Built asset data

How well are information requirements defined?

increase in information requirements defined well

increase in information requirements not defined

of information requirements not defined or poorly defined

increase in information requirements not defined or poorly defined

What our data shows

How well information requirements are defined at tender stage

Contractors were asked to consider how well tenders defined the data and information needed for a project, and beyond the project stage into the operational phase of an asset. Information requirements would typically include BIM requirements alongside other information used to manage the asset in the long term.

What this means for procurement decisions

Where information requirements are poorly defined, contractors are pricing uncertainty and likely to place too little discipline on the data clients actually need.

In practice, this means clients should set out information requirements early, define them in a way the market can respond to consistently, and link them clearly to project stages, deliverables and responsibilities. Without that clarity, asset data risks becoming an afterthought rather than a managed output of procurement.

What this means for client outcomes

For clients, the consequence of poorly defined information requirements is often poorer handover quality and weaker long-term asset performance. If information requirements are unclear, data is more likely to be incomplete, inconsistent or difficult to use, reducing its value for operation, maintenance, compliance and future decision-making.

By contrast, where information requirements are defined properly from the outset, clients are more likely to receive usable asset data that supports better management, better insight and stronger whole-life outcomes.

“Client-side teams continue to produce poor information at early stages of design, which leads to cost increases, protracted negotiations and difficulties getting to site.”

Regional contractor