Figure 1: People, process and technology required for information management success
Figure 2: Approximate proportions of investment to implement information management
Table 1: Abbreviations and acronyms - refer to Abbreviations and acronyms
Refer to Abbreviations and acronyms.
This guidance document (guidance 0) sits within the overall guidance framework. It provides the high-level case for information management and is relevant to any organisation involved in the procurement, design, construction, operation or maintenance of a built asset.
Detailed, technical guidance supporting the implementation of information management is provided through documents 1 – 4 and A-F.
There is a need to harmonise, digitise, and rationalise the way we work. Therefore, digital transformation of the built environment sector requires new practices for whole life information management. Having standardised, good quality, structured information with proportionate security controls means it can be appropriately exchanged, interrogated, and reused for different purposes across a range of technologies.
In response to the low levels of productivity found in the global built environment sector, the UK Government’s Made Smarter Review sets out a vision and plan for creating an environment where digital technologies will lead the development of the UK economy. A root cause of this low productivity is the high transactional cost of information exchange and lack of transparency across the sector.
There is a movement within both public and private sector clients to develop innovative practices that improve the performance of all industries within the built environment. These practices include the production of object-based information models and simulations of physical systems and assets, which will help manage risks and provide greater assurance in key decision making. This approach will enable greater automation of standard processes during design and construction and into operations and maintenance.
Intelligent data models (digital twins) will be able to update in near-real time, using information from sensors and networked devices, and interacting and exchanging information with other systems through the Internet of Things. This will optimize performance, improve health and safety and end-user experience, and in doing so, will enable smart communities to become a reality to serve society.
To achieve this requires more than new technologies. It needs new operating models that move from transactional ways of working to incentivized collaboration across the built environment, plus new standards, methods, policies and capabilities. Developing new collaborative and integrated business models and exploring the production of a national digital twin or a single unified information framework will enable the sector to capitalize on the digital transformation agenda.