Practical application of ISO 19650-1 and ISO 19650-2

The ISO 19650 series is a multi-part standard that provides a framework for information management in the construction industry. I rely on its provisions daily in my role as a BIM Manager—defining information requirements, adhering to CDE principles, checking the quality of outputs from delivery teams, and more. The guidelines within the standard enhance collaboration across all project participants—from the client to subcontractors. Learn about the practical application of ISO 19650 standards in construction projects. Key tips for information management and process optimization.

On the internet, you can find numerous articles that broadly summarize all parts of the standard. However, there is a lack of content that demonstrates the practical application of key provisions. In this article, I will briefly discuss the first two of the six parts of the ISO 19650 standard, focusing on their practical use. In subsequent episodes, I will continue the topic by covering its remaining parts. I will highlight their key features and delve deeper into sections that, in my view, have the greatest practical relevance. I will also address issues I encounter daily in my role as a contractual BIM manager. 

ISO 19650-1: Concepts and Principles 

The first part establishes the foundation of the standard, defining principles for collaboration and information management throughout the entire lifecycle of an asset—from design through construction to operation. It outlines best practices for managing, creating, distributing, and assuring the quality of construction information. Its core points include: 

• BIM terms and definitions; 
• Different perspectives on information management: goals and outcomes; 
• Defining and cascading information requirements; 
• Planning, delivery, and review of information outputs; 
• Information management functions; 
• Assessment of prospective appointed parties’ capability and capacity; 
• CDE workflow for collaborative creation, management, sharing, and exchange of information; 
• Container breakdown structure and aggregation strategy. 

Selected Highlights 

Clause 5: Definition of information requirements and resulting information models 

Often, clients are unaware of how structured information about their assets can benefit them. Even more frequently, organizational leadership lacks insight into the actual needs of various departments. This results in vaguely defined information requirements, preventing the client from gaining expected value from the project. Identifying critical assets and key questions—along with expected answers from each department—can significantly enhance the value of an investment, contributing to overall business development. 

This clause guides the establishment of clear Exchange Information Requirements (EIR) and responsibilities for delivering them. 

Additionally, the cascade of information requirements is worth noting. This involves narrowing down requirements to specific deliverables for particular specialists. This approach ensures that every project participant works with accurate data. Increasing awareness of information requirements among all project stakeholders and their expected deliverables. 

Clause 12: Common Data Environment (CDE) Solution and Workflow 

In my role as a BIM Manager, proficiency in working with various CDE systems is crucial. This is particularly important for me, as my team has developed our own ISO 19650-compliant CDE extension for Microsoft SharePoint—G4CDE. I serve as the CEO of the company that created it. 

The ISO guidelines assist in defining team structures, access groups, and permissions. They provide advice on release processes, including validation, verification, and approvals. This ensures proper handling of revisions and archived versions. Metadata, such as state or status, helps determine file purpose. 

A well-utilized CDE enables effective collaboration in distributed teams, conflict analysis based on version history, and faster document retrieval. 

Annex A. Illustrations of federation strategies and information container breakdown structure: 

Obviously, when defining requirements for each project, it is essential to consider the strategy for information integration and the breakdown of information containers. This is where it is useful to use Appendix A. The objectives of the described approach is to: 

• enable different task teams to work simultaneously on various parts of the information model;
• support information security, e.g., when part or all of the model pertains to critical or military infrastructure; 
• facilitate information transfer by reducing the size of individual files. 

ISO 19650-2: Delivery Phase of the Assets 

The second part applies the principles of collaboration to the practicalities of project delivery—design and construction. It outlines the process of information management from defining needs to contract signing, mobilization, delivery of outcomes, and project close-out. It specifies the relationships between parties and teams for managing information. 

A key resource here is the UK National Annex, which provides recommendations on naming conventions, classifications, status codes, and metadata for file revisions. Although these guidelines are UK-specific, many organizations and countries use them as a foundation for developing their own standards. 

Selected Highlights 

It’s challenging to choose one or even a few key sections, as the document offers guidance valuable to different stakeholders at various project stages. However, I’ll outline practical tips for each subclause in Clause 5, based on my experience. 

5.1 Information Management Process – Assessing and Defining Needs 

At the initial stage of the project, an individual responsible for information management on behalf of the client should be appointed (Information Manager). Also, the project’s CDE should be configured according to the recommendations of this and the previous part of the standard. This step is essential for ensuring a smooth process and maximizing the value derived from the project. 

In addition to defining information requirements, the client may have a clear understanding of what needs to be prepared and how. This situation most often occurs when the client undertakes repetitive or similar projects. In such cases, guidelines regarding methods and procedures for generating information, as well as reference information, become particularly important.  
Methods and procedures can be highly specific, addressing, for example, the use of a particular CDE solution employed by the client and the processes for delivering results. They may also specify solutions for creating information models and rules for organizing files. 

