W I Enegbuma
email: wenegbuma2@live.utm.my

A C Ologbo

U G Aliagha

Preliminary Study Impact of Building Information Modelling Use in Malaysia

Keywords: Building Information Modelling (BIM), Construction Industry, Information Technology, Malaysia, Partial Least Square (PLS)

The paradigm shift in the construction industry from 2D to Building Information Modelling (BIM) presents unforeseen challenges for new entrant construction industries. Experiences from advanced industry users of BIM shape the directions for future use. In Malaysia, BIM maturity is fast appreciating with increasing demand for efficiency and competitive advantages. However, adoption rate encounters resistance from several factors highlighted in previous research: people, process and technology. To improve on Information technology (IT) adoption models factors such as business process re-engineering, computer integrated construction and BIM adoption were considered for this research. This paper represents findings of an ongoing research, presenting the designed questionnaire to access perception of construction industry professionals (Architects, Quantity Surveyors, Engineers and Contractors) knowledge on BIM softwares and BIM attributes. Responses were derived from 120 construction professionals in the pilot phase of the research. The data is analyzed using SPSS for a descriptive overview of the most prominent BIM software usage. Smart PLS was utilized to analyze the path coefficient effects of each variable in the model. The Cronbach Alpha derived fell within an agreeable minimum threshold of above 0.60. The factors loaded appropriately to each variable. The path coefficient revealed people perception had the highest effect on collaborative processes, business process re-engineering (BPR) had the highest effect on BIM adoption and model variance R2 explained 24.6% of BIM adoption. The results will demonstrate the current state of BIM adoption in Malaysian construction industry complimenting current efforts to improve BIM awareness. At this stage, future research focuses on developing the second phase of the model and recommends towards extending and redefining the model with other mediating variables.

Introduction

Building Information Modeling is predominantly viewed as collaboration by different stakeholders at different phases of the life-cycle of a facility to insert, extract, update or modify information in the model to support and reflect the roles of that stakeholder. The model is a shared digital representation founded on open Yokohama, Japan, 7 th -9 th July 2014 standards for interoperability. BIM as the process of generating and managing building data during its life cycle. National Building Information Modeling Standard (NBIMS) views BIM as a digital representation of physical and functional characteristics of a facility [START_REF] Enegbuma | Hypothesis Analysis of Building Information Modelling Penetration in Malaysian Construction Industry[END_REF]. The Malaysian Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) ten-year construction industry master plan (CIMP) to refocuses on the strategic position and future direction of the industry breeding an innovative, sustainable, professional, profitable and world-class construction industry. Important to this study is the leverage on IT towards achieving the set vision of 2015. The dimensions to building information modelling (BIM) research is inexhaustible in fields of user perception, health and safety, costing, project management, green building, Off-Site Manufacturing (OSM), Integrated Project Delivery (IPD), self help housing and real estate [START_REF] East | Performance Specifications for Building Information Exchange[END_REF] [6] [START_REF] Hampson | Modelling, Collaboration and Integration: A Case Study for the Delivery of Public Buildings[END_REF] [START_REF] Hjelseth | Integrated Approach for Development of Automatic Building Application Systems[END_REF]. Information technology IT transforms and plays a vital role in how innovation affects project delivery in Malaysian construction sector. The Malaysian governments' aggressive drive to developed nation and exportation of construction services to India and South-East Asia intertwined with government-to-government projects favoured BIM propagation. Design technology is key to affordance of a project hence, choice and collaboration should commerce at the earliest stage. BIM implementation brings unsettling effect to technology, people and processes/policy, process and technology [START_REF] Succar | Building Information Modelling Framework: A Research and Delivery Foundation for Industry Stakeholders[END_REF]. BIM implementation produces various impacts on both internal organisational culture and values; and external supply chain. Changes in delivery processes, shift from individual consulting to consultancy team, contractor involvement on projects, improved shared vision and trust amongst teams, rise in supply chain effectiveness, automatic building permission [10] [7] [8] [START_REF] Enegbuma | Hypothesis Analysis of Building Information Modelling Penetration in Malaysian Construction Industry[END_REF]. Amidst such process improvement potentials through BIM also exists challenges to full system automation (knowledge; resistance; political engagement; technology capabilities; skills gaps; costs; new forms of contracts; legal issues; life cycle benefits; relevant training and data standards [START_REF] Hartmann | Applications of BIM & Hurdles for Widespread Adoption of BIM[END_REF] [10] [7] [12]. This study presents pilot results for the Enegbuma and Ali [START_REF] Enegbuma | A Theoretical Framework for Building Information Modelling Penetration in Malaysian Construction Industry[END_REF] model aimed at plotting a path towards linking user perceptions of people, process and technology and focuses on how they react in strategic IT implementation for effective BIM penetration in the industry. Subsequent sections will delineate the variables of the BIM model, present the hypotheses, examine the data findings and discusses by re-visiting the earlier stated hypothesis.

BIM Penetration Model

People perception from previous research in BIM has highlighted the seemingly increasing effect of people dimension to BIM use [START_REF] Jordani | BIM: A Healthy Disruption to a Fragmented and Broken Process[END_REF] [2] [START_REF] Salmon | The Legal Revolution in Construction: How collaborative Agreements, BIM and Lean Construction Methods Support Integrated Project Delivery[END_REF][START_REF] Lega | Synergy in the Sandbox[END_REF][START_REF] Edgar | Building Value through Building Information Innovation[END_REF][START_REF] Henderson | A Modest Proposal for a Transdisciplinary Curriculum: for the Design, Construction, Management and Maintenance of Architecture[END_REF][START_REF] Haron | Organisational Readiness to Implement Building Information Modelling: A Framework for Design Consultants in Malaysia[END_REF]. This paper therefore defined people as the perception towards adapting to new BIM practices in the industry. BIM emergence offers an unsettling precedence to an already defragmented construction industry which offers less surety. New processes to enhance the construction process, electronic designs and construction professionals must acknowledge the individual risk associated with such a new technology. Boundaries of professional responsibility and work product are not clearly defined creating uncertainty for liability in a BIM model. The trend of older professionals still lagging behind while younger professionals lack experience in legal matters with a need for flexible legal form of agreement between construction teams to meet the rapid growth [START_REF] Jordani | BIM: A Healthy Disruption to a Fragmented and Broken Process[END_REF] [2] [START_REF] Salmon | The Legal Revolution in Construction: How collaborative Agreements, BIM and Lean Construction Methods Support Integrated Project Delivery[END_REF]. The emergence of local user Groups in various localities to discuss BIM concepts, softwares and products including information sharing on achievements has shown an adaptive response by people for BIM improvements [START_REF] Lega | Synergy in the Sandbox[END_REF]. Owner awareness is lacking in terms of information regarding successes of BIM by other competitive companies in operation, maintenance, repair and re-modelling. While, other seminar authors proposed a future expansion of current pedagogy in education of building professionals [START_REF] Edgar | Building Value through Building Information Innovation[END_REF][START_REF] Henderson | A Modest Proposal for a Transdisciplinary Curriculum: for the Design, Construction, Management and Maintenance of Architecture[END_REF]. Hence the role of people perception is taken into consideration as it affects BIM penetration in the construction industry.

Process perception changes are inherent in affecting BIM use [START_REF] Ali | Building Information Modeling Awareness and Readiness: Among Quantity Surveyors and Quantity Surveying Firms[END_REF] [START_REF] Haron | Organisational Readiness to Implement Building Information Modelling: A Framework for Design Consultants in Malaysia[END_REF]. This paper defines such process thereof as how perception related to managing process changes in adapting to new BIM practices in the industry. Previous construction industry reports except the Latham 1994 report have ignored IT as an integral process in construction. However, emphasis on technology development alone places less attention to organisational and human issues. Furthermore, fewer staffs to regularly update BIM models and inadequate human resource training exist in the construction industry [START_REF] Aouad | An IT-supported New Process, Strategic Management of IT in Construction[END_REF] [4] [START_REF] Yan | Benefit and Barriers of Building Information Modelling[END_REF][START_REF] Liu | Feasibility Analysis of BIM Based Information System for Facility Management at WPI[END_REF]. For smooth BIM implementation within an organisation strict consideration must be given to the long term goals of the organisation and requirement. Similarly, managing the cost of ownership can be actualised through BIM, with diligent improvement in BIM practices owners' BIM metamorphoses into a Business Intelligence Model placing it right within corporate mission and objectives. Similar to the CAD migration, BIM is faced with challenging bureaucracy by top management due to new risk and liability fears during model sharing [START_REF] Smith | An Introduction to Building Information Modeling (BIM)[END_REF] [START_REF] Jordani | BIM: A Healthy Disruption to a Fragmented and Broken Process[END_REF]. BIM implementation in the US coast guard achieved partial success. Full success was eventually marred by people's culture and senior leadership resistance to new methodologies; workflow changes; and technological innovation [START_REF] Hammond | The BIM Balancing Act[END_REF].

[6] [1] [20] [21- 23] [14]
Technological Perception role presents significant impact on BIM use [START_REF] Jones | Towards Interoperable Building Product Content[END_REF] [5] [START_REF] Onuma | Integration Today Using Open Standards: BIMStorm™, Rotterdam to Los Angeles and Beyond[END_REF]. Owner push for faster product delivery improvement, safer construction environment, reduced construction cost, lean adoption to eliminate waste and proactive drive by industry professionals to assimilate new technology such as BIM [START_REF] Jordani | BIM: A Healthy Disruption to a Fragmented and Broken Process[END_REF]. Malaysian construction industry grapples in advanced IT and project management techniques which forms an essential part to high-tech and capital intensive construction [START_REF] Ibrahim | An Investigation of the Status of the Malaysian Construction Industry[END_REF].

McGraw-Hill construction report suggests that for BIM to strive and meet the challenges of the future, model objects needs to be readily available for smooth information extraction. Although, product library were created by software companies to represent generic components they lack enough data to represent the specifications of Building Product Manufacturers (BPMs). Knowledge of BIM software, inadequate reference material and component database provide challenges in BIM education in tertiary institutions. Inherent deficiencies in BIM specification provide inadequate differentiation between requirement for BIM deliverables and technology to deliver such information. Similarly, during hyper collaborative platforms such as BIM Storm, participants had to revert to do some manual communication [START_REF] Jones | Towards Interoperable Building Product Content[END_REF] [5] [START_REF] Onuma | Integration Today Using Open Standards: BIMStorm™, Rotterdam to Los Angeles and Beyond[END_REF].

Strategic IT Planning in line with industry transformation, from adversarial to cooperative thinking places more emphasis on business process. Construction industry is transforming into long term strategic planning to cope with the dynamic nature of economic, technological and social factors. Strategic IT usage though perceived with a degree of reluctance by the construction industry is currently transforming, as most business process were never designed but formed by ad hoc means. Research in labour and cost saving by Adam Smith and Fredrick Taylor provided an initiating argument towards a re-think of business process [START_REF] Betts | Strategic Management of IT in Construction[END_REF].

Sustainable competitive advantage is maintained though innovative process improvement and management reliant on IT to provide enabling environment [START_REF] Alshawi | Rethinking IT in Construction and Engineering: Organisational Readiness[END_REF]. ICT showed a positive and significant impact on the Malaysian economy from 1982 -2004 which established a change from the norm of investments on agrarian economy to one of manufacturing and industrialisation [START_REF] Kuppusamy | Islamic Countries Economic Growth and ICT Development: The Malaysian Case[END_REF]. Technology acceptance and usage has been studied extensively, expanding Fishbein and Ajzen Model of 1975, Fred Davies formulated the technology acceptance model (TAM). Fishbein and Ajzen Model explained the theory of reasoned action, which Davies conceptualised the existence of a response predicted by user motivation and influenced by external stimulus consisting of the system features and capabilities which triggered the use of a system. [START_REF] Davenport | Process Innovation: Re-engineering Work through Information Technology[END_REF] perceived change to be structured and measured sets of activities designed for a specific product for various markets and clientele. In construction, process change from inception, project completion and FM stages provide benefits to clients in Malaysian construction industry. Business Process Re-engineering (BPR) drives organization to change their career paths, training, recruitment and policies [START_REF] Liang | Business Process Re-engineering: An Overview[END_REF]. Factors highlighted in driving BPR are organisational training, reward, communication, research and development [START_REF] Kohar | The Cultivation of Organizational Innovation amongst Malaysian Bumiputera (Indigenous) ICT-Based Small Firms[END_REF]. This paper considers business process re-engineering and computer integrated construction aspects of strategic IT planning.

Collaboration in construction is defined as an agreement among specialist to share their abilities in a particular process, to achieve the larger adjectives of the project as a whole, as defined by a client, a community, or a society at large. Collaboration is working together in a seamless team for common objectives that deliver benefit to all. Collaboration is more effective when undertaken at the project inception stage [START_REF] Anumbe | A Multi-Agent System for Distributed Collaboration Design[END_REF]. Construction industry presents a rather unique approach to collaborating which when done ineffectively creates islands of automation [START_REF] Sun | Integration Technologies to Support Organisational Changes in the Construction Industry[END_REF]. Major challenges to effective collaboration exist in the construction industry due to independent working and taking decisions which affects the project team [START_REF] Anumbe | Collaborative Design of Portal Frame Structures using Intelligent Agents[END_REF]. Issues bordering around undefined boundary between teamwork and collaboration including, unsolved issues of sharedunderstanding, alignment of purpose and shared meaning. Different educational upbringing, terminologies and adversarial contractual agreement further provides barriers to collaboration [START_REF] Lang | Cognitive Factors in Design[END_REF]. This paper adopts collaborative construction as a means improving BIM penetration in the industry.

BIM Penetration amongst other benefit derives competitive gains and future guiding policies of new systems. Communication of innovation over time amongst members of the same social systems over a period of time is often referred to as a product of complex social interaction. Social system acts as a determinant of sociopsychological processes within the social system [START_REF] Panuwatwanich | Critical Pathways to Enhanced Innovation Diffusion and Business Performance in Australian Design Firms[END_REF]. Diffusion describes the acceptance and usage of new technology while innovation denotes a new product or process technology, or administrative. Innovation diffusion proposes new models of diffusion of new technologies with complimentary implications for increasing the rate of innovation in the industry. Furthermore, investigations identified four forces that drive innovation: competitive advantage, process problems, technological opportunity, and institutional requirements [START_REF] Mitropoulos | Forces Driving Adoption of New Information Technologies[END_REF]. [START_REF] Rogers | Diffusion of innovations[END_REF] argued that relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, observability and triability are determining factors for technology diffusion. The structural equation modelling path study towards improving innovation diffusion level within the architectural and engineering design (AED), delineated definitive pathways and practical strategies harnessed by the construction industry to derive outcomes from innovation via diagnosing and improving their existing innovation capability which invariably strengthen their business performance [START_REF] Panuwatwanich | Critical Pathways to Enhanced Innovation Diffusion and Business Performance in Australian Design Firms[END_REF].

