Stop Reporting, Start Steering – AEC Business

Why do some projects see a 15% cost saving from BIM, while others struggle to justify the software license? The answer isn’t in the level of modeling detail; it’s in the management logic. A new research paper titled ‘The role of digital technologies in enhancing construction project management’ identifies the three core drivers that actually move the needle on project performance.

The conclusion is clear: digital technologies improve outcomes only when they strengthen the core work of project management, particularly project control (the top-ranked driver), safety management, and resource allocation.

BIM consistently emerged as the central digital platform, yet a large portion of its potential remains untapped.

What this research shows

The study analyzed responses from construction professionals in England using a Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) framework, supported by factor analysis and ranking.

While BIM has potential in project management, its narrow scope limits the benefits it can deliver on a project. When it is used beyond traditional boundaries, the benefits can be substantial. The researchers refer to published case studies that quantify the impact.

For example, the Birmingham New Street Station redevelopment used BIM to coordinate complex designs and robotics for precision work, resulting in a 20% reduction in construction time and an estimated 10-15% cost savings.

BIM as a management instrument

In many projects, BIM remains central during design coordination but fades once construction begins. Project managers receive reports and drawings derived from the model, but decisions are made elsewhere: in spreadsheets, meetings, emails, and phone calls.

The study suggests this is where value is lost. Performance improved when BIM became the reference point for decisions, not just for information exchange. When the model was used to test sequencing, expose constraints, and assess the impact of changes before they reached the site, predictability improved.

However, when BIM was treated as documentation, predictability did not improve. In this role, BIM functions as project control infrastructure rather than a design artifact.

Why resource allocation is the real test

One of the strongest signals in the research is the importance of resource allocation. Among all adoption drivers, the efficient use of labor, materials, and equipment was the highest priority for practitioners, with a mean score of 4.20.

What matters to site teams is the ability to leverage accurate quantity takeoffs (a key variable in the study) to drive precise material estimates and cost forecasting.

Design-focused BIM does not provide sufficient systematized data for accurate QTOs, leading to manual work downstream.

Extending BIM into the supply chain

The research also helps explain why BIM’s impact often stops at organizational boundaries. Supply chains struggle not because they lack information but because they receive it late, inconsistently, or in formats that require reinterpretation.

When BIM data is translated into structured, role-specific datasets, whether called MBOMs, work packages, or installation units, it becomes meaningful beyond the design team.

Suppliers can plan production, logistics can be sequenced, and site teams can prepare work based on what will actually arrive. In this way, BIM serves the supply chain not by adding detail but by stabilizing commitments earlier.

From BIM maturity to management maturity

A recurring theme in the study is that organizational capability often matters more than the technology itself. Projects involving legacy infrastructure, such as the Leeds Viaduct project, failed to realize benefits when the workforce struggled to integrate new monitoring equipment with antiquated systems.

The study also highlights that Safety Management is now a primary driver of digital maturity (ranked #2 overall), with IoT-enabled safety tools and real-time monitoring delivering measurable reductions in incidents across projects such as Crossrail.

The research ultimately points to a shift: BIM’s real value is unlocked when it supports continuous steering rather than periodic reporting, informs execution logic rather than stopping at coordination, and connects design intent to the metrics that matter most to the bottom line.

From insights to action

This and other research help us understand what unlocks value, yet most projects don’t realize it. The challenge is not technological but managerial and cultural.

So, where to start, if we want to scale sporadic success into a system-level change? Here are some ideas inspired by the research report:

• Project management cannot remain in a reactive, “report-and-review” mode. It must evolve into a continuous control process in which BIM and other digital information are integrated into decision-making.
• Project participants are focused on optimizing their work one project at a time. If designers, contractors, and clients take a long-term view, investing in process and technology improvements starts making sense.
• Incentives often reward execution: fast build rates, minimal cost increases, and penalties for late delivery. This creates a behavior in which problems are hidden until they become unavoidable. Contracts should reward proactivity.
• Project management must enable shared accountability: designers, builders, subcontractors, and owners must have aligned KPIs, and shared dashboards must feed collaborative decisions, not separate reports.
• Finally, training should not focus solely on technological proficiency. It should also address the organizational capability to manage data in complex contexts.

You can read and download the research paper at https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-31955-6