The back alley's bill so far: 30 weeks · See the bill
The right way
Six firms, six ticks. Sam, the firm's information manager, asks each to show it: their system, their naming, a sample drawing, and the person who'll do it.
Sam: Not a tick. A screenshot and a name.
Five firms show it. One shows the 2009 laptop, confidently. That firm gets a plan in the bid: training, a template, and a check in month one.
The groundworks firm uploads to the Site Office like everyone else. The laptop has retired to a shelf.
Now there is: The team photo, with evidence (the capability and capacity assessment), and a plan for the firm that needs help.
A team is only as good at information as its weakest firm. Asking for evidence instead of ticks finds the gap during the bid, when it can be planned and priced, instead of in month three when it can only be panicked about.
Six firms sit behind the promise, and every one of them will one day send its work to the Site Office. The team photo is the proof that each can do it: its system, its naming, a sample drawing and the person who'll do it. A firm that can only fax is still welcome in the town; it just needs a plan before the bid goes in, not a new chair for the fax machine.
A note for the information manager: Weak information capability in one firm becomes everyone's problem, so find it while it can still be planned for.
Ask one firm you work with to show you a drawing name and where they'd put it. Not a tick: a screenshot.
| ISO 19650 says | Means | In the town |
|---|---|---|
| Capability and capacity assessment | Checking that each firm has the people, skills, systems and time to manage information as required | The team photo, with evidence instead of ticks |
| Delivery team | The firm leading the job and all the firms working under it to deliver the job | The six firms in the photo |
| Mobilisation plan | How the team will get its resources and technology ready, including help for firms that need it | The plan for the groundworks firm: training, a template, a check in month one |
Based on the ISO 19650 series: the ideas come from the standard; the plain-English wording, examples and advice are InfoTown's. ISO 19650 and its UK National Annex are © ISO and BSI. You'll hear the same language across the industry. Read more for free in the Information Management Initiative (IMI) Framework guidance from BSI and nima. For the full requirements, use the standard itself.