AEC Glossary

A Common Data Environment is a centralised platform used to collect, manage, and disseminate project information throughout the lifecycle of a built asset. It ensures that the right people access the right information at the right time.

ISO 19650 defines it as the “agreed source of information for any given project or asset.”

A Connected Common Data Environment goes beyond traditional CDEs by allowing real-time data exchange across multiple platforms and systems. Instead of relying on one closed system, it supports integrations and interoperability across a digital ecosystem.

Key features:

• Open APIs and integrations
• Real-time DataFlows
• Cross-platform metadata exchange

Operates as a standalone environment. Users must work within the vendor’s ecosystem with limited external integrations.

Enables data exchange between different software tools and systems, regardless of vendor, creating a more flexible, scalable environment.

A Connector is a pre-built or custom integration that allows different software tools (like Revit, AutoCAD, or Power BI) to talk to each other through the CDE.

 

Think of it as a translator that helps two applications exchange information without manual rework.

Data Flows refers to the automated, rule-based transfer of files, metadata, and information across integrated systems.

Examples:

• When a model is updated in Revit, changes automatically reflect in your project dashboard or issue tracker.
• Site progress data flows into the scheduling tool without manual entry.

Metadata is the data about your data like file names, project codes, version numbers, originator, revision status, etc.

In a Connected CDE, metadata is critical for automating processes like approvals, versioning, and access control.

A global standard for information management over the lifecycle of a built asset using BIM. ISO 19650 provides the framework for CDEs, emphasising:

• Structured naming
• Status codes
• Workflows
• Approval processes

Connected CDEs simplify ISO 19650 compliance by automating metadata handling and access permissions across systems.

A digital twin is a dynamic, real-time digital representation of a built asset. It depends on structured, accurate data from the design, construction, and handover stages.

Connected CDEs help ensure that digital twins are:

• Built from trustworthy data
• Continuously updated
• Usable by FM teams post-handover

These are the expectations set by the asset owner about what data, documents, and models are to be delivered at each stage of a project.

Connected CDEs help standardise PIRs across tools and teams, ensuring that data requirements are met consistently from project to project.

An AIM contains all the data required for the operation and maintenance of a built asset. It is the product of a well-managed CDE process, especially at the handover stage.

A Connected CDE ensures your AIM is:

• Structured
• Searchable
• Ready for FM tools and digital twins

Instead of relying on one vendor for everything, a best-of-breed ecosystem allows organisations to use the best tools for each job—design, scheduling, field capture, finance—and have them talk to each other via a Connected CDE.

This refers to the ability of different systems and organisations to work together by exchanging and interpreting shared data.

Connected CDEs are built with interoperability in mind, supporting:

• OpenBIM standards
• APIs and integrations
• Vendor-neutral architectures