Calls for papers

 

International Journal of Product Lifecycle Management
International Journal of Product Lifecycle Management

 

Special Issue on: "Building Information Modelling and the Product Lifecycle Management Perspective"


Guest Editors:
Vishal Singh, Aalto University, Finland
Julie Jupp, University of Technology Sydney, Australia


It has recently been suggested that the future of the construction industry lies in adopting new business models based on an integrated lifecycle approach. New business models may include combinations of products and services that address a client’s or stakeholder’s unique set of requirements throughout the whole building lifecycle – from procurement to schematic design, to detailed design and systems integration, to fabrication and construction, to operations, maintenance and decommissioning. Such a suggestion is often conceived around the notion of building information modelling (BIM) and related concepts.

The increasing focus on the application of BIM throughout the whole building lifecycle highlights its proximity to the product lifecycle management (PLM) concept. As a strategic business approach for the effective management and use of corporate intellectual capital, PLM has gained acceptance in the manufacturing industries. In BIM-enabled construction projects, the introduction of PLM system functions is beginning to foster new forms of business integration. Supply chain participants are developing new approaches to adding value, building up capabilities in systems integration, project staging, stakeholder participation, management and control, information flow and coordination, and decision making across network hierarchies.

The similarities between BIM and PLM also extend to the challenges facing their respective application domains and the drivers that are spurring their continued development. PLM literature identifies globalisation, outsourcing, mass customisation, fast innovation and product traceability as some of the main challenges facing product development teams. These challenges further reinforce the need for collaboration and knowledge management along product lifecycle stages.

In the evolution of BIM, corresponding issues and developments are observable to a greater or lesser degree, demonstrating the potential capacity of a building lifecycle management (BLM) concept. The parallels between BIM and PLM highlight the opportunities to extend current levels of understanding of the connections between these concepts, develop new scientific knowledge and technologies, and introduce new areas of research.

This special issue aims to showcase the capabilities and variety of what is currently possible for BIM, the emerging area of BLM, the similarities/differences between BIM and PLM, and the impact of manufacturing-based versus construction-based application domains. The issue seeks to advance the understanding of integrated business approaches and lifecycle management issues in the construction industry by consolidating a large set of new peer-reviewed work that highlights innovations in BIM from a through-life perspective. One of the key objectives of this special issue is to solicit high-quality papers that investigate and discuss the constructs, systems and/or applications of BIM and related PLM concepts.

The issue will carry revised and substantially extended versions of selected papers presented at the 2013 and 2014 International Conferences on Product Lifecycle Management, but we also strongly encourage researchers unable to participate in the conference to submit articles for this call.

Subject Coverage
Contributions are welcome in all aspects assessing the similarities and differences across BIM and PLM including, but not limited to, the following:

  • BIM and PLM functions
  • BIM, PLM and lifecycle management
  • BIM and PLM ecosystem development
  • BIM, PLM and influence of/from social networks
  • BIM, PLM implementation processes
  • BIM and PLM maturity and improvement concepts
  • BIM and PLM collaboration and integrated project development
  • BIM, PLM and information/knowledge management
  • BIM, PLM and organisational/process change management
  • BIM and PLM technologies (virtual/simulation environments)
  • BIM and enterprise systems integration in construction
  • BIM and enterprise resource planning
  • BIM, PLM and lifetime value

Notes for Prospective Authors

Submitted papers should not have been previously published nor be currently under consideration for publication elsewhere. (N.B. Conference papers may only be submitted if the paper has been completely re-written and if appropriate written permissions have been obtained from any copyright holders of the original paper).

All papers are refereed through a peer review process.

All papers must be submitted online. To submit a paper, please read our Submitting articles page.


Important Dates

Manuscripts due by: 15 June, 2015