E3S Web of Conferences 347, 01010 (2022) https://doi.org/10.

1051/e3sconf/202234701010
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BIM implementation in Sarawak construction

industry: Awareness, readiness and challenges
Yee Yong Lee1*, Andrew Kah How Law1, and Sim Nee Ting1, Hun Chuen Gui2, Afzan
Ahmad Zaini2

1Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, 94300 Kota
Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia
2Faculty of Built Environment, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, 94300 Kota Samarahan, Sarawak,

Malaysia.

Abstract. Lack of coordination and fragmentations have always existed

among the stakeholders and parties involved in the implementation of
planning, design and construction process of construction projects,
especially in the aspects of information transfer. In the recent trends,
Building Information Modelling, BIM has been introduced to address the
fragmentation issues. The BIM framework is based on the notion of
coordination between stakeholders in digital format for information
exchange throughout the construction progress. Although BIM technology
has been implemented in Malaysia for several years, low adoption is found
within the Sarawak construction industry. This paper aims to assess the
awareness and readiness for BIM implementation in the Sarawak
construction industry. The study was carried out using questionnaire
survey across the districts in the Southern Region, Central Region and
Northern Region of Sarawak. There are in total 404 responses received,
and it is revealed that only 14% of the participants have experience in
BIM-related projects. This is still far from the goals set by the Construction
Industry Development Board (CIDB) Malaysia. Meanwhile, 63% of
respondents had heard of BIM and 46% of them had attended some
seminar or program related on BIM. The investigation of awareness,
readiness and challenges of BIM implementation has been further inferred
and compiled as a foundation guideline for the proposed solution
framework to increase BIM usage in the state. It is hopeful that proposed
solution framework can help in overcoming BIM implementation barriers
in the Sarawak Construction Industry.

1 Introduction
The construction industry has governed the modernization of countries around the world
over centuries. The construction industry controls, in particular, the economic trend of a
country, which means that any impact of this industry will have an impact on the entire
economic condition of a country and vice versa. It is important to recognize that the

* Corresponding author: [email protected]

© The Authors, published by EDP Sciences. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative
Commons Attribution License 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
E3S Web of Conferences 347, 01010 (2022) https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202234701010
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construction industry is an enormous process involving many projects, myriads of people,

different companies or businesses, different sizes, part of a country with different skills and
capabilities and always subject to change in the environment [1]. However, there are many
issues in construction industries that are thought to be grossly inefficient in comparison
with other industries such as the automotive industry.
The heterogeneity of the construction industry has led to the inefficiency of the industry
and Mohd Nawi, Baluch, & Bahauddin, [2] claimed that these fragmentations exist within
the traditional construction process between the construction stakeholders and the parties in
the construction process. Construction projects involved various players at different stages
of the project, starting from initiation to closure of the project. If lack of coordination and
fragmentation especially in information transfer persists, the construction industry will
certainly be brought to a standstill and finds it difficult to forge ahead. In fact, this has
caused the construction industry to slip back in terms of efficiency and economy [3].
Since the fragmentation of the construction project has caused inefficient collaboration
and cooperation between different parties, stakeholders and organizations in the
construction industry [4], Construction Industry Development Board, CIDB has introduce
an improved system and management of project by Building Information Modelling (BIM)
which align to the Industrialized Revolution 4.0. BIM is known as an Information and
Communication Technology (ICT) with the ability to transform the construction industry
by improving efficiency, productivity and reliability. It is a collaborative approach based on
digital technologies that enable more efficient methods of architecture, engineering and
construction (AEC) resource design, development and maintenance to more effectively
implement cost effective and clash-free design and greater construction productivity and
efficiency [5].
Wong, Wong, & Nadeem, [6] also concurred that the use of BIM affects all aspects of
building construction from design, estimate, supply chain, implementation phase,
construction process, resource allocation, necessity for efficiency, facility and asset
management and finally demolition. The BIM technology allows for generating a three-
dimensional (3D) model, scheduling whole project duration, estimating cost of the project,
assessing sustainability and achieving facility management applications [7]. BIM
implements a framework based on the notion of coordination between stakeholders for
digital information exchange throughout the construction progress [8]. It also helps the
various parties to work on the same basis and to foster shared responsibilities. When BIM
fills the gap in the construction sector, it is proposed that this transformation of
digitalization be implemented to fill the deficit [9] caused by lack of coordination in
information exchange.
The government of many countries all around the world has realized the advantages that
BIM has to offer to their construction industry and has since developed a plan and invested
money to incorporate BIM into their construction industry. BIM has been more and more
widely implemented in developed countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom,
Hong Kong, Singapore, and South Korea [10, 11]. The increasing application of BIM in
developed countries such as New Zealand and Australia has led to further research studies
on BIM and other fields related to the construction project process, along with security
management, project management, maintenance services, and so forth [12]. In European
countries, the adoption of Building Information Modeling (BIM) standards have been
expedited and one of the example of using BIM environment is under-construction project
of the Departures Area Expansion of Naples Capodichino International Airport, IV Bridge,
[13].
BIM processes are incorporated into both buildings and infrastructure and have added
potential for complementary workflows such as laser scanning, drone survey technic and
rapid energy analysis in the retrofit and refurbishment sector. Besides of architectural -

