ISO 19650-ready document control: Now in BIMcollab

ISO 19650 compliance plays a key role in today’s data-heavy projects. At its center is a clear idea: better information management through structured document workflows leads to better outcomes. It requires structure around naming, versioning, responsibilities, and approvals—built into your system, not managed manually or through workarounds. 

Many platforms fall short. A Common Data Environment (CDE) that doesn’t support structured document handling leaves teams relying on manual effort. 

So, what does ISO 19650 support look like in practice? 

Here’s a checklist for a closer look at what your project environment needs for ISO compliance: 

• A structured Common Data Environment (CDE) 

• Document statuses: Work in Progress, Shared, Published, Archived 

• Controlled workflows for review, approval, and publishing 

• Role-based access control 

• Consistent document naming conventions 

• Traceable version histories and audit trails 

 
But having these elements isn’t enough! They need to work as part of your daily project environment.

One of the most visible parts of ISO 19650 is the Common Data Environment (CDE) folder structure. Each folder, may it be Work in Progress, Shared, Published, and Archived folder, represents a level of validation and readiness. This is central to how teams know which data to trust, what to act on, and what’s still under review. 

To comply, your platform must allow you to separate these statuses clearly, enforce access rules, and track transitions. It’s a foundational part of showing that your project information is reliable. 

Introducing Shared, Published, and Archived document statuses 

With its latest update, BIMcollab introduces Shared, Published, and Archived Document statuses —managed as metadata, presented as folders. This functionality gives users what many CDEs only simulate: fully integrated ISO 19650-compliant document workflows built into the BIMcollab Twin environment. This isn’t just a new label on a folder, it’s a shift towards managing documents based on their status, version, and readiness, exactly how ISO 19650 guidelines outline it. 

This distinction matters: since BIMcollab is metadata-driven, documents aren’t simply moved between folders to reflect their status. Instead, every document carries structured metadata related to its project phase, status, version, discipline, and more, defining its role and visibility.  

This means project leads and documents controllers can now expect documents to be traceable, non-duplicated, and make document management more flexible for all teams involved.  

Here’s how each status works within BIMcollab: 

• Shared 
  Used during review cycles. Documents that are Work-in-progress are shared to this folder. Only accessible to those involved in the feedback process. Any changes, comments, or reviews happen here, while the rest of the team continues working with finalized and published documents. 

• Published 
  Once a document is reviewed and approved, the document now has the Published status. At this point, the metadata changes. It is then marked as final and approved, version-locked, and becomes available to wider groups that rely on validated documents. 

• Archived 
  When a document is no longer in use but must remain available for traceability, its status is now Archived. The document remains part of the project history, still searchable and linked, but no longer active. 

What does this mean for your stakeholders? Since statuses are tracked as metadata, every change and detail on who made it, when, and why, is all logged. There’s no guesswork, no hunting through folders. Metadata keeps everything transparent and easy to audit. 

Additionally, access controls and workflows respond to metadata too. That means role-based permissions and transitions happen consistently across all documents, regardless of how your project structure evolves. 

Key features included in this release 

BIMcollab’s new Shared/Published/Archived structure replaces the old Realization module and embeds ISO-aligned workflows directly into the Documents environment. 

• Documents can now exist in one of three clear statuses: Shared, Published, or Archived.

• Role-based access ensures that the right people can review, approve, or simply view content.

• Each status transition is logged and stored with full metadata, making traceability effortless.

• Teams can configure custom workflows that reflect their internal review and approval process.

• You can lock, version and make Published documents available only to those who need them.

With this release, teams no longer need to rely on external modules or third-party tools for formal document management. It marks the shift from static storage to dynamic, standards-driven document handling, where information maturity and approval status are visible and managed by design. 

Get your projects closer to ISO compliance, without the workarounds 

With this release, BIMcollab Twin becomes a platform that reinforces ISO 19650 workflows, rather than merely allowing them. From naming conventions and access control to versioning and status management, your teams can now work in a structure that supports compliance at every step.