Establishing the Key Pillars of Innovation Required to Execute a Successful BIM Strategy Within a Construction SME in Ireland

The recent resurgence of the Irish Construction Industry comes at a time of global transition towards an information revolution, with technology now playing a vital role within our post-recessionary society. BIM is now seen as a core technology at the forefront of this transformational change which can present Construction SMEs with opportunities to new financial ventures. If any SME organisation is to be successful with BIM adoption then innovation must be the starting point. The aim of this paper is to establish the enabling factors required for innovating a BIM strategy within a SME Construction Organisation. The methodology involved a critical in-depth desk top study which was complimented through a series of interviews with SMEs based within the Irish AEC Sector. The interviews examined current attitudes, BIM maturity and organisation barriers with respect to the enabling factors of BIM innovation for SMEs. The research highlights that if these enabling factors are successfully addressed then BIM has the potential to in-crease consumer expectations, offer greater exposure to larger and more profitable projects. The research findings further demonstrate the need for a clear and simply understood BIM adoption Strategy amongst SMEs. However, to fully innovate BIM processes the major factor required is for the Irish Government to mandate BIM which will assist in driving SMEs forward.