Building Information Modelling (BIM) was introduced in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry as a shared information platform that aims to improve productivity through better collaboration. The assumption is that a virtual integration of information among project stakeholders would reduce the issues around the fragmented nature of the processes that still prevail in the construction field. This paper aims to highlight the sources of waste in the information flows between an architecture firm, a Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing (MEP) engineering firm, a general contractor (GC) and a MEP subcontractor (SC) in a BIM project – an aspect of waste little covered in the Lean literature. The focus is on the MEP process from early design to the final product. This research contributes to the identification of the main barriers to information flow, including the conflicts and waste sources that emerge from using BIM, as well as to the identification of emerging successes. Moreover, the findings offer practical implications by providing a visual of the patterns emerging from the use of BIM. Finally, by providing potential waste reduction strategies such as Value Stream Mapping (VSM) this work allows construction actors to identify and reduce sources of waste in their processes.

Since its introduction, Building Information Modelling has evolved into a major technology in the construction industry, where information flows play a major role. However, the very presence of waste within these flows prevents the technology from reaching its full potential. This paper aims to develop a taxonomy focused on the sources of waste within information flows in BIM projects, as existing taxonomies focus primarily on work and material flows. Using a collaborative design science research approach, the study was divided into two phases: first, semi-structured interviews were used to collect data on BIM practices. The data was then used to identify similarities and contradictions in the information flows using process maps. Second, the ShareLab approach was used to validate the findings through a common agreement. The paper’s main contribution is the taxonomy of sources of waste in BIM project information flows, as it closes knowledge gaps in one of the main flows of construction projects. Another contribution is its use of a new approach to validate an artefact in a Design Science Research methodology named the ShareLab approach.