How building information modelling mitigates complexity and enhances performance in large-scale projects: Evidence from China

Abstract

Despite project complexity and large-scale project management being research hotspots in project management, the existing research has not fully considered the influence of building information modelling implementation on project complexity. In order to fill this research gap, this study used quantitative and qualitative methods to explore the impact of building information modelling on project complexity and large-scale project management performance and to verify the mediating role of project complexity between building information modelling and large-scale project management performance. The results show that: 1) The implementation of building information modelling in large-scale projects can significantly mitigate project complexity (technology, goals, information, organization, and environment); 2) Information and goal complexity have a significantly negative impact on large-scale project management performance; 3) Utilizing building information modeling to reduce information and goal complexity can significantly improve the management performance of large-scale projects; 4) Besides reducing project complexity, applying building information modelling can directly improve large-scale project management performance; 5) The improvement of policies and standards, the cultivation of information technology talents (personal incentives), project management process reengineering and innovation, and data governance are conducive to exert the values of building information modelling in project management. These findings not only enrich theoretical research but also provide valuable decision-making references for managers to improve management performance, driving the development of informatization and intelligence in the construction industry.