If you’re an MEP contractor or consultant bidding on a project that requires information management under ISO 19650, you’ll need to understand the BIM Execution Plan, or BEP.

It explains how the delivery team will manage and exchange information. For MEP teams, that means clearer responsibilities, coordination procedures, and deliverables before work begins.

What is a BIM Execution Plan?

A BIM Execution Plan sets out a delivery team’s approach to information management. Under BS EN ISO 19650-2, it responds to the appointing party’s exchange information requirements (EIR), explaining how the team intends to meet them.

The appointing party is the organisation appointing a team to deliver work. Depending on your position in the supply chain, your information requirements could come from the client or a main contractor.

BS EN ISO 19650-2 covers information management during an asset’s delivery phase. Its focus extends beyond 3D models to the information needed to support design, construction and handover.

Pre-appointment and confirmed BEPs

The BEP develops through tendering and appointment.

The pre-appointment BEP forms part of the prospective lead appointed party’s tender response. It proposes how the delivery team will approach information management and meet the EIR.

The delivery team’s confirmed BEP is agreed and updated as necessary during the appointment process. It confirms the team’s approach, including who will undertake information management activities and the technology arrangements.

Capability and capacity assessments are separate resources that inform this process. The BEP should subsequently be maintained through agreed change procedures as the project develops.

What should a BEP include?

The BEP should establish a clear, project-specific approach, covering:

  • Information delivery strategy: how the team will meet the information requirements and support collaboration.
  • Information management responsibilities: who will undertake these activities.
  • Federation strategy: how models and other information are divided and brought together for coordination.
  • High-level responsibility matrix: which teams are responsible for the main information deliverables.
  • Technology arrangements: the agreed software, hardware and IT infrastructure supporting delivery.

It should also align with the project’s information standard and production methods and procedures. These related resources address matters such as naming conventions, exchange formats, checking procedures and Common Data Environment (CDE) workflows. They do not all need to be reproduced inside the BEP.

Level of information need

The team must understand what information is required, why it is needed and when it must be delivered.

The level of information need covers geometrical information, alphanumerical information, and documentation. It is broader than how detailed a model looks: a detailed equipment model could still lack the asset information required for handover. ISO 7817-1:2024 provides the concepts and principles for this framework.

How do the MIDP and TIDPs fit in?

Each task team prepares a Task Information Delivery Plan (TIDP). The lead appointed party brings these together into the Master Information Delivery Plan (MIDP).

These are separate, related planning resources that should stay aligned with the BEP and project programme. A task team is not necessarily the same as a discipline.

Quick BEP checklist for MEP contractors

Before agreeing your delivery approach, check:

  • Can you show how you will meet the applicable EIR?
  • Are information management responsibilities assigned to named individuals?
  • Is it clear who produces, checks and authorises each deliverable?
  • Are information requirements understood for each relevant purpose and milestone?
  • Are model exchange, coordination and issue-resolution procedures clear?
  • Are CDE workflows and delivery plans aligned with the project programme?
  • Have the delivery teams reviewed the arrangements?

For example, agreeing who models a service penetration, who checks it and when the information is needed can help prevent a coordination issue becoming a site problem.

Common BEP mistakes MEP contractors should avoid

Copying a previous project’s BEP without checking the new requirements can leave gaps in responsibilities, software arrangements and deliverables.

Other practical problems include unclear checking procedures, exchanging information outside the agreed CDE workflow, and letting delivery plans fall behind programme changes.

Use the BEP during mobilisation and coordination meetings. When arrangements change, make sure the affected teams understand the agreed update.

Why BEP planning matters on healthcare projects

Healthcare projects can involve complex MEP services, phased handovers and work around operational clinical areas.

The information management approach should support these project requirements. For example, teams may need coordinated equipment information for a particular area before its installation or handover date.

The BEP should explain how the relevant information will be managed and exchanged. Clinical requirements, infection prevention measures and construction controls remain subject to their own specialist plans and responsibilities.

How The CAD Room can help

Your outsourced BIM team needs clear responsibilities, information requirements and coordination procedures from the outset.

The CAD Room provides BIM outsourcing, coordinated MEP modelling and clash detection support, working to your project’s BEP and agreed information management requirements.

Preparing a tender or looking for support with an existing project? Contact The CAD Room to discuss your MEP coordination and information delivery requirements.

Frequently asked questions

Who is responsible for the BIM Execution Plan?

The prospective lead appointed party establishes the pre-appointment BEP. The lead appointed party then confirms the delivery team’s BEP with contributions from its appointed parties. Individuals can be assigned preparation and maintenance activities; an “Information Manager” job title does not replace the lead appointed party’s responsibility.

Is a BEP mandatory under ISO 19650?

Yes. Establishing a pre-appointment BEP and confirming the delivery team’s BEP are requirements of the ISO 19650-2 process, under clauses 5.3.2 and 5.4.1. Whether a particular project must follow that standard depends on its applicable requirements and appointments.

What is the difference between a BEP and an information protocol?

An information protocol sets out information-related obligations when incorporated into an appointment. The BEP describes the delivery team’s approach to managing information.

The BEP can also form part of the appointment documents, so it should be consistent with the protocol and other agreed requirements.