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structural BIM cooperation, BIM have further expand for transportation infrastructure
mainly focusing on roads, highways, and bridges [14]. BIM technologies is also a
partnership between the construction industry and the software industry, creating an
environment in which both companies have opportunities and synergies [15].
Malaysian Public Work Department (PWD) embraced BIM since then by targeting that
BIM should be implemented on 10% of public projects under Rancangan Malaysia ke-11
(RMK11) above RM 50 million. [16] has reported on the number of BIM implementation
in PWD’S BIM Projects. Although BIM technology has been implemented by the
Malaysian Government, few stakeholders are using the BIM concept, some opting to
outsource the BIM works to their project deliverables rather than just implementing the
technology internally [17]. The annual BIM report showed that the implementation of BIM
in Malaysia was still limited when compared to the standard practice of BIM
implementation in several developing countries [18, 19]. Malaysia's construction culture
and environment may be a factor that slows down the BIM implementation process. The
construction stakeholders refused to implement BIM because they are comfortable with the
traditional construction process [20]. The resistance to learning new technology and/or
approach is also contributing to the limitation of BIM adoption.
In Sarawak, the Pan Borneo Highway Sarawak project began in January 2016 with the
adoption of Malaysia's first-ever Highway Information Modelling (HIM), a combination of
Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and Building Information Modelling (BIM) [21].
However, previous research study on the implementation of BIM in the Sarawak
construction industry urges action to be taken. The awareness and knowledge on the
implementation of BIM seems limited when compared to the standard practice of BIM
implementation in several developing countries, even in some West Malaysia cities like
Kuala Lumpur. Therefore, this study aims to study the issues that are perceived in BIM
implementation in the Sarawak construction industry in more detail. Whether or not the
industry is still struggling to understand the advantages of BIM implementation in practice
and lacking of awareness to impact of modern technology will further be studied.

2 Research method
A questionnaire survey was conducted to assess the level of awareness and readiness of the
Sarawak construction industry to implement BIM. Besides, the perception assessment, the
survey also examines the challenges, benefits and solution framework for BIM for the
Sarawak construction industry. A total of 500 questionnaires was distributed throughout
Sarawak across the southern, central and northern regions of Sarawak. The surveys are
distributed among major construction players, including architects, engineers, contractors,
developers, surveyors, government officials, etc. 404 out of 500 respondents give feedbacks
on the survey and Figure 1 showed the profile of respondents by professions. About 65%
has at least 5 years of working experience in the construction sector. Refer to Figure 2.

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Fig. 1. Profile of respondents by profession.

Fig. 2. Working experience.

The instrument used for data collection was a questionnaire comprising seven sections
as follows:
Section A: Demographic information
Section B: Organisation background
Section C: BIM awareness and BIM readiness
Section D: BIM in organisation
Section E: BIM implementation
Section F: Challenges of BIM implementation
Section G: Direction of BIM in Sarawak construction industry

3 Results and discussions

This section focuses on the data analysis results obtained from the questionnaire survey,
conducted among the construction industry professionals in Sarawak. This survey reflected
the level of current practice of Building Information Modelling (BIM) implementation.

