Exploring developers' understanding on Building Information Modelling (BIM) and its impact on Return on Investment (ROI)

Building Information Modelling (BIM) is the current trend in the construction industry globally, and Malaysia, is not an exception too. BIM has been in Malaysia for the past ten (10) years, and in the future, BIM will be an industry standard, instead of an optional service. Even though BIM is already in the industry for ten (10) years, many developers are still reluctant to implement it because they could not see the benefits of BIM especially in monetary terms. This paper aims to explore the understanding developers of BIM and its impact on Return on Investment (ROI). A literature review is carried out to review the linkage between BIM and ROI. The study engages qualitatively with four (4) respondents who held the title of BIM managers in their respective companies that have experience in BIM. Data was collected through face-to-face semi-structured interview sessions and was analysed using qualitative content analysis techniques. From the findings, the respondents do understand BIM and that BIM is not a tool for visualisation only. It is, in fact, able to help them in project control. The findings show that BIM had impacted on the ROI of both the project and organisation. At present, these findings support the argument that BIM does have an impact on the ROI both positively and negatively. However, the findings prove that BIM is worthy of its pricey initial investment. It is, therefore, suggested that Malaysian developers invest in BIM though the initial investment may seem pricey.