The Scottish Futures Trust (SFT) has launched a new Standard Information Management Plan (SIMP) which will enhance infrastructure delivery and performance within the Scottish government’s Learning Estate Investment Programme.
The SIMP enables public bodies to specify best practice digital information management processes through the construction and maintenance stage via BIM.
SFT is leading the BIM programme on behalf of the Scottish government to help the public sector better procure and care for their buildings through the use of BIM and its data rich environment.
The Scottish government’s Learning Estate Investment Programme will implement the new SIMP and it will support the delivery of low carbon, digitally-enabled schools and campuses.
Paul Dodd (pictured above), who leads SFT’s infrastructure technology team, said: “Setting clear information requirements at the outset of the project will best support the adoption of BIM in accordance with ISO 19650. The SIMP seeks to support contracting authorities develop compliant, consistent and proportionate information requirements and realise the benefits this will bring.”
Andy Dailly, head of School Building at the Scottish government, said: “To support the efficient design, construction and operation of projects, the Learning Estate Investment Programme recognises the importance of good information management and collaboration by all parties. The Standard Information Management Plan has been embedded within the programme to help achieve this aim.”
In addition, the ability to create, manage and collaborate with project information digitally will support projects’ progress within the restrictions imposed by Covid-19.
The SIMP will deliver three key objectives: support a consistent approach in how public bodies specify BIM and how information is delivered to improve efficiencies and resilience during the asset lifecycle; enable delivery of accurate as-built digital information models and operation and maintenance manuals to support effective asset management; and comply and align with new international standards in the adoption of BIM.
The SIMP has been developed in partnership with industry and public bodies. The plan provides an innovative approach to support informed and consistent information requirements within projects.
The plan provides new and innovative dashboard to develop an information management strategy at the outset of the project, a flexible information workbook aligned to ISO 19650 that sets out clear information deliverables during the project lifecycle and finally a suite of templates to support the structuring of information through the project lifecycle. David Carson, pre-construction director at BAM, said: “BAM fully support SFT’s Standard Information Management Plan as we believe it will bring clarity to the industry by providing clear and standardised information requirements for projects, meaning that all parties, clients, designers, contractors and subcontractors are clear on the information they are required to deliver at each stage of a projects lifecycle.”