The Common Data Environment is the single trusted location where all project information lives during the delivery and operational phases. ISO 19650 defines four mandatory states for every information container in the CDE: Work in Progress, Shared, Published, Archived. Every BIM project needs a CDE and every container must move through these states.
The Four Mandatory States
Every information container must be in exactly one state at any time. Movement between states is one-way (with exceptions for rejection).
| State / Item | Owner | Purpose | Access | Moves To | Example |
|---|
| 1. WIP (Work in Progress) | Author / Task Team | Active authoring, not yet ready for collaboration | Author has full read/write; nobody else | → Shared (after self-check + suitability assignment) | Architect editing the working Revit central file |
| 2. Shared | Author + Recipients | Collaboration — others can reference for coordination but cannot edit | Read-only to the rest of the project team | → Published (after authorisation by appointing party) OR → WIP (rejected, needs rework) | Architect's IFC export pushed for structural & MEP coordination |
| 3. Published | Appointing Party (signed off) | Authorised, contractual deliverable | Read-only, signed-off version | → Archived (at project close-out or supersession) | Stage 4 Tech Design report — issued for client approval |
| 4. Archived | Project record | Historical record / audit trail | Read-only forever | Terminal state | All published containers at project close-out, plus superseded versions |
Suitability Codes (when moving WIP → Shared)
Every container must be assigned a suitability code when shared, indicating what it CAN be used for. Common scheme:
| State / Item | Owner | Purpose | Access | Moves To | Example |
|---|
| S0 | — | Initial status — not for use | — | — | Just-uploaded, before any team review |
| S1 | — | Suitable for coordination | — | — | Used for clash detection only |
| S2 | — | Suitable for information | — | — | For reference/context only — not for design decisions |
| S3 | — | Suitable for review and comment | — | — | Mid-stage formal review point |
| S4 | — | Suitable for stage approval | — | — | Submitted for stage gateway approval |
| S6 | — | Suitable for PIM authorisation | — | — | Becomes Published |
| S7 | — | Suitable for AIM authorisation | — | — | Operations handover |
Information Container Naming Convention (BS 1192 / ISO 19650-2 Annex)
Recommended naming structure — adapt the field count to project scale
| State / Item | Owner | Purpose | Access | Moves To | Example |
|---|
| Field 1: Project | — | Project code | — | — | PRJ001 |
| Field 2: Originator | — | Lead appointed party / task team code | — | — | ABC (architect company code) |
| Field 3: Volume / System | — | Building / zone / system | — | — | ZZ for project-wide, B01 for Block 1 |
| Field 4: Level | — | Floor level | — | — | 01 for Level 1, ZZ for project-wide |
| Field 5: Type | — | Information type | — | — | M3 for 3D model, DR for drawing, RP for report |
| Field 6: Role | — | Discipline | — | — | A=architect, S=structural, M=mechanical, E=electrical, P=plumbing |
| Field 7: Number | — | Sequential | — | — | 001, 002, 003 |
| Example | — | Full filename | — | — | PRJ001-ABC-ZZ-ZZ-M3-A-001 = project-wide architect 3D model |
Popular CDE Platforms (verified to exist)
| State / Item | Owner | Purpose | Access | Moves To | Example |
|---|
| Autodesk Construction Cloud (BIM 360) | Autodesk | Most-used CDE in India | — | — | Native Revit integration |
| Aconex | Oracle | Document management heritage; large infrastructure projects | — | — | Used by NCRTC RRTS |
| Bentley ProjectWise | Bentley Systems | Strong in infrastructure, civil, plant | — | — | Used with OpenBuildings, OpenRoads |
| Asite | Asite Solutions | UK origin, ISO 19650 native | — | — | Used by some Indian developers |
| Dalux | Dalux | Field-friendly, mobile-first | — | — | — |
| Trimble Connect | Trimble | Strong with Tekla | — | — | — |
| Procore | Procore | PM heritage, BIM module | — | — | — |
| BIMcollab / Solibri | — | Issue management within CDE | — | — | Plugs into the CDE for clash workflow |
CDE Setup Checklist (post-appointment BEP)
| State / Item | Owner | Purpose | Access | Moves To | Example |
|---|
| Choose platform | Lead Appointed Party | Per BEP | — | — | List in BEP Section 5 |
| Configure folder structure | Information Manager | WIP / Shared / Published / Archived folders | — | — | Apply access permissions per role |
| Set up naming convention enforcement | Information Manager | Auto-validate uploads | — | — | Reject files that don't match convention |
| Configure suitability codes | Information Manager | S0–S7 dropdown on every upload | — | — | — |
| Test with mobilisation upload | Each Appointed Party | Activity 5 of ISO 19650-2 | — | — | Don't start production work until CDE is tested |
| Train all users | Lead Appointed Party | Pre-production | — | — | Include subcontractors, manufacturers |
| Document audit trail policy | Information Manager | Activity 8 archival | — | — | Who can delete what, when |
Notes
• CDE is mandatory under ISO 19650 — 'I just use Dropbox' is non-compliant
• WIP → Shared transition is the most common dropped step — discipline matters
• Once Published, NEVER edit — supersede with a new revision instead
• Naming convention must be enforced by tooling, not by goodwill
• Suitability codes prevent the 'I thought your model was final' disaster
• Plan archival from day one — at close-out you'll have terabytes of data to preserve
• On Indian projects, DDC / VDC / BIM Manager roles overlap — define them clearly in the BEP
• Backup: keep an offline CDE export every milestone — cloud platforms can lose data
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