CONTEXT AND CHALLENGES
This project forms part of a multi-year investment programme aimed at modernising a strategic industrial facility in the UK defence sector. Focusing on the refurbishment of major infrastructure dedicated to heavy maintenance activities, the programme is characterised by a high level of technical and regulatory complexity. It comprises more than thirty design and construction packages, involving over 250 key stakeholders and some fifteen partner organisations.
In this highly constrained environment, the coordination of technical information was a major challenge. The multitude of stakeholders and digital systems in use made information exchange processes particularly complex. Maintaining a consistent, reliable and shared view of design data required significant coordination efforts, and some review cycles could extend beyond the initially planned deadlines, with a potential impact on the project schedule.
To enhance overall visibility and streamline document governance, the programme’s technical management entrusted Assystem with a support assignment aimed at structuring and developing a Common Data Environment (CDE). The objective of this joint initiative was to capitalise on existing best practices, unify workflows, strengthen compliance management and introduce data-driven performance reporting.
The system was designed in line with the requirements of ISO 19650 and the client’s technical governance framework, to ensure a robust, secure information management environment tailored to the demands of a major industrial project in a regulated environment.
MIssions
The CDE implemented by Assystem is based on a structured framework, aligned with the ISO 19650 standard, combining integrated expertise, digital integration and real-time data-driven management.
- Governance: to ensure rigorous operational control of document flows, metadata and approval workflows, Assystem has defined roles and responsibilities using a RACI matrix (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted and Informed). This structure ensures clear governance, full traceability of exchanges and control over every stage of the document lifecycle.
- Digital integration and process automation: the system aims to standardise document planning, verification and distribution processes. These functions are reinforced by the implementation of real-time performance indicators, controlled monitoring of document delivery schedules, and the synchronised integration of multiple information systems.
- Targeted interventions and team support: from the very early stages, our teams helped to streamline existing data management processes. In parallel, structured training initiatives were carried out in close collaboration with the client’s BIM (Building Information Modelling) teams, helping to establish a shared understanding of workflows, governance rules and management dashboards.
- Continuous improvement and scalability: the CDE was designed to evolve over time, incorporating a philosophy of continuous improvement and offering scalability tailored to the project’s future needs. