges of inefficiencies, extended project timelines, high costs, and considerable environmental impacts. BIM is being adopted to enhance efficiency and sustainability in construction.
However, BIM’s practical impact has remained limited. Moreover, manufacturers cannot fully capitalize on its benefits due to knowledge gaps. Notably, each project component influences BIM’s dimensions differently, and unlocking BIM’s full potential requires effectively addressing these dimensions by the manufacturers.
Coopetition has emerged as a promising strategy to enhance manufacturers’ contributions to improving BIM’s effectiveness in the construction sector. To test this hypothesis, this study examined the potential of coopetition practices to meet BIM requirements through a case study in the POS sector. This study aimed to assess the tangible advantages of coopetition practices (CP) across various BIM dimensions that can enhance BIM’s effectiveness.
Methods
A case study was conducted to explore the impact of coopetition practices on BIM’s effectiveness in the POS sector. A structured framework was implemented to analyze events, collect data, and report results, allowing an in-depth understanding of the coopetition concept. Additionally, the hypothesis that coopetition practices can enhance manufacturers’ contributions to BIM was tested by implementing an Experimental Coopetition Network.
Stone companies for the case study were identified based on specific participation criteria, including technological readiness, openness to coopetition, and strategic relevance to the construction sector. The selected companies were integrated into the Experimental Coopetition Network, which allowed real-time data sharing and analysis using industrial IoT systems.
Key performance indicators (KPIs) were defined across three BIM dimensions to evaluate the impact of coopetition practices on BIM. These included the fourth (4D: time efficiency based on on-time delivery rates), fifth (5D: cost-effectiveness based on labor productivity), and sixth (6D: sustainability based on carbon emissions per unit manufactured) dimensions.
Data were collected on the defined KPIs via real-time monitoring to capture each company’s performance under coopetition practices. Post-analyzing this data, the proposed hypothesis was tested statistically to assess whether coopetition practices positively impact BIM benefits.
Results and Discussion
According to the data collected under baseline practices (BP), the average on-time delivery indicator (KPIOtD) was 67.1%, as 240 out of 339 parts were delivered as scheduled. Alternatively, the KPIOtD considerably increased to 77.5% under CP, with a timely delivery of 358 out of 454 parts. This enhancement underscored the efficacy of CP in ensuring more reliable deliveries and meeting project timelines. Moreover, the companies transitioning to CP experienced significant improvements in timely delivery performance.
The BIM 5D enables comprehensive budget management throughout a project’s lifecycle. Under BP, the companies shipped 338.5 parts daily with an average workforce of 49.9, achieving an average labor productivity rate (KPILP) of 6.84 per worker.
Alternatively, implementing C.P. boosted the daily output to 415.8 parts with the same workforce size, enhancing the KPILP to 8.72 per worker. Therefore, CP can effectively improve operational efficiency and cost management. Moreover, on-time and within-budget project completion improves project outcomes and market competitiveness.
KPICO2-eq (equivalent carbon dioxide emissions) was employed to measure the environmental impact of energy consumed during construction. It revealed the role of CP in assisting stone manufacturers in accomplishing the stringent sustainability goals of BIM 6D.
Under BP, the stone companies consumed 4692 kWh of energy daily on average, a KPICO2-eq of 3.41 kg CO2 per part. However, the energy consumption decreased to 4071 kWh per day with the implementation of CP, thereby decreasing the KPICO2-eq to 2.68 kg CO2 per part. This represented a 21.8% reduction in carbon emissions per part, highlighting the considerable benefits of CP in combatting climate change and promoting ecological responsibility.
Conclusion
Overall, the researchers comprehensively examined how manufacturers can maximize BIM’s effectiveness in the construction sector. By investigating the impact of CP, the results of this study validated the hypothesis that coopetition can positively impact manufacturers’ contributions.
Notably, CP positively influences critical performance indicators, such as labor productivity, timely delivery, and CO2 emissions, of the POS sector. Consequently, project outcomes, competitiveness, and sustainability in the construction industry are improved. Therefore, CP can help enhance BIM’s advantages in alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Despite promising results, this study is limited due to the case study on a single sector with a small sample of companies. This limits the generalizability of the findings across the global construction sector. Therefore, expanding the sample size and including various sub-sectors of the construction sector that also employ BIM is necessary to expand CP’s practical applicability.
Journal Reference
da Silva, A., & Marques Cardoso, A. J. (2024). Enhancing Building Information Modeling Effectiveness Through Coopetition and the Industrial Internet of Things. Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research, 19(4), 3137–3153. DOI: 10.3390/jtaer19040152, https://www.mdpi.com/0718-1876/19/4/152
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