ISO 19650: A Practical Guide for Construction Projects
ISO 19650 is the international standard for information management through building information modelling (BIM). Originally published in the United Kingdom as BS EN ISO 19650, it has become the global reference for projects that require structured information governance.
Its adoption is growing internationally, particularly in data center, infrastructure, and corporate real estate projects. This guide explains the key concepts and how to begin implementation.
What does ISO 19650 regulate?
ISO 19650 does not regulate BIM modeling. It regulates how information is managed in construction projects. Specifically:
- ISO 19650-1: Concepts and principles
- ISO 19650-2: Asset delivery phase (design and construction)
- ISO 19650-3: Operational phase of assets
For most active projects, the most relevant part is ISO 19650-2.
The key documents
AIR — Asset Information Requirements
The information requirements for an asset throughout its useful life. Defines what information the asset owner needs to operate and maintain it.
OIR — Organizational Information Requirements
The information requirements of the owning organization. What data the company needs to make strategic decisions.
PIR — Project Information Requirements
The project-specific requirements. Derived from the OIR and AIR for each specific project.
EIR — Employer Information Requirements
The document the client issues to the delivery teams. Defines what information must be produced, when, in what format, and at what level of detail.
BEP — BIM Execution Plan
The delivery team's response to the EIR. Defines how the required information will be produced.
TIDP — Task Information Delivery Plan
The information delivery plan for each discipline or team.
MIDP — Master Information Delivery Plan
The consolidation of all TIDPs into a master information delivery plan.
The Common Data Environment (CDE)
The CDE is the structured collaboration platform where all project information flows. ISO 19650 defines four states for information:
- Work in Progress (WIP): Information under development, not yet shared
- Shared: Information shared for review or reference
- Published: Information approved for project use
- Archived: Historical or superseded information
This flow ensures that all participants always work with the correct version of each document.
Where to start
For projects looking to implement ISO 19650, we recommend this sequence:
Phase 1: Assessment Evaluate the current state of information management for the project and the organization. Identify gaps against the standard.
Phase 2: EIR If you are an asset owner, develop the EIR before design begins. It is the most important document in the chain.
Phase 3: CDE Select and implement the CDE platform. Options include Autodesk ACC, BIMcollab, Trimble Connect, and others.
Phase 4: BEP With the EIR as reference, develop the BEP with all teams involved.
Phase 5: Implementation Execute the project under the established governance framework, with continuous compliance monitoring.
Common misconceptions
"ISO 19650 is only for large projects" Incorrect. The principles apply to any project. The level of implementation scales with complexity.
"We need special software for ISO 19650" Not necessarily. The standard defines processes, not tools. Any CDE platform can work if configured correctly.
"ISO 19650 makes projects more expensive" The initial investment in information governance is recovered through reduced interferences, rework, and change requests.
Does your project need to implement ISO 19650? Contact us for a complimentary technical assessment.
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