Drivers for electronic procurement and building information modelling in the construction industry

Chapter 3 sets out the process of e-procurement and Chapter 5 within this book will set out the background for building information modelling (BIM). Toktas-Pault et al. (2014) indicate that Eadie et al. (2007) were the first to investigate whether the construction procurement drivers and barriers were similar to those in other industries. They initially reviewed e-procurement in construction from a worldwide, European, and UK perspective. Eadie et al. (2007) compared e-procurement in construction initially with detailed studies on e-procurement in the goods and services sectors published in the United States and Australia. This was followed by a larger study into the subject in 2010 (Eadie et al., 2010a,b). The deadline for the implementation of building information modelling (BIM) on government contracts is 1st April 2016 (Efficiency and Reform Group, 2011) and this chapter compares and contrasts the drivers and barriers to BIM with those of e-procurement. Furthermore it looks at the interoperability between the two systems. The comparison of the drivers and barriers for both systems shows that similar barriers still remain to those found in the Eadie et al. (2010a,b) studies and provides a current update on the issues identified.