School of Specification – Introduction to information management

Richard Saxon, consultant at Deploi, has produced a School of Specification module exploring information management. Here, he considers IM’s key principles and processes, as well as the architect’s role in delivering coordinated, efficient projects.

What is information management and why is it important?
IM is the digitally-assisted process that enables all those involved in a project to share information seamlessly and deliver what the stakeholders need over the whole life cycle. It is important because it improves the quality of the design process, construction and operation of the building, hence reducing time, cost and risk, and improving safety for constructors and occupiers. It is also the key to the future development of smart buildings and digital twins.

What are the principal benefits of IM?
For architects, IM reinforces their leadership role on the team. It supports their performance as lead consultant, design coordinator and principal designer. IM improves design productivity by smoothing workflow; information is easily found in the common data environment, and the building information model can support many kinds of analysis, simulation and presentation.

For contractors, IM mitigates their principal risk: making errors due to imperfect information and site practice. It also improves contractor costings, cuts waste due to over ordering, and supports pre-construction planning. Projects can be planned and rehearsed thoroughly before action. Health and safety briefings can be created. Setting out can use the model directly and progress can be monitored by using scanning. Handover information can be in digital form, ready to transfer into the client or occupiers’ facility management tools.

For clients, IM improves brief-making by clarifying the internal decision-making process, and setting out stakeholder needs for decision support. This ensures design information is presented in a comprehensible form, and enables a firm design to be achieved before planning application or technical design stage. Risk, cost and time are reduced and asset performance improved. Full operating and maintenance information can be received at handover and whole-life facility and asset management can be efficiently supported.

Information management enables all those involved in a project to share information seamlessly and deliver what the stakeholders need over the whole life cycle”

What are the key elements of the IM process?
These elements are initially client led: project and asset information requirements; standards; production methods and procedures to use; setting up of a common data environment, loaded with project resources – all contained in a statement of Exchange Information Requirements (EIR), which in turn is wrapped in a legal protocol to make it contractual. Team-led response focusses on the BIM Execution Plan (BEP), a method statement showing how the team will satisfy the EIR. It contains an information delivery plan, a register of perceived risks and their mitigation, and a mobilisation plan for people and technology. Once agreed, the project then proceeds as a series of information exchanges at stage ends. The contractor is selected by completing a BEP in response to an EIR.

What is the architect’s role in the IM process?
The architect is the lead consultant and information manager. They must coordinate the team response to the EIR and author the BEP. They then lead the stage-by-stage creation of coordinated design work, federating the design models of each discipline.

What is the most effective way of implementing and managing the IM process?
The most effective way is if the client is informed and capable of setting out their EIR at RIBA Stage 1. That allows the team to respond well to the known project scope. Ideally, the professional team is appointed simultaneously, enabling the team’s BEP to be created as part of the appointment process. The contractor joins the IM process at a point dependent on the client’s project execution plan.