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This will serve as an important baseline and a critical reference point when assessing the
changes and effects of implementing of BIM in the Sarawak construction industry. The
main focus is in the respondents' awareness and readiness for BIM implementation.
However, another important point for discussion will be on the benefits and challenges of
BIM implementation in the construction industry in Sarawak. A proposed framework will
be introduced to overcome problems in the implementation of BIM in the state.

3.1 BIM Knowledge

BIM is an exceptional model that has recently transformed global construction and has
gradually improved and transformed the construction industry in the world. The
introduction of BIM in Sarawak Construction was considered positive, as evidenced by the
survey. As shown in Figure 3, 63% of respondents know of BIM, while only 37% said they
had not heard about it.

Fig. 3. Respondents that heard about BIM.

Undeniably, the government through its various agencies, such as the Public Works
Department (JKR), CIDB, and other professional bodies, has been aggressively promoting
BIM through the various events. A series of BIM awareness program was organized by
CIDB since 2014. The awareness programs, such as BIM Day and Nationwide BIM Road
Tour, are part of CIDB initiatives to enhance the awareness of the construction industry and
understanding of BIM [22].
Despite this, there is only 38% of the respondents have attended related seminars or
programs on BIM as seen in Figure 4. Among the respondents that have attended any
seminar or program on BIM based on professionals, civil and structure engineers have
attended BIM related program (46%) followed by architects (23%), contractor (21%),
developer (4%), mechanical engineer (3%), quantity surveyor (2%), and electrical engineer
(1%).

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Fig. 4. Respondents that have attended any seminar or program on BIM.

BIM-based seminars or projects initiated by the government have been put forward to
increase BIM knowledge and awareness among players in the Malaysian construction
industry. Unfortunately, these initiatives are less within the Sarawak construction industry.
Table 1 also shows that although most of the respondents heard about BIM (Figure 3), they
still claimed of low confidence level in using knowledge and skills in BIM. Among the
respondents that are aware of BIM, 25% of the total respondents not very confident at all in
their knowledge and skills in BIM and follow by 26% of the respondents of not very
confident, and 38% claimed that they are in between the confident and not confident. For
those who have high confidence level in BIM knowledge and skills, they claimed to have
attended BIM-related programs, refer to Table 5. On the contrary, the respondents who did
not attend any BIM related program are the ones in the not very confident range.
Therefore, the respondents' insufficient understanding of BIM is related to not having
attended any seminars or programs related to BIM. However, those who attend but still lack
confidence argue that they have not fully utilize the knowledge, awareness, and ways to
implement BIM provided by the workshop or training program. On the other hand, the
participants need to build up their confidence level by involving themselves in BIM related
projects to increase their experience in implementing BIM. It is undeniable that participants
cannot fully implement skills and knowledge from BIM seminar or program unless they use
the knowledge in BIM related project. The chances or the opportunities to be involved in
BIM related project is needed.
Table 1. Respondents that heard about BIM based on confidence level regarding to average
knowledges and skills in BIM.
Respondent Confidence level on knowledge and skills in BIM
that heard Very Quite In Not very Not very Total
about BIM confident confident between confident confident
at all
Yes 6 23 97 66 63 255
2% 9% 38% 26% 25% 100%
NO 1 4 42 47 55 149
1% 3% 28% 32% 37% 100%

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Table 2. Respondents that have attended any seminar or program on BIM based on confidence level
regarding to average knowledges and skills in BIM.
Respondent Confidence level on knowledge and skills in BIM
that have Very Quite In Not very Not very Total
attended any confident confident between confident confident
seminar or at all
program on
BIM
Yes 7 17 61 27 19 131
5% 13% 47% 21% 15% 100%
NO 0 10 78 86 99 273
0% 4% 29% 32% 36% 100%

