Exploring quantity surveyors’ perspective on implementing Building Information Modelling (BIM)

Building Information Modelling (BIM) has emerged as a pivotal technological advancement in the construction industry, recognise for enhancing integrated and collaborative processes across the project lifecycle to boost productivity, reduce duration and costs, and improve quality and safety. This study explores the perception of using BIM among Quantity Surveyors (QS) and identifies the effectiveness of BIM in QS practices. This also reveals the significant challenges that hinder BIM adoption, primarily the high costs associated with acquiring BIM technology. Despite these challenges, BIM's benefits, including enhanced efficiency in cost appraisal during early project stages and reduced arithmetic errors through automation, are demonstrated. The methodology involved a structured survey distributed among QS in Selangor, Malaysia, which received 331 responses, with 330 valid responses analyse. The findings reveal that despite the significant barriers-particularly the high costs associated with acquiring BIM technology – BIM offers substantial benefits, including enhanced efficiency in cost appraisal during early project stages and reduced arithmetic errors through automation. Furthermore, BIM contributes to improved accuracy in cost estimates and shorter project timelines in both pre-and post-construction phases. The conclusion drawn from this research emphasise that for BIM implementation to increase in Malaysia, there must be a concerted effort from government bodies and industry stakeholders to foster its development, potentially through policy-making, incentives, and educational programme that facilitate easier access and greater affordability of BIM resources. This collaborative approach could significantly contribute to overcoming the current barriers and fully leveraging BIM’s potential to transform the Malaysian construction sector.