Achieving Quality Information with Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) & ISO19650
In architecture, engineering, and construction, the success of a project depends on the quality of information. Let’s explore how PDCA—Plan-Do-Check-Act—and ISO 19650 help ensure that information remains accurate, complete, and reliable throughout a project.
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Why Quality Information Matters
Why does quality information matter? Inaccurate, incomplete, or uncoordinated information leads to costly delays, budget overruns, disputes, and even safety risks. To prevent these issues, and ensure better outcomes, we need a structured approach to managing information effectively.
Every Task Needs Input and Produces Output
Every task in business or on a project relies on information as input. The success of that task depends on the quality of this input. The result of the task is an information output, and the success of the overall project is measured by the quality of these outputs.
The Chain of Tasks
Each input originates from somewhere—it’s usually the output of a previous task. Likewise, the output of the current task will become the input for a future task. This creates a chain of interdependent processes. If errors are not caught and resolved early, they will perpetuate problems throughout the project, escalating in severity over time.
The Need for Checking, Verifying, and Validating
This raises some critical questions: Does the output of the previous task meet the input requirements for the current task? And will the current task’s output meet the requirements of a future task? To avoid costly mistakes, we must establish a clear process to plan, check, verify, and validate information before proceeding.
The Three Key Quality Control Steps
To ensure that information is correct, trustworthy, and useful, we apply three quality control steps:
- Checking confirms that the information exists and follows the required structure.
- Verification ensures that the work was done correctly according to project standards and specifications.
- Validation confirms that the information meets its intended purpose and can be trusted by those who use it.
These checks prevent the spread of errors and ensure only high-quality information moves forward in the project lifecycle.
Data Quality Checks
A structured information management process also requires rigorous data quality checks throughout the project lifecycle:
- Data Continuity ensures nothing is lost between stages, tracking any changes.
- Data Compliance verifies that information meets project, regulatory, and contractual requirements.
- Data Completeness ensures the information is relevant and sufficient for the current stage.
- Data Veracity checks for accuracy and correctness, reducing the risk of errors.
- Data Consistency across different data types like graphical, non-graphical, and documents.
- Data Coordination between disciplines, aims to avoid clashes, resolving conflicts, and ensuring that disciplines are properly aligned.
By applying these data quality checks before progressing to the next stage, we create structured and reliable information—preventing errors, reducing risks, and supporting better decision-making.
The 5 W’s of Planning
Success starts with proper planning. Before work begins, we answer five key questions:
- Who is responsible, by role?
- What information is needed, in what format, and to what standard?
- Why is it required, or for what purpose?
- When is it needed, by project stage or milestone?
- Where will it be stored, managed, reviewed, approved, and accepted? (in the Common Data Environment, or CDE)
Answering these questions ensures clarity and alignment before work begins.
Two Key Lists for Managing Information (Checklists)
To manage information effectively, ISO 19650 defines two essential lists:
- The INPUT List – The Responsibility Matrix (or RACI) defines who is Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed, for each key element of the project.
- The OUTPUT List – The Master Information Delivery Plan (or MIDP), which consolidates all the Task Information Delivery Plans (or TIDPs) and lists all outputs required for delivery to the CDE, including models, drawings, schedules, specifications, product data sheets, technical reports, certificates, etc. In other words, all information.
These lists provide structure and accountability for information production and exchange.
Executing the Plan
When it comes to executing the plan, or doing the work, we follow a structured process to produce, approve, share, coordinate, review, and update information before it is formally accepted by the appointing party for publication.
As information develops from work-in-progress, approved for sharing, for review and coordination, and finally accepted to be published, information is carefully managed within the Common Data Environment, following the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle to maintain quality and continuous improvement.
At each stage, previous versions are archived to maintain a record of all transactions. This ensures compliance with regulations and contractual obligations and serves as evidence in case of disputes.
PDCA + ISO 19650 = Better Outcomes
By combining the robust quality management and continuous improvement cycle of PDCA, or Plan-do-Check-Act, with the structured information management procedures of ISO 19650, we create a system that ensures better information, better collaboration, and ultimately, better project outcomes.
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Whether you need advice, production support, or training, our professional team is here to help.
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