BIM KPIs and Design Performance – Experiments in Structural and Building Systems Engineering

Abstract

Building information modelling (BIM) is widely used in construction design, and numerous BIM-related key performance indicators (KPIs), such as clash detection metrics, quantity accuracy measures, and model completeness indicators, have been proposed. In practice, project performance is still primarily assessed using traditional indicators such as cost, schedule, and quality, while BIM-derived indicators are applied inconsistently. Moreover, prior research has mainly focused on individual BIM KPIs, leaving a limited understanding of how combinations of such indicators could provide a more comprehensive, data-driven view of design performance and coordination dynamics at the project level. This paper introduces and evaluates novel combinations of BIM-derived indicators based on data from two building projects and successive IFC model versions, complemented by expert interviews. Using a design science research (DSR) approach, the authors developed and assessed combined KPI metrics that integrate design effort, model changes, and clashes. The findings reveal relationships between design effort, model evolution, and clashes, improving visibility into design coordination and enabling earlier identification of potential issues. Expert feedback indicates that the KPIs were understandable and potentially useful in practice, while also highlighting the need for improved time-reporting accuracy and broader datasets for portfolio-level learning. However, limitations related to the interpretation of design-hour data and differing update cycles between time reporting and BIM models affect measurement precision. The study contributes by clarifying BIM-based performance indicators, proposing a logic for combining them, and demonstrating how combined BIM KPIs may support practical decision-making in design management.