3.2 BIM awareness in Sarawak

The effective platform of resources should be made available to enhance the awareness of
BIM in the Sarawak construction industry. Dissemination of information, programs, and
activities through shared resources should be reliable, user friendly, accessible, and up-to-
date. When these resources are functioning effectively, they can become powerful tools to
increase the awareness level of BIM among the industry players. Based on the findings, the
main source of information come from CIDB Malaysia (22%) followed by Publication
(13%), BIM consultant (13%), online resources (13%), professional bodies or institute
(12%), colleagues (8%), and E-construct Service Sdn Bhd (9%).
Therefore, the survey provided a concrete suggestion that CIDB Malaysia can supply
any seminar or program on BIM to the Sarawak construction industry as it is a reliable a
source for the respondents. To enhance the determination of CIDB to ensure easier and
more affordable access to BIM for the industry players [15], the collaboration with the BIM
consultant in Sarawak construction industry is essential in Sarawak to move the overall
BIM awareness to the next level.
The rapid adoption of BIM in Sarawak requires an awareness of BIM at an early stage
of the projects within the players’ organisations. Due to big process and technology
changes within the organization, organizations need to provide training to employees to
help develop a set of knowledge and skills that are critical to BIM implementation.
However, the survey shows that 79% of respondents’ organisations did not provide training
in using BIM tools and work processes for their technical staffs. This finding indicates that
the required knowledge of BIM is still minimal despite the awareness of BIM of the
respondents.

3.3 BIM readiness in Sarawak

Organization readiness will determine the possibilities of an organization to adopt BIM.
The readiness can be expressed as the level of preparation, potential to participate, or
capability to innovate [23]. Figure 5 shows that the despite willingness to change, the
organisations are not ready. The finding shows the unwillingness of organizations to invest
in and develop capability in BIM, where over half of the responses failed to allocated any
financial incentives or support to use BIM, adopt clear policies to support BIM
implementation, and invest in BIM hardware and software.
The trend in low readiness is due to the lack of understanding the benefits of
implementing BIM. Over the course of the research, it was found that there are no tangible
and quantifiable case study reports are available in Sarawak, even in Malaysia to prove the

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benefits of BIM implementation [22]. The Malaysia Productivity Corporation (MPC)

reported that many construction organizations were unprepared to invest in new
technologies and human resource training on a larger-scale basis because they were
uncertain of the immediate future growth [24].

Fig. 5. BIM readiness in the construction industry.

3.4 BIM implementation in Sarawak

Based on the survey results, there is only 14% of the total respondents that experience in
using BIM, whereas 86% claimed that they did not handle any BIM project at all. Further
analysis with 13% of respondents with BIM experience, it found that 64% were from
Kuching. This result can illustrate the rapid development of the city and the large
infrastructure projects currently under construction, such as the Pan Borneo Highway
Sarawak project. The result followed by 11% of the respondents from the district of
Limbang and 9% of the respondents from the district of Sibu that were also involved in this
project. Another 5% of the respondents from Miri participated in the offshore structure
project.
Based on the respondents’ professions, civil and structure engineers are leading
adopters of BIM in Sarawak as 56% and followed by contractor at 15%. This result
highlights that BIM is mainly used among professionals at the design stage, implementation
of documents stage, and construction stages. For instance, there are high number of civil
and structure engineers implementing BIM in the Sarawak construction industry from the
Pan Borneo Highway Sarawak project, which currently in construction stage. Therefore, the
survey has shown that the interest of civil and structural engineers, and contractors in BIM
in Sarawak are predominantly because of the Pan Borneo Highway Sarawak project. This
survey also determined that 9% of architect, 7% of mechanical engineer, 5% of developer,
and 4% for both quantity surveyor and electrical engineer from entire pool of respondents
have with experience in BIM.

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3.5 Challenges of BIM implementation in Sarawak

