Measuring the impact of BIM on labor productivity in a small specialty contracting enterprise through action-research

•We attempt to quantify the impact of BIM on labor productivity.•An action-research was carried out with a small mechanical contractor.•Labor productivity for areas where BIM and prefabrication were used is compared to where it was not.•Findings demonstrate a 75% to 240% increase in labor productivity for modeled and prefabricated areas.

Productivity in the construction industry is a well-documented and expansive field of research. It benefits from over four decades of research that have developed models and methods for evaluation and identified multiple factors that influence it. In parallel, building information modeling (BIM) has emerged as a disruptive innovation, showing great potential to mitigate many of the factors negatively affecting construction productivity. Indeed, studies are increasingly looking into the impact of BIM on project performance. Improving construction productivity, labor productivity in particular, is one of the widely reported benefits. For organizations looking to transition to BIM, being able to grasp these benefits and quantify their impact is extremely important to ensure the viability of the BIM implementation process. This article presents the findings of an action-research project undertaken with a small mechanical contractor which investigates the impact of BIM on labor productivity on a large commercial project. The objective of the action-research was to assist the organization in reconfiguring its performance measurement practices in light of the transition to BIM and prefabrication. The article discusses the challenges of this reconfiguration and presents the findings from the performance measurement process which was put in place. The findings suggest a clear positive impact of BIM on labor productivity on the project studied: the areas that were modeled and prefabricated showed an increase in productivity ranging from 75% to 240% over the areas that were not modeled. More importantly, however, the article operationalizes a strategy allowing organizations to consistently assess their performance relating to labor productivity.