BIM IMPLEMENTATION CHALLENGES FOR LATVIAN CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

The article assesses and analyses the key challenges for the implementation of Building Information Modelling (BIM) in the Latvian construction industry, which, according to the BIM Implementation Roadmap, will be a mandatory requirement in certain public contracts from 2025. In order to identify and analyse the main challenges, a survey was conducted to identify the current situation in the construction industry from a project management perspective. The study also includes data from other surveys conducted previously in Latvia on the industry's readiness to implement BIM and the costs of implementation. Latvia's situation is compared with the experience of other countries that have already completed certain stages of BIM implementation. The identified challenges demonstrate similarities with other countries experience, as well as highlight the specifics of Latvia. Although the construction industry is a highly technical industry, the key to BIM implementation is change management and communication. The development and traditions of the Latvian construction industry influence the general approach to the implementation of BIM, while at the organizational level the situation may differ significantly, requiring a specific approach and solutions. The study looks at various potential risks in the implementation of BIM and can serve as guidelines for the process of change in individual organizations, leaving the choice of change management methods to them.