Yokohama, Japan, 7 th -9 th July 2014

Table 1. Generated Hypothesis

H1

There is a positive relationship between People and Business Process Re-engineering H2

There is a positive relationship between Process and Business Process Re-engineering H3

There is a positive relationship between Technology and Business Process Re-engineering H4

There is a positive relationship between Process and Computer Integrated Construction H5

There

is a positive relationship between Technology and Computer Integrated Construction

H6

There

is a positive relationship between People and Collaborative Construction H7

There

is a positive relationship between Process and Collaborative Construction H8

There

is a positive relationship between Technology and Collaborative Construction H9

There is a positive relationship between Business Process Re-engineering and BIM Penetration H10

There is a positive relationship between Business Process Re-engineering and Collaborative Construction H11

There is a positive relationship between Business Process Re-engineering and Computer Integrated Construction H12

There

is a positive relationship between Computer Integrated Construction and Collaborative Construction H13

There is a positive relationship between Computer Integrated Construction and BIM Penetration H14

There is a positive relationship between Collaborative Construction and BIM Penetration

Methodological Approach

In structural equation modelling, dual techniques separate the chosen method of analysis namely; covariance-based methods [START_REF] Joreskog | The LISREL Approach to Causal Model-Building in the Social Sciences[END_REF] or variance-based PLS-SEM approach [START_REF] Hair | A Primer on Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM)[END_REF]. Prevalent in strategic management research is the use of PLS-SEM approach, since this BIM pilot study targets a strategic approach to improving BIM penetration in the construction industry, PLS-SEM was chosen. BIM penetration construct represents a more variance-based (prediction oriented) approach [START_REF] Henseler | The Use of Partial Least Squares Path Modeling in International Marketing[END_REF]. Other aspects to fortify the methodology technique include increased level of statistical power in small sample size [START_REF] Lu | Two New Methods for Estimating Structural Equation Models: An Illustration and a Comparison with two Established Methods[END_REF] and less rigid assumption [START_REF] Pinto | Order, Positioning, Scope and Outcomes of Market Entry[END_REF]. Smart PLS 2.0 [START_REF] Ringle | SmartPLS 2.0 M3[END_REF] was used in evaluating the path model and parameter estimation to evaluate the path weighting scheme [START_REF] Henseler | The Use of Partial Least Squares Path Modeling in International Marketing[END_REF]. The guidelines by [START_REF] Chin | How to Write Up and Report PLS Analyses[END_REF] measured by means of multiple items using a five-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (disagreement) to 5 (agreement) [START_REF] Diamantopoulos | Guidelines for Choosing between Multi-Item and Single-Item Scales for Construct Measurement: A Predictive Validity Perspective[END_REF]. Due to inadequate specific research in contrition IT regarding BIM penetration, items to measure the constructs were reworded and some generated by the authors from previous literature. Hence the need arose to revalidate the reliability of items. Strict attention was placed on confining the multi-item measures to denote representatively the underlying construct.

Results and Discussion

The demographic nature of the respondents showed that Engineers made up 36.7% of the respondents. Male respondents were more with 73.3%. The age bracket of 25-35years was predominant by 66.7%. 36.7% of the respondents are originally from Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur. 83.3% carry out their construction activities from the private sector. 53.3% represents the junior management community in the various establishments. 66.7% are qualified with a bachelor in the outlined fields of construction. 50.0% majority have been active in construction for 6-10years. 50.0% are registered in their various professional affiliations. 50.0% are of the opinion that their level of BIM involvement falls within the beginner class.

The initial pool of item amounted to 48 namely; People (RPPB) -12, Process (RPP) -7, Technology (RTP) -6, Business Process Re-Engineering (RBPR) -6, Computer Integrated Construction (RCIC) -6, Collaborative construction (RCC) -5 and BIM penetration (RSBP) -6. The first stage of Alpha analysis via SPSS revealed a low Cronbach Alpha for constructs RPPB (0.606), RBPR (0.496), RCIC (0.546) and RCC (0.490). Subsequently, from the Item-Total Statistics item suggested to be deleted to raise the minimum alpha threshold were delete RPPB9, RBPR4, RCIC3 and RCC5 respectively. The final Cronbach Alpha for the constructs are above the minimum threshold of >0.60 [START_REF] Cronbach | Coefficient Alpha and the Internal Structure of Tests[END_REF].

The path diagram linking all constructs was drawn in Smart PLS and analysis initiated by PLS algorithm. The default PLS algorithm settings were utilised; weighting Scheme (Path Weighting Scheme), Data Metric (Mean 0, Variance 1), Maximum Iterations (300), Abort Criterion (1.0E-5) and Initial Weights (1.0). In Smart PLS the factor loadings are derived from the outer loading result which showed low values <0.50. Lowest value loadings were deleted. Discriminant validity holds with all factors loadings in respective variables derived from the PLS cross loading. Convergence occurred at 9 iterations from the stop criterion changes. To derive an acceptable reflective measurement model, 2 steps have to be taken into consideration namely; reliability (reliability of construct measures indicator and internal consistency reliability) and validity (convergent and discriminant). Out of 33 items, four factors loaded below 0.7 recommended thresholds for factor loading but due to the stage in the research this factors were still considered and compared to the composite reliability for any stringent effects. Thus, the measurement model achieved a considerable level of indicator reliability levels. The composite reliability values revealed that all construct measures achieved a healthy score of above 0.7 which reflects a satisfactory level of internal consistency. For the convergent validity the AVE table was assessed denoting all construct scaled the 0.5 threshold. Discriminant validity was analysed through matching the cross loading values in Smart PLS which showed no construct cross loaded more than 0.2 of the leading item. Furthermore, the [START_REF] Fornell | Evaluating Structural Equation Models with Unobservable Variables and Measurement Error[END_REF] specifications for discriminant validity was utilised. It specifies that the construct AVE should be higher than the correlation of all opposing constructs. All construct measure according to this measurement model assessment showed reliability and validity.

The structural model focuses on the relationships between the hypothesized various in the construction industry namely; BIM Perception (people, process and technology), Strategic IT Implementation (business process re-engineering and computer integrated construction), collaborative construction and BIM penetration. Figure 2 shows the results from SmartPLS using the earlier stated parameters. Following [START_REF] Henseler | Using Partial Least Squares Path Modeling in International Advertising Research: Basic Concepts and Recent Issues[END_REF] recommendations, the central criterion for the structural model assessment is given by the coefficient of determination R2. The R2 for BIM Penetration derived 0.25. R2 for CC derived 0.47. R2 for BPR derived 0.36. R2 for CIC derived 0.48. The average value of R2 depicts the models predictive validity [START_REF] Henseler | Using Partial Least Squares Path Modeling in International Advertising Research: Basic Concepts and Recent Issues[END_REF]. From the path weights, 0.56 of technology represents the highest variable affecting BPR in the industry. 0.47 of process has d highest impact in CIC. 0.44 of BPR represented the highest impact on BIM penetration in the industry. The bootstrapping technique was later carried out to derive the level of significance [41] [42]. Figure 3 shows that most hypothesized relationships are significant except for the following; process -> CC (1.33, p < 0.05), process -> BPR (0.86, p < 0.05), BPR -> BP (0.80, p < 0.05), People -> BP (1.48 p < 0.05), Technology -> BP (1.50 p < 0.05) and Technology -> CIC (0.99 p < 0.05). The highest significance values occurred between technology and BPR (9.87, p < 0.05).

Conclusion

This paper set out to examine the varying factors affecting BIM penetration in the industry, accomplished through an extensive literature study to define the key variables. The hypothesized model and subsequent hypothesis was presented. The instrument for the main study showed a healthy Cronbach alpha including achieving discriminant validity amongst the model variables. A test of the hypothesized variables showed most importantly that 24.6% of BIM penetration can be explained by the model considering the sample size. Seemingly, the effects of technology had a highest influence on BPR, conforming with previous standpoint that technology enabler's drive towards strategic innovation and leads to changes to traditional business processes [START_REF] Davenport | Process Innovation: Re-engineering Work through Information Technology[END_REF] [27] [START_REF] Liang | Business Process Re-engineering: An Overview[END_REF] [51] [START_REF] Kohar | The Cultivation of Organizational Innovation amongst Malaysian Bumiputera (Indigenous) ICT-Based Small Firms[END_REF]. In the long run therefore BPR weighed heavily on BIM penetration in the industry. Efforts such as seminars and conference to promote BIM by organisations such as CIDB, BQSM, RISM and software vendors sponsored by individual firms shows there is indeed a drive towards change [START_REF] Ali | Building Information Modeling Awareness and Readiness: Among Quantity Surveyors and Quantity Surveying Firms[END_REF]. How Malaysian construction industry professional view process change weighed heavily on CIC, thus follows prior research linking CIC to improvement in communication, planning, collaboration, and databases [START_REF] Arayici | A Requirements Engineering Framework for Integrated Systems Development for the Construction Industry[END_REF] [START_REF] Aouad | An IT-supported New Process, Strategic Management of IT in Construction[END_REF]. These findings contribute immensely to the body of knowledge in the field of global BIM study as it present a total outlook on several variables determining BIM penetration in the industry. Prior research studied presented a division in various aspect of BIM research pointing to key limiting factors as people, process and technology [START_REF] Liu | Feasibility Analysis of BIM Based Information System for Facility Management at WPI[END_REF] [14] [54] [START_REF] East | Performance Specifications for Building Information Exchange[END_REF], further studies define technology adoption [START_REF] Taylor | Understanding Information Technology Usage: A Test of Competing Models[END_REF], similar to such limiting factors while Yokohama, Japan 7 th -9 th , July, 2014 Yokohama, Japan, 7 th -9 th July 2014 this research combined other factors. [START_REF] Haron | Organisational Readiness to Implement Building Information Modelling: A Framework for Design Consultants in Malaysia[END_REF] recommended a follow up research on BIM readiness in Malaysia from a more quantitative approach. This research provides numerical figures though with limiting sample size still in a pilot phase. The findings points a path for major managerial decision making choices as to which areas in the construction industry to improve upon. These bodies are not limited to Construction Research Institute of Malaysia (CREAM) and Construction Industry Development Board of Malaysia (CIDB), Malaysian BIM committee, Malaysia Engineer Boards actively in the fore-front for BIM total implementation. The interrelationship found in the model denotes that prompt attention be given to areas such as BPR in the industry. The successes from JKRs BIM pilot project (National Cancer Institute) will push for future changes in BPR in Malaysia [START_REF] Sani | Modelling for Better Buildings[END_REF] [START_REF] Haron | Organisational Readiness to Implement Building Information Modelling: A Framework for Design Consultants in Malaysia[END_REF]. The results of this research explicate the strategic role of BIM and the ability of construction professionals to deal with the dynamics of BIM adoption and use. This research contributes to both theory and practice on BIM and technology adoption by developing and validating the research instrument. Future research will not only look into extension of the model but also seek to test various mediating variables and varied sample population testing.

Fig. 1 .

 1 Fig. 1. Research Model and Hypothesis[START_REF] Enegbuma | Hypothesis Analysis of Building Information Modelling Penetration in Malaysian Construction Industry[END_REF]

Fig 2 .

 2 Fig 2. Measurement Model

Fig 3 .

 3 Fig 3. Bootstrapping (T statistics, >1.96 significant at 0.05 at 95% confidence level)

  were followed in reporting the measurement model values and subsequent structural model. The constructs were

	People
	Process	Collaborative Construction	BIM Penetration
	Technology
	Computer
	Integrated
	Construction


Dominik Holzer

Fostering the Link from PLM to ERP via BIM The AEC Industry in Transition

This paper investigates approaches for linking Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) via structured data stemming from Building Information Modeling (BIM) to information systems that get applied for Enterprise Resource planning (ERP) across Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC). The author highlights key pathways for such integration, with a particular focus on the hurdles contractors, suppliers and manufacturers need to overcome to master their transition to BIM-enabled PLM and the associated ERP. Based on a case-study (Hickory Group), the paper analyses the opportunities for the strategic repositioning of a construction and manufacturing firm who combines PLM with BIM and ERP within its organisation.

Background to the PLM-ERP integration

Expanding from product development and lifecycle planning into resource management is an approach that has steadily gained momentum since the introduction of ERP systems in the early 70s [START_REF] Fitzgerald | Enterprise Resource Planning[END_REF]. As a production-oriented sector, manufacturing benefits in particular from PLM-ERP linkages and consequently the use of well integrated information systems. Such systems assist the management of a broad range of processes relating to the product lifecycle. Similar to PLM, there is a number of core-activities specific to ERP. Being more transaction-oriented, these activities cover tasks such as resource planning, purchasing, storage, QA, change management, productivity management, HR, finances/payroll, and more. Common to most ERP systems (and similar to PLM) is the integration and management of data via a centralised server in a standardised format, in order to avoid data-duplication. With the progressing development of the World Wide Web, systems for ERP are increasingly becoming location agnostic, web-based, with information stored and accessed via cloud-based services [START_REF] Wilkinson | Online Resource: "Unit4 combining collaboration, ERP and BIM in the cloud[END_REF]. If integration between PLM and ERP is desired, it is crucial for any organisation to create logic connections between product structure and production planning. A clear mapping of processes and points of connection is required to create bi-directional links between the two activities. Often the common point of connection is the Bill-Of-Materials (BOM) [START_REF] Shilovitsky | BOM: Apple of Discord between PLM and ERP?[END_REF].

A key obstacle to the introduction of ERP to the construction industry can be highlighted as follows [START_REF] Mêda | Towards Software Integration in the Construction Industry -ERP and ICIS Case Study[END_REF]: ERP systems provide scalable solutions that ideally help to manage information across an enterprise in its totality. On the other hand, the construction industry (and the support systems applied therein) is highly projectbased. A large number of external stakeholders federate information on a temporary (project-dependent) level, using a number of disparate information systems and formats. Establishing ERP systems in construction firms is therefore a task that needs to be considered specific to a highly dynamic project and productionbased context [START_REF] Babič | Integrating resource production and construction using BIM[END_REF]. Also, the effort for implementing PLM and ERP solutions in an organisation is difficult to justify in smaller or medium sized organisations (which are common in the construction sector)

BIM as an enabler

In the past, efforts have been undertaken to link construction information and manufacturing data for construction to ERP systems. These efforts were mainly based on CAD output for documentation with added data/attributes to 2D documents. The proportion of valuable information-content that can easily be made available from 2D CAD to ERP is low. Consequently the use of 2D CAD is not best suited to tie in with the information-centric approach required to establish a clearly defined product structure. Research has been undertaken how to better manage the integration of product information in the construction process [START_REF] Cutting-Decelle | Management and Integration of Product Information in Construction: Reality and Future Trends[END_REF]. BIM provides such integration and its inclusion into planning and construction processes seems to promise increased connectivity between PLM and ERP [START_REF] Technia | The Construction industry in focus[END_REF].

It has now been over 10 years since BIM became officially accepted as the acronym across the construction industry to represent the breadth of approaches for object-based virtual modelling and building product models to encompass the entire building lifecycle. Up until that point (in 2003), variations of BIM had been applied across the construction industry globally in one way or another for 2-3 decades. By 2014, the adoption of BIM methods for the design and delivery of projects has increased substantially [START_REF] Hill | SmartMarket Report, The Business Value of BIM for Construction in Major Global Markets[END_REF]. BIM is becoming ever more mainstream, driven by a number of key countries such as the US, UK, Singapore, Finland, Denmark, Norway, and Australia [START_REF] Hill | SmartMarket Report, The Business Value of BIM for Construction in Major Global Markets[END_REF]. Many other nations follow this international trend where more and more developed countries are becoming knowledgeable in the implementation and application of BIM related processes, policies, training, and procurement. An ever growing number of construction sectors globally embrace the added benefits of a more integrated and streamlined way of operation 1 .

Initially architecture and engineering firms were the first to adopt BIM to strengthen their in-house (lonely BIM) design/analyse/delivery methods. By nature, consultants operating with BIM tend to create 'Design Intent' BIM 2 (or LOD 3 200/300) that serve design coordination without necessarily involving a description of the detailed object to be installed by the trades. This approach has been complemented over the past few years with the production of 'Construction BIM' (LOD 400) as more and more contractors embrace BIM for detailed coordination and quantity take-off during construction and assembly. In order to achieve the required level of detail, contractors work with sub-contractors and suppliers who provide coordinated BIM that consider actual manufacturing for detailed assembly and the extraction of Bill-of-Quantities of actual equipment components. By incorporating coordinated object data from sub-contractors and suppliers into their delivery process, the construction industry moves towards system integration and process automation in an unprecedented way. The link from BIM data output to fabrication equipment either directly, or via a CAD/CAM interface is becoming more commonplace throughout a number of trades within the construction industry. Pre-fabrication and offsite assembly is on the rise globally.

The use of BIM is expanding with progressive convergence between information systems that logically tie into the data-rich environment it offers. In order to achieve data-integrity, the construction industry increasingly relies on standardised formats to structure BIM object data via Integrated Construction Information Systems (ICIS) [START_REF] Mêda | Towards Software Integration in the Construction Industry -ERP and ICIS Case Study[END_REF]. On one end of the spectrum, BIM increasingly gets linked to geospatial data and GIS integration for City Information Modeling. BIM now plays an important role as a stepping stone to connect geometric information and spatial data from the building level, to a 'precinct' scale, and finally the overarching geospatial context (GIS). On the other end of the spectrum, BIM methods get applied for manufacturing and detailed assembly of construction components. On this component level, the construction industry (finally) comes to terms with the relevance of managing highly detailed virtual representations of the built artefacts. An increasing number of BIM objects are available via libraries and manufacturer/reseller's websites. Hand in hand with this development, BIM encompasses an ever larger number of stakeholders throughout the building lifecycle (social BIM) -in line with the initial ideals by its proponents [START_REF] Eastman | Building Product Models: Computer Environments Supporting Design and Construction[END_REF].

The Relation between BIM, PLM and ERP

Despite a number of similarities, investigations into the PLM to ERP transition has rather occurred in parallel to (and not in conjunction with) the development of BIM over the past 3+ decades [START_REF] Babič | Integrating resource production and construction using BIM[END_REF]. A key point of investigation therefore relates to the question of how to establish authoritative data that allows organisations to communicate between all three systems. Resolving the definition of authoritative data that cuts across product lifecycle, resource planning and building information modeling processes may lead to highly efficient sharing of data across these processes. Such integration would likely result in an increase of efficiency throughout a number of inter and intra-organisational business processes.

Only recently BIM has matured to a point where the construction industry starts to explore closer links between BIM, PLM and ERP on a mainstream level. There are four main reasons for this delay: Firstly: detailed coordination of virtual building objects for construction is fairly new to the AEC industry (apart from a few exceptions) where subcontractors and trades only slowly start to embrace BIM. A manufacturing mindset is not always prevailing in the construction industry that is historically rooted in craft-based skills and the experience of its workers.

Secondly: the construction industry needs to overcome the hurdle of setting up and adopting protocols that enable interoperability and integrated data-sharing across a number of stakeholders.

Thirdly: Software linking data from object-oriented BIM assemblies directly to ERP systems has only recently become mature and available to the mainstream construction market.

Fourthly: Many firms in the AEC industry are small or medium in size [START_REF] Ghosh | Integration of PLM Solutions and BIM Systems for the AEC Industry[END_REF]. Whereas BIM use has become common in these firms, the effort to implement PLM or ERP systems across those firms may seem too costly and undesirable Still, many goals of BIM have strong overlap with the goals of both PLM and ERP. The application of BIM on construction projects aims at streamlining the information flow across the building lifecycle using high-fidelity data associated to virtual building components that represent their physical counterparts as closely as possible. Despite their traditionally different scope of service, there are manifold possibilities for connecting product data from design and engineering to PLM [START_REF] Eastman | Impact of Sustainability on Integration and Interoperability between BIM and ERP -A Governance Framework[END_REF]. Agram and Eastman list the following five key areas of connection: System Configuration, Authoring Information, General Management Functions, Change Management & Synchronisation, and Data Visualization & Interoperability.

In the context of BIM, key to the integration between PLM and BIM is the ability to synchronise data between the PLM system and the BIM server, based on the definition of authoritative data. In order to achieve such an interface between BIM and PLM systems a logic for the creation, naming, tagging and management of object data (and the opportunities to interface this information with other serverbased systems) has to be established across design and planning within an organisation. BIM objects include, category, type, and attribute definitions; parametric relations can be established to govern these definitions across the entire buildinglifecycle and help optimise sustainable building design [START_REF] Eastman | Building Product Models: Computer Environments Supporting Design and Construction[END_REF].

Other industries such as car-manufacturing or aerospace have long experienced the benefits of PLM and ERP use within their associated manufacturing sectors [START_REF] Cimalore | ERP/PLM complement each other & facilitate a collaborative environment in design, engineering and manufacturing processes[END_REF]. It is therefore no surprise that the first steps for integrating BIM with PLM and further with ERP in construction were facilitated by software environments that can also be found in parallel industries. Dassault Systèmes is a company that has steadily expanded such environments from industries like Aerospace and Financial Services to facilitate solutions within Architecture, Engineering and Construction. Their Logistics offering includes equipment placing, human modelling & simulation, material handling and flow to the site, cost & construction time estimation, just to name a few [13]. In 2008, Skanska was one of the first organisations to employ Dassault's Enovia™ PLM solution in conjunction with their BIM approach and the goals to further integrate it with ERP. Skanska has since done so for data management across the supply chain on a number of their projectsbuilding on their PLM approach to establish authoritative data.

The Hickory Example

Most contractors and manufacturers that operate in the construction industry, have yet to explore the PLM/BIM/ERP integration [9] [START_REF] Barthorpe | A survey of the potential for enterprise resource planning (ERP) in improving the effectiveness of construction management in the UK construction industry[END_REF]. Those organisations that actively pursue a path of integration between PLM, BIM and ERP often see themselves entering unchartered territory.

In an attempt to draw from a practical example of PLM, BIM and ERP integration, the author has conducted research at one organisation in particular that actively promotes their supply-chain integration in the production of unitised building systems. The Victoria-based enterprise surrounding the Hickory Group is on the forefront of innovation and development in the Australian construction sector. Founded in 1991, Hickory combines a construction business with manufacture, plant hire, and more. Next to their conventional construction division, the Hickory Group oversees a division for prefabrication and assembly of building units (UB), as well as a division for the pre-fabrication bathroom pods as specialised building systems (SYNC). What distinguishes Hickory from most of their competitors in Australia is their strong focus on streamlining the fabrication processes of their production line, applying a manufacturing mindset rather than construction. This approach becomes most apparent within their UB and SYNC divisions where they collaborate with designers on new patents and innovative production methods. Over a period of 1 year, the author has conducted two site visits to the Hickory production facilities where he inspected the production line as well as interviewing Hickory staff, who form part of their drafting team, their process management group, their production management group, as well as the organisation's leadership.

Whereas BIM is based on disruptive technology for the delivery of design documentation and beyond, a transition to an ERP system affords the integration of highly disruptive technology to all sectors of their business. Challenges faced by Hickory on their path of embracing PLM and ERP relate to the fundamental changes required on their path to gain benefits from an introduction of related systems to their business. Segregated business units within the Hickory group were re-integrated in order to streamline data transfer across IT systems and management practices across different sectors of the enterprise. Such a move also allowed for increased standardisation naming conventions related to their resource planning and production processes.

Initiated by new leadership, Hickory recently expanded their competencies by employing new staff with manufacturing background. In addition, external consultants assist Hickory with a major overhaul of their internal project delivery processes. The overhaul goes hand in hand with the establishment of a new datamanagement strategy that covers the integration of PLM with ERP and BIM. The shift from a construction to a manufacture is manifest in a number of ways:

 A strong focus on frontloading the design effort in order to identify and validate detailed assembly requirements as early as possible  Logical naming conventions that allow for fluent data transfer between PLM, BIM and ERP  Knowledge engineering based on detailed analysis of prototypes and knowledge transfer further down the supply-chain  A revised tool ecology with detailed specification of data-transfer and management.  Introducing detailed process plans with clearly defined hold-points, complemented with progress checklists and identification of high-risk items.  Consolidating separate information systems across the entire business into a centralised system for data storage and management with particular focus on the integration between PLM, ERP and BIM.

Key to the above activities is the establishment and assignment of authoritative ('master') data to those processes where most of the information is required. This approach involves upfront planning via PLM with the consequence that design changes can be traced and communicated directly to the BOM for production planning via their ERP (and in particular their Material Resource Planning -MRP). At the UB and SYNC divisions at Hickory, Autodesk's PLM solution Vault™ was chosen to facilitate this transition and manage the 'master' data. A third party technology consultancy was commissioned to revise the existing tool ecology and process map across the Hickory group. The consultancy established an implementation strategy in order to enable the streamlined integration of virtual 3D geometric construction objects in LOD 400 BIM (shop-drawing) level, their associated data for construction, and the organisation's ERP systems that ties the BIM/PLM data to the production process. The increasing information content incorporated into the 3D BIM for assembly provides the backdrop for data integration in Vault™. In order to streamline the transfer from BIM to the PLM system, Hickory has transitioned from using Autodesk's Revit™ to Inventor™ as their predominant documentation tool. It was identified that Revit™'s integration with Vault™ is insufficiently resolved to facilitate the level of authoritative data integration aspired to by Hickory. Inventor™ on the other hand has a stronger manufacturing focus than Revit™, with better integration to Vault™. BIM drafters at Hickory had to be up-skilled and new staff was hired in order to accommodate the revised workflow.

Risk analysis at UB and SYNC revealed that linking between ERP and BIM could not be achieved successfully on the first available project. Instead, UB at Hickory are gradually migrating their data storage and management from a spreadsheetbased approach to a centralised server, increasing the information content, value engineering, and data management4 capabilities as they go. The Hickory team is gradually learning to adjust and refine the interfaces between the lifecycle planning and production processes, but there are great expectations for the streamlined interface to deliver major benefits to the business once major steps in the implementation have been accomplished.

Future Goals

The transition such as seen at Hickory exemplifies a major shift in thinking by local construction companies: The ultimate goal for integrating PLM with BIM and ERP does not merely lie in the streamlining of processes and the reduction of production/business cost. Much more than that, if lifecycle management, resource planning, and design can be connected via robust processes and high-fidelity data, a company could then export that 'system' and manufacture anywhere in the world. Design will need to be rationalised to a point where it can be realised through knowledge-engineering and related manufacturing processes. Mastering such an approach will allow a construction firm to positions itself as strong competitor on a global market, dramatically reducing production cost, increasing turnover of capital, and becoming manufacturers rather than remaining builders.

Conclusions

After 10 years of BIM use across the construction industry undergoes increasing convergence due to the efforts by various professions to establish the closest possible match between virtual representations of building components and their physical counterpart. BIM is now steadily expanding into other areas and its use has reached a level of maturity where data fidelity is sufficiently resolved that BIM output can interact with PLM systems and further drive the definition of Bills-Of-Material that feed into ERP processes and help to drive the production line.

The construction industry is still in early days of exploring the full potential of these connections. Any organisation aiming to make a transition towards greater synergies between their planning and production process using BIM, PLM and ERP, needs to account for a possible temporary drop in productivity. Re-skilling of staff (and likely also the employment of experts from other industry sectors), the re-organisation of established intra and inter-organisation processes, data integration between business sectors, and a revised tool infrastructure are just a few points in a long list of challenges such organisations are facing. Changing the mentality from a traditional mindset (that is at times still rooted in a craft-based industry) towards highly engineered manufacturing and production does not occur overnight.

Despite the obstacles, those organisations within the construction industry who innovate with a strong focus on supply-chain integration, pre-fabrication, rapid manufacture and assembly, have most to gain by embracing the possibilities for tight links between BIM, PLM and ERP. They will be able to position themselves as strong global players on a competitive market that will increasingly rely on manufacturing and automation.

McGraw Hill has issued a smart market report on: "The Business Value of BIM for Construction in Major Global Markets" in

early 2014. The report outlines in detail how the construction sector in various developed markets globally has taken up BIM.[START_REF] Wilkinson | Online Resource: "Unit4 combining collaboration, ERP and BIM in the cloud[END_REF] The Consensusdocs 301 -BIM Addendum makes a clear distinction between design intent and construction BIM. It is the first standard contract document that globally addresses legal and administration issues associated with using BIM.[START_REF] Shilovitsky | BOM: Apple of Discord between PLM and ERP?[END_REF] The American Institute of Architects (AIA) 'E202-2008 BIM Protocol' was the first document to classify the progression of BIM into five major stages of development (LOD 100 -500) ranging from conceptual modelling to construction and operation.

Such as Kanban systems and change-tracking to increase automation

Acknowledgments

The author would like to acknowledge the assistance from the Hickory Group as well as Memko in the development of this paper.


Sumit Oberoi

Dominik Holzer

The Turning Point: MEP Contractors as the key to achieving lifecycle BIM

Developments in the construction industry across a number of countries over the past decade suggest that the use of Building Information Modeling (BIM) is becoming the norm for the design and delivery of projects. As BIM increasingly enters a broad range of domains within the built environment, the importance of Specialist Contractors -and in particular MEP Contractors -as part of these developments begins to show. MEP Contractors form a crucial link in the information-chain to achieve life-cycle BIM. This paper investigates the shift to the role of MEP Contractors in the context of BIM. It analyses the structural changes within the contracting professions, and it highlights the impact of BIM enabled MEP Contractors on the construction industry as a whole. The paper scrutinises this development by example of the BIM-MEP AUS initiative of the Australian Air Conditioning and Mechanical Contractors' Association (AMCA). Accounts from BIM-MEP AUS illustrate the raise of the BIM-enabled MEP Contractors and thereby act as a reference for other international industry groups who may wish to follow their example.

Background to the use of BIM in the construction industry

Research suggests that the construction industries in a number of developed countries waste some 30 per cent of their efforts through rework and inefficient practices [START_REF] Gallaher | Cost Analysis of Inadequate Interoperability in the U.S. Capital Facilities Industry[END_REF] [START_REF] Brown | BIM: Implications for Government[END_REF]. If that wasted effort were to be reduced, it would make a significant contribution to the construction industry's environmental footprint globally. If the changes required to achieve that reduction were also to flow throughout the supply chain then the improved output would be substantially higher. Embracing the ethos at the core of Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) 1 practices, modelling techniques and supply chain integration practices have proven to be pivotal for a number of industries to achieve notable productivity gains within the past forty years [START_REF] Teicholz | Labor-Productivity Declines in the Construction Industry: Causes and Remedies (Another Look)[END_REF].

Although the use of BIM technology in the delivery of construction project is now becoming pervasive, significant fragmentation and adversarial business models in the construction sector have prevented efficiency-gains to translate across the entire building life-cycle [START_REF] Smith | Building Information Modeling: A Strategic Implementation Guide for Architects, Engineers, Constructors, and Real Estate Asset Managers[END_REF]. The predominant project-focus prevailing in the construction industry is creating impediments to innovation as ongoing projects do not incorporate systemic efforts towards innovation through rigid organisation practices [START_REF] Taylor | Modeling Systemic Innovation in Design and Construction Networks[END_REF]. The construction industry is consistently slow in adopting new project management and workflows practices that leverage technological advancements; in parallel, the manufacturing sector is also experiencing a decline 2 . Whilst the low productivity in the building sector can be partly attributed to the "one-off or bespoke" nature of construction activities with each project being essentially a prototype, there is a lack of focus on process improvement and collaborative integrated project delivery practices. BIM can bridge this gap, as the platform for construction innovation and specify a focus on process improvement and collaboration. Organisations such as buildingSmart alliance and the US National Institute of Building Sciences have been promoting the uptake of BIM and related technology since the mid-1990s, other industry bodies and institutes have followed their lead.

1 IPD was first introduced by the California Council of the American Institute of Architects (AIA|CC) in 2007 as part of a publication tiled: Integrated Project Delivery: A Working Definition. A comprehensive summary of IPD principles can be found as an online resource by the AIA|CC: http://www.aiacc.org/2012/06/05/integrated-project-delivery-a-history-of-leadershipadvocacy-and-commitment/ 2 As an example: Over the past 25 years, Australia's manufacturing sector's share of total industry gross value added (GVA) has declined from 16 per cent in the year to the June quarter 1986 to 10 per cent in the year to the June quarter 2011; Source: Trends in manufacturing to 2020, Future Manufacturing, Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, Australia Key organisations in the propagation of BIM within construction sectors globally have been the U.S. General Services Administration -mandating BIM for Spatial Program Validation on their projects since 2006 [START_REF]BIM Guide For Spatial Program Validation[END_REF] and the 'Department of Veterans Affairs' (releasing a BIM Guide [START_REF]The VA BIM Guide[END_REF] in 2010) . In the UK, the National BIM Task Group has continuously been working on policies for the introduction of BIM on public sector projects. This combined industry/government funded organisation has laid out a roadmap for a gradual introduction of BIM requirements for projects procured via central government departments between 2011 and 2016 (& beyond). The Singaporean Building and Construction Authority (BCA) introduced an e-submission system for regulatory submissions based on BIM data back in 2008. The above examples merely represent the tip of the iceberg of recent industry/government initiatives to propagate BIM.

One notable aspect reflected in most of the approaches by the above industry bodies and organisations is their focus on BIM for architects and engineers. These consultants were the first to integrate BIM into their profession-specific work processes. Hence, BIM software initially mainly catered for architectural and engineering processes. A recent global industry study [START_REF] Hill | SmartMarket Report', The Business Value of BIM for Construction in Major Global Markets, How Contractors around the world are driving innovation with Building Information Modeling[END_REF] points in the direction that, after several years of moderate change, Contractors are currently the most active industry group in adopting BIM. Annual growth rates in BIM uptake among Specialist Contractors in particular are excelling in a great number of industrialised countries. What influence has such transition on the required expertise and BIMrelated capabilities by Specialist Contractors? How do associated industry bodies react to this challenge? How do they adopt their training regimes to foster BIM?

The changing skill requirements for Specialist Contractors

Specialist Contractors in most developed countries are undergoing a major transition in their education from 2D drawing to object based 3D modelling. Current and novice professionals undergo dedicated BIM training as industries gears up to become BIM enabled [START_REF]First Steps to BIM Competence, A Guide for Specialist Contractors[END_REF]. A pivotal part of this education process is BIM advocacy and stronger awareness of the change in work practices by major industry bodies. Implementing BIM is more than picking up software skills; it is about acquiring communication and collaboration skills that enable and encourage stakeholders across the building life-cycle to deliver projects in an integrated way [START_REF]First Steps to BIM Competence, A Guide for Specialist Contractors[END_REF].

For Specialist Contractors this process-change means: preparing for early involvement in the design process and interpreting consultants' BIM for the purpose of creating BIM equivalent to the level of resolution inherent to traditional a shop drawings. Such translation requires prior definition of standards for information exchange and the generation of BIM content in order to comply with technical schedules. Research and Development into standard forms of information exchange between collaborators has been high on the list of organisations such as the buildingSmart alliance. Their Industry Foundation Classes (IFC2×4) format allows for the transfer of data-rich 3D models from one software platform to another (with little loss of data fidelity). At the same time the 'Construction Operations Building information exchange' (COBie), created by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and NASA [START_REF] East | Construction-Operations Building information exchange (COBie), buildingSMART alliance[END_REF], is developed as a standard framework of objects for information exchange to link construction data to facility management in a structured manner.

It becomes crucial to associate BIM components on a Specialist Contractor level with numeric product data (quantities, cost, servicing), to consider interfaces to computer aided manufacture (CAM) for rapid (& less waste) manufacture, and to facilitate the generation of O&M manuals that can be accessed by a facility's operator [START_REF] Dossick | Implications of New Construction Technology for Western Washington Mechanical Contractors[END_REF]. The Specialist Contractor can therefore advise the Facility/Asset Manager on how the Commission As-Built (CAB) will influence the operation of the building. Specialist Contractors who form part of this 'information supply chain' need to be more encompassing in terms of the tasks they are able to facilitate [START_REF] Dossick | Implications of New Construction Technology for Western Washington Mechanical Contractors[END_REF]. Depending on the project type, MEP equipment constitutes approximately 15-25% of construction cost [START_REF]HVAC Costs[END_REF]. Such numbers highlight the relevance of the work undertaken by the MEP Contractors in particular. MEP Contractors rely on a combination of 'Made-to-stock' and 'Engineered-to-order' components [START_REF] Eastman | BIM Handbook: A Guide to Building Information Modeling for Owners, Managers, Designers, Engineers and Contractors[END_REF]. Whereas the former can usually be grouped and represented in an electronic product catalogues, the latter group requires specialist assembly and installation. Appropriating product information from MEP Contractors hence requires diligent mapping of production information and performance specifications. Further, MEP Contractors deal with process-planning and the sequencing of fabrication and assembly activities on and offsite, with substantial risk associated to estimating correct quantities and workloads for costing purposes [START_REF] Kieran | Refabricating Architecture: How Manufacturing Methodologies are Poised to Transform Building Construction[END_REF].

Information-richness associated to MEP Contractor BIMs

The level of detail and precision Specialist Contractors and trades apply to design for fabrication is unparalleled compared to other parties involved on construction projects. The ConsensusDOCS 301BIM Addendum by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) BIM Forum [START_REF] Consensudocs | ConsensusDOCS 301BIM Addendum[END_REF] provides a clear distinction in definition between 'Design' and 'Construction' BIM.

Design BIMs contain the design/procurement/CAB (commissioned as built) technical schedules and provides a basic range of standard generic design models covering the major requirements of the designer's. Design data embedded in the BIM objects that are compiled during the design development stage includes the extraction of specification relevant data for the equipment schedules as well as system integration information. In current practice, there still remains room for improvement regarding the usefulness of Design Intent BIM passed on by some consultants to other stakeholders such as the Specialist Contractor [START_REF]Strategy: A strategy for the focussed adoption of building information modelling and related digital technologies and processes for the Australian built environment sector[END_REF]. There exists one related factor that impacts on an industry's ability to achieving life-cycle BIM: The lack of standardised BIM object libraries that facilitate the dialogue between consultants and those further down the supply-chain.