On the other hand, reference materials may include information about existing assets, project templates, BIM libraries, or reference models. With such a foundation, projects featuring repetitive elements can be initiated and developed much more efficiently. 

5.2 Information Management Process – Invitation to Tender 

Based on the internal requirements of the organization, the client should prepare the Exchange Information Requirements (EIR) for a specific project. It is important to ensure that these requirements are limited to predefined objectives that contribute to the organization’s business development. This means the client should not demand more than what is necessary for their needs. 

The requirements should be specific, measurable, assigned to appropriate contractors, realistic to deliver, and time-bound—in short, they should follow the S.M.A.R.T. principle. 

5.3 Information management process – Tender response 

The guidance in this section proves useful when the Appointing Party has not provided a template for the BIM Execution Plan (BEP) but requires proof of readiness to execute a BIM-enabled project. These recommendations can also be used as a “checklist” to ensure all key elements are addressed before submitting the pre-BEP to the Appointing Party. 

It is also worth preparing a mobilization plan and a risk register, as mentioned in this section of the standard. Even if these are created solely for the “internal” use of a prospective delivery team. 
A mobilization plan will help define what needs to be tested, when, and by whom before the start of work. This ensures the project is carried out in alignment with the client’s specified methods and procedures.

Meanwhile, the risk register is best developed as a collaborative effort involving experienced and senior team members. This document identifies potential challenges and proposes mitigation strategies. 

5.4 Information management process – Appointment 

In my experience, immediately after the contract is signed, the Appointing Party’s Information Manager typically organizes a BIM Kickoff Meeting. During the session, the Appointing Party reiterates specific requirements, methods, and procedures for information delivery and outlines expectations for the final version of the BEP. 

There is typically a one-month window to finalize the BEP and its attachments for approval, making them integral to the contract. This step involves detailing aspects such as key personnel, IT tools, file formats, model segmentation, and coordination strategies. A Master Information Delivery Plan (MIDP) should also be prepared as part of this process. The MIDP is a dynamic document that evolves throughout the project, initially covering only deliverables tied to the nearest milestone. Over time, it is updated with subsequent deliverables, including models, drawings, and documents, along with their deadlines and interdependencies. 

5.5 Information management process – Mobilization 

“The Lead Appointed Party shall mobilize resources (including IT – author’s note) as defined in the team mobilization plan (5.3.5).” 

The principle is simple: what has been tested should work, and what hasn’t been tested will almost certainly fail… At this stage of the project, the previously prepared mobilization plan should be utilized, systematically checking off each task on the list that the client expects from us. This may include, for example: verifying access to the CDE, testing the submission of documentation at the end of a milestone, assessing the team’s ability to export files in various formats, purchasing necessary equipment, or conducting additional training within the delivery team. 

5.6 Information Management Process – Collaborative Information Production 

The creation of information should align with the project standards as well as the client’s methods and procedures. This also means avoiding so-called “information obesity” in models, which includes exceeding the required level of information need, duplications, or unnecessary details. 

At this stage, it is particularly important to focus on quality assurance for the information being produced. Task teams must ensure their files are verified before sharing them with specialists from other disciplines. To support this, it is advisable to prepare a checklist for specialists from each team, outlining specific elements to review before their information is shared. 

5.7 Information management process – Information model delivery 

“Prior to the delivery of the information model to the appointing party, each task team shall submit their information to the lead appointed party for authorization within the project’s common Data environment.” 

This section highlights critical considerations for both involved parties. Firstly, it outlines what the lead appointed party should evaluate before authorizing and delivering the outcomes to the appointing party. Secondly, it specifies what the appointing party should consider before accepting the results. These aspects are covered in greater detail in ISO 19650-4. 

5.8 Information management process – Project close-out 

This section briefly discusses topics related to archiving and gathering lessons learned for the benefit of future projects. In my opinion, the latter is especially critical: drawing conclusions. After each project (or better yet, during it), we should document what went well and what could have been done better or differently. Such a summary can result from brainstorming sessions, similar to the process for creating a risk register. Once the project insights are recorded, it’s crucial to designate who will implement the necessary “improvements” to ensure continuous progress from one project to the next. 

The ISO 19650 series provides guidance for a comprehensive approach to information management in construction projects. Each part has its key applications that can support various project roles. Understanding these standards and their practical recommendations is essential for the effective implementation of BIM in any organization. 

In the next article, I will summarize and comment on the subsequent parts of ISO 19650. Stay tuned! 

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This series of publications, conducted under the patronage of British Standards Institution or BSI, sheds light on the importance of standardization according to ISO 19650. It discusses practical information management tips. These recommendations can be useful to any organization involved in the procurement, design, construction, operation or maintenance of a building.