How to simplify document management with metadata
Information management is crucial across the entire building lifecycle, especially when working within a Common Data Environment (CDE). From the design phase to building and maintenance, there are countless materials to consider along the way:
• Supplier requirements
• Technical details
• Legal documents
• Mandates
• Protocols
Then there are the BIM models themselves, and the technical drawings created from them. Oh, and let’s not forget the construction site documents, the operational documents…
Information management isn’t just about storing documents. It’s also making sure that documents are available to the right people, at the right time. And not only the right document—the right version of the document, with the correct permissions.
With so many stakeholders involved across disciplines and project phases, managing document access and responsibilities can become incredibly complex, especially when teams are unsure how to manage documents in a CDE effectively.
The pressures and complexity that come with managing information across the building lifecycle require the right combination of flexibility and control. The question is: can a traditional folder structure support this?
The limitations of traditional folder structures in CDE
When working with a traditional Common Data Environment (CDE), the usual approach to organizing documents is to create a typical folder structure according to whatever hierarchy makes sense for your organization, team, or project.
Initially, this might work. But soon, when projects progress and teams grow, the amount and variety of documents require changes to the folder structure. This results in an increasingly complex set-up, which inevitably leads to more questions for the BIM manager or project leader, such as:
•“Where should I put this document?”
•“I can’t find the latest version, do you know where it is?”
•“I see duplicates…which one was approved?”
•“Does this one go in ‘Design’ or ‘Execution’? Or both?”
This is when complexity and inconsistencies start to snowball.
It doesn’t take long for the initial structure that made sense to become riddled with duplicates, conflicting logic, version confusion, and haphazard uploads. Managing this starts to become a real struggle; a stressful, time-consuming task for the person in charge. As time goes on, the real risks associated with poor information management also grow.
How metadata improves document management
The challenge with information management is not a lack of data; rather, that the structure cannot keep up with the evolution of the project. But metadata has the power to solve this challenge.
Managing documents with metadata mirrors how you interact with BIM models. In BIM, each element has properties that allow you to filter and use the model effectively. For instance, by isolating walls on a specific floor, identifying doors with a particular fire rating, or finding elements without materials. Similarly, in BIMcollab’s CDE (previously BIMcollab Twin), documents with metadata can be filtered based on their properties.
Metadata allows you to describe each document with multiple tags and properties, enabling you to find information using various criteria instead of recalling exact folder locations. Imagine, for instance, that you’re looking for the very first geotechnical report that pertains to your project. Instead of guessing where it might be, and spending valuable time searching for it, you can simply rely on its associated metadata. In this case, the applicable metadata could be the following:
• Labeled as a ‘Survey’ and ‘Input Data’
• Project Phase: ‘Concept’
• Status: ‘Final’
• Document type: ‘Documentation’
Having this rich metadata associated with your document eliminates the need for time-consuming folder searches. Simply apply the filters you need, and the CDE does the work of finding the document for you. It’s not you searching; it’s the system delivering exactly what you’re looking for.
Smarter document management with BIMcollab’s CDE
Ideally, this information needs to be entered when you upload your files. BIMcollab’s CDE solution helps you standardize metadata but also enables flexibility for you to create your own custom document properties and even define the specific input options available to stakeholders.
Once you link information to a document for the first time, the CDE automatically recognizes its properties for subsequent versions. This eliminates the need for re-entry for new uploads, saving you significant time in the long run. To make this initial process even more efficient, you can use the Template Upload list: add the required document data when you upload your file or even a batch of files, and the CDE will automatically recognize the data associated with each file and populate the metadata inputs.
How metadata enhances ISO 19650 compliance
This metadata-oriented approach offers inherent advantages when it comes to streamlining and enhancing document management. Beyond this, it unlocks another powerful feature: the automatic generation of ISO 19650-compliant Document Naming Conventions.
Once configured, this feature allows you to adhere to your own organization’s naming convention while simultaneously ensuring you remain compliant with ISO standards. It automatically applies the correct naming convention based on the data entered, removing the need for manual compliance checks. This is applied upon upload to our CDE and is retained even when files are downloaded, reducing administrative burden and errors.
A metadata-driven approach to information management offers a significant improvement throughout the building lifecycle, simplifying how various teams and stakeholders access, manage, and utilize their project documents. With the chaos and guesswork under control, project teams can operate with more accuracy, efficiency, and confidence.
Curious about BIMcollab’s Common Data Environment? Explore our product tour here.