The back alley's bill so far: 24 weeks · See the bill
The right way
Sam, the firm's information manager, fills the empty box: who manages the information, who controls the documents, who checks, and how much of their week it takes.
Sam: Two and a half people. Not 'the IM team'.
Bev sends every subcontractor the same pack, with the same order inside. Three quotes come back, all pricing the same information. For once, Bev can compare them.
Bev: Apples with apples. I could cry.
The named people are on site, with the hours. The electricians deliver what they priced.
Now there is: The people who'll look after the information, named, with hours against them (the information management function). The same pack for every subcontractor (the tender response requirements).
Information doesn't look after itself, and "the team" isn't a person. Naming who does it, and the hours it takes, is part of the price. Sending every subcontractor the same pack is what makes their quotes comparable.
The order in the bid room asks for a lot of information, and somebody has to look after it on the job: not a box on an org chart, but named people with hours. The same order then travels out from the bid room to every subcontractor in an identical pack, so their quotes price the same thing. Send different packs, and the order arrives in three versions, or not at all.
A note for the information manager: "The IM team" isn't a resource until it has names and hours, and "by others" usually means you.
Look at your job's org chart. Is there a name, with hours, against looking after the information?
| ISO 19650 says | Means | In the town |
|---|---|---|
| Information management function | The roles and people responsible for managing information on the job, whoever employs them | The names in the box: Sam's two and a half people |
| Tender response requirements | What each bidding firm must send back to show how it will meet the information requirements | The same pack sent to all three electricians |
| Task team | A group of people doing one part of the work, such as a subcontractor | The electricians, each pricing the same order |
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.