Understanding the challenges of BIM implementation is the foundation for recognizing the
barriers to BIM implementation in Sarawak. Table 3 presents several challenges that
surround the implementation of BIM in Sarawak. To articulate the strategic BIM
implementation, the challenges are divided into six categories – 1. people, 2. cost, 3.
technology, 4. policy, 5. standard and 6. others. Table 3 shows that lack of BIM knowledge,
lack of awareness of BIM benefits, high cost of software and hardware installation, lack of
BIM training programmes, and high training cost are the critical challenges that hinder the
implementation of BIM in Sarawak.
Table 3. Challenges of BIM Implementation.
Challenges Min score Rank Catergory
Lack of BIM Knowledge 3.91 1 People
Lack of awareness of BIM benefits 3.90 2 People
Lack of BIM training programs 3.86 3 People
High cost of software and hardware 3.83 4 Cost
installation
High training cost 3.82 5 Cost
Lack of clear policies that support BIM 3.75 6 Policy
implementation
Lack of standard BIM guideline, 3.75 7 Standard
regulation, contract standardization,
information ownership, and insurance
risk management
Lack of BIM requirement/mandate in 3.74 8 Policy
the industry
Lack of skilled and experienced 3.72 9 Other
organization to implement BIM
No established contractual framework 3.71 10 Policy
for working with BIM
Existing hardware not capable to run 3.71 11 Technology
basic BIM software
Lack of BIM direction in industry 3.71 12 Policy
Difficulty to choose the most suitable 3.70 13 Technology
software
Lack of references/sources to assist in 3.68 14 Standard
implementing BIM
Lack of time to implement 3.67 15 Policy
Hard to implement BIM coordinate 3.62 16 Standard
Difficulty to share all the information 3.62 17 Other
between different stakeholders
The assumption that conventional 3.55 18 People
methods are better than BIM.

3.5.1 Challenges in people

The survey results shows that many organizations in Sarawak are increasingly aware of and
are interested in implementing BIM. However, the lack of BIM knowledge is rated as the
first as seen in Table 3. Indeed, it is safe to say that even though respondents have high

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interest and willingness to establish or use BIM, they simply do not know how to
implement BIM correctly and effectively.
The lack of awareness of BIM benefits persist as one of the hindrance in the
comprehensive implementation of BIM concepts. Besides, BIM implementation requires
the cooperation from all stakeholders from the conceptual to operational stage, there is
always the possibility that some profession implement it and some refuses to use BIM and
may not be able to engage with the BIM models. For example, if contracting parties to
execute the BIM project cannot understand the ongoing advantages of using the model to
its full extent, the overall project process will not achieve the maximum BIM effects.
The lack of BIM training programs has also influenced the rate of BIM implementation
as few respondents had attended related BIM programs in full. The challenges lies in the
belief that conventional methods are better than new processes (BIM) because conventional
information exchange has delivered numerous projects despite its inherent problem such as
delay, cost overrun, low productivity, and so on [25]. Respondents are comfortable in using
conventional method. But it can be seen the respondents do have high readiness to accept
and change for BIM as a new trend if it means there is an increase the overall project
productivity.

3.5.2 Challenge in cost

The costs factor of BIM technology implementation is another big challenge when
implementing BIM. Cost can be categorized into education training, administration, start-up
cost in term of software and hardware installation which of high concern to the respondents
based on the survey result. There is an absence of observable statistics to show the
organization’s investment return after BIM implementation showing the expected outcome
necessary for a 3-to-5-years investment in the procurement of software and hardware [26].
High cost will affect the benefits of implementation and investment return.
Other than the high cost of software and hardware, the percepted high-cost in
technology, training, and staff development needed are factors that hinder the
implementation of BIM within the construction organization. To overcome such wariness
tag to the implementing BIM, the respondents should be educated that the initial costs of
investing BIM software and hardware are not costly when compared to the overall benefits
of using BIM technology [27]. A study of the benefit-cost analysis of BIM has been set up
based on a railway construction site in South Korea. The total up-front cost required to
provide BIM for this particular project site was RM471,918.89. On the other hand, if BIM
was implemented before construction, 12 errors would have been detected, and these errors
could have been avoided. If not, the total cost to fix the error is RM675,319.83 [28]. In
addition, high costs can also be related to external factors, such as specific use of a
particular softwares, regulations imposed by the government or clients.

3.5.3 Challenges in standard

From the survey results, it shown that the challenges of BIM implementation also lie in the
lack of BIM guideline, regulation, contract standardization, information ownership and
insurance risk management. Respondents maintain their opinions on the lack of references
or knowledge sources to assist in implementing BIM. They claimed that is not difficult to
implement BIM coordination if assistance is available.
The use of standard and guidelines are common throughout the conventional AEC
industry but BIM intelligence which allow huge amount data sharing and exchanging may
be unsuitable for conventional standard and guidelines [29]. Instead of bringing benefits but
it may bring discord and disorder if there are no proper standard guidelines for BIM. A new

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BIM standard guideline is required. Even though, CIDB has introduced a BIM Guide which
is formulated as a fundamental approach to educate construction players for the BIM
implementation in Malaysia, the BIM Guide will require more study to ensure that it can
provide directives, references, and process guidelines to the construction players at both
organizational and project levels.