Construction BIMs on the other hand are manufacturer specific models which have both the design schedule and procurement schedule data completed. Models are dimensionally accurate sufficient for workshop detail drawings for manufacturing and installation purposes. In addition to their role as translators, MEP Contractors are also responsible to attach product details (data-sheets) for Operation and Maintenance (O&M) manuals associated to the geometrical information in BIM. Construction BIMs also need to consider the installation constraints and safe handling sequencing, as well as the spatial requirements for access and servicing during operation. In doing so, MEP Contractors link equipment information from construction to operation and maintenance; the abovementioned COBie format is one pathway to achieve such links. These 'as-maintained' BIMs can be accessed via the cloud and viewed on tablet devices that can extract the data on demand [START_REF]First Steps to BIM Competence, A Guide for Specialist Contractors[END_REF].

Responding to the Challenges: The BIM-MEP AUS Initiative

Industry bodies representing Specialist Contractors and the trades have a responsibility to assist their members in mastering the transition to BIM. In this paper, the authors focus on the approach taken by the Australian 'Air Conditioning and Mechanical Contractors' Association' (AMCA) to support the development of bespoke standards and BIM content for their members through their initiative: 'BIM-MEP AUS '.

The BIM-MEP AUS initiative by the AMCA was started in early 2010 with the goal to investigate steps to introduce a 'BIM-all-the-way' life-cycle workflow to their constituency. The initiative started by conducting targeted research surveys among 15 of its key members across all Australian states. Based on their qualitative feedback, a discussion paper was released that led to the formation of a combined industry/academia steering committee consisting of 25 Australian BIM/MEP Contractor experts. Representatives of the BIM Steering Committee included representation from specialist building services contractors, consultants, architects, builders, equipment manufacturers and suppliers, and software vendors.

Targeted research by the BIM-MEP AUS initiative identified a number of challenges related to the role of MEP Contractors in the context of life-cycle BIM: Participants in their research lamented the inadequate information content within 'Design BIMs' that were not set up with their estimating, fabricatable, installation and maintenance needs in mind by consultants. A trend is noticeable among mechanical Specialist Contractors: They increasingly take over modelling tasks that were traditionally performed by engineering drafters who would provide more than just the performance outline, scope of works and design intent of uncoordinated services routes and equipment to be installed.

Further, the BIM-MEP AUS research revealed that the lack of standardisation within a number of construction industries has created barriers to the effective uptake and use of BIM. Concerns about the viability of BIM remain among a large number of MEP Contractors irrespective of a particular discipline; specific concerns include:  Significant time and cost burden involved in customising BIM modelling software to suit both design and construction requirements.  Lack of industry standards supporting BIM.  Inconsistent interoperability between different BIM software packages.  Poor consideration of the requirements for integrated project delivery.  Limited BIM project and data management expertise within the industry.  Reluctance to share the models by consultants and other trades.  Not enough time allowed with Specialist Contractors to engage earlier.  Client expectations of BIM for ongoing O&M are often not understood well.  Consultants not educated to understand the fabricateable, installation and maintenance site constraints.

Bridging between 'Design Intent BIM' and 'Construction BIM'

In direct response to the challenges mentioned above, the BIM-MEP AUS initiative proposes a 'BIM-all-the-way' design/construction/ (CAB) workflow. The BIMall-the-way workflow enables a building to be designed and coordinated in a virtual environment before being built on site whilst also allowing best of breed fabrication software to be used for the manufacture and estimating. The workflow is fundamentally dependent on the use of managed content to deliver standard models which are certified to assure compliance with the technical schedules and functionality with the BIM-MEP AUS add-in for BIM authoring software and fabrication software needed for manufacturing purposes and for procuring bought in equipment. There exists a range of opportunities for supplier-interaction amongst various businesses that link project components from various MEP Contractors together during off site assembly processes called modularisation for 'just in time' site deliveries.

The BIM-MEP AUS approach can be adjusted to suite other trade contractors and their specific workflow. The combination of strong standards in parallel with the development of referring BIM content facilitates a fluid transition from the design phase to the construction phase, and ultimately to the fabrication phase. The following paragraphs highlight how this transition is currently facilitated through BIM-MEP AUS .

Design phase

Manufacturers should be able to promote vendor neutral 'Design' BIMs related to their respective trade (ideally hosted on an online repository). Examples of where this is likely to occur are where a new product is introduced into the market.

Where a manufacturer works with a designer/detailer, they would ideally have access to a framework for certification by their respective industry body. This should allow manufacturer models to be inserted in the design model. The design schedules generated will identify the manufacturer as either a nominated supplier, or approved or equal supplier as deemed appropriate by the designer.

Construction phase

Once the key structural elements are determined and the 'Design' is clearly defined at the end of Design Development, it is envisaged that the trade installers will take custodianship of certified BIM components and will develop them to 'Construction BIM' model status, which will:

 incorporate the manufacturer models for the equipment selected;  sufficiently resolve spatial coordination for general construction purposes;  consider procurement data schedules;  associate FM related data as part of commissioning (via COBie or similar)  target commissioning data prior to commissioning commences; and

Fabrication phase

Once the construction models are approved, it is envisaged that installers will convert them into Fabrication Models in cases where their workflow allows for this mode of delivery (e.g. for ducts and pipework). The level of automation that can possibly be applied to this process depends on predefined, knowledge-based semantic interpretation capabilities of the fabrication software in use.

Fabrication model can be used for a variety of purposes including construction detailing, fabrication and CAM routines for manufacture.

 Construction BIMs can get converted to fabrication models whilst retaining their geometry.  Conversion back to a BIM Construction model will be possible.  It results in greater opportunities to explore value-adding services.  Data extracted to exchange onto the robotic site positioning layout equipment.  The fabrication BIMs can be uploaded to the cloud and viewed on hand held tablet devices that can extract the data on demand for the installation teams.

Conclusions

BIM signifies a major cultural change for Specialist Contractors as it allows them to be more linked into the design process while simultaneously maintaining tighter control over fabrication and installation processes. As a result, Specialist Contractors are empowered to provide essential value-add to life-cycle BIM as they close the gap between design intent by consultants, construction scheduling and costing by head contractors, and O&M activities by owner/operators of a facility.

Leading Specialist Contractors are increasingly opting to link BIM to offsite fabrication. They thereby combine single or multiple trade models into virtual 'smart assemblies' to then assemble physical modules or units in controlled environments such as a factory floor. Offsite prefabrication has significant impact on time, material waste, cost and safety related matters. It reduces risk and offers more certainty about the quality of the assembly, the time required for installation, and 'just in time' deliveries. Cost savings are proving to be significant and principals and head contractors are likely to expect from their Specialist Contractors the ability to deliver such assemblies based on well-coordinated BIM.

In addition to the above, the industry is likely to experience a development towards further automation of assembly and construction with the use of robotic equipment that can directly interpret coordinated datasets provided by BIM. In order to streamline their production methods, trades can draw upon skills and expertise of parallel (e.g. car) industries where supply-chain integration and product lifecycle management (PLM) has been common for decades. Specifically, trades can draw upon the expertise from manufacturing offsite and applying a framework for prefabrication and modular strategies. Specialist Contractors and the trades thereby adopt sophisticated construction techniques and supply chain integration such as e-commerce linking or procuring equipment directly from a supplier from a BIM model. Mechanical BIM components that are set up with FM requirements in mind (using formats like COBie) will assist Specialist Contractors in bridging the gap between the construction and the operation & maintenance aspect of the facilities they work on.

Fig. 1 :

 1 Fig.1: Schematic diagram of the BIM-MEP AUS workflow (Source: AMCA).

Acknowledgments

This paper is partially based on an industry whitepaper the authors conceived for the Australian Institute of Architects and Consult Australia. The authors would like to acknowledge the assistance from the AMCA in authoring this paper.