3.5.4 Challenges in policy

It is undoubtedly that policy in the aspect of legal and intellectual property is an important
factor in the successful execution of BIM related construction projects and improving the
overall development of the BIM implementation. The policies that support or mandate the
implementation of BIM in construction projects should resolve any legal risk related to the
ownership of BIM data. The issue of licensing may bring contractual risks if lack of clear
policy. Therefore, it is essential to have a concise and one of all policy in order to provide
stakeholders a security in confidential data within the BIM model especially during the
administration of construction projects within the environment of an electronic platform. It
is shown in the survey that respondents are not as concern regarding policy at this point of
the study as compared with other challenges. This is most likely due to their overall
understanding on BIM in general as most respondents’ knowledge are at the early stage of
BIM implementation.

3.5.5 Challenges in technologies and others

For most of the respondents, the challenges in technology factor when implementing BIM
are not the main concern. As a result, based on the perspective of the respondents, there is
no difficulty in choosing the most suitable software. They also opined that the existing
hardware are not capable to run basic BIM software. There are also issues with the large of
area in Sarawak classified as rural without basic utilities and internet access, making the
implementation of BIM difficult as BIM requires the transfer of digital BIM models using
cloud based tools to engage with clients and partners. In that situation, BIM may not be
able to be implement in rural projects.

3.6 Future direction of BIM implementation

This survey revealed that 96% of all respondents agree if the government mandate
regarding the usage of BIM in the future in the Sarawak construction industry, they will
have no choice. This finding highlights the critical role of having structured strategies in
ensuring that all related organizations are well prepared to implement BIM at a higher level.
Besides that, adopting new standards and guides is not only a challenge both
professionals and their organizations, but it may also even affect the organization's
management structure. However, the results showed that 96% of the respondents and 83%
of the organizations willing to change for the implementation of BIM. This means that the
construction practitioners and their organizations in Sarawak do have high interest in BIM
implementation.
Greater support might be needed from policy maker, government and authorities to
promote the operational willingness of the construction players to implement BIM in
Sarawak. Specialization of design services toward BIM, including project management,
quality control, cost planning, time scheduling, structural design, etc to make BIM
implementation more effective, rather than a must for a company that can fully implement
BIM throughout the whole project progress

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4 Conclusion
This study reflected the current practice level of BIM implementation in Sarawak
construction industry. The result serves as a baseline for the transition from traditional
coordination and information transfer into the BIM mode within the Sarawak construction
industry. The findings from this survey indicate the awareness and knowledge of BIM
among the Sarawak construction practiser is still on the low-average level after this initial
introduction phase. However, 95% of the responses and 75% of the organizations are
willing to implement BIM even if it means a change their organization structure.
Although the construction players have the awareness of BIM and the willingness to
make change and way for BIM, the percentage of BIM implementation (13%) is extremely
low. The considerably low rate of BIM implement in Sarawak underscores the significance
of the diffusion of BIM within the construction organization and to understand the
challenges in order to formulate strategies to implement BIM. In this study, several domain
challenges that hinder the implementation of BIM in Sarawak are mainly as follows:
• Lack of BIM knowledge.
• Lack of awareness of BIM benefits.
• Lack of BIM Training programs.
• High training cost.

The level of readiness is determined by the tendency of an organization to implement

BIM. Generally, the BIM readiness of the construction industry in Sarawak is still low
where the organization lacks clear policies that support BIM implementation, lack of
allocations for any financial incentive for using BIM, lack of BIM training provided to staff
and lack of investment in BIM hardware and software. Therefore, strategies to successfully
implement BIM should include methods and ways to overcome these challenges. The
solution framework must include such strategies and guideline for governments,
policymakers and relevant authorities to make an inroad to BIM implementation and
increase the implementation rate in Sarawak construction industry.

This research was supported by Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) through Small Grant
Scheme (SGS) F02/SGS/1797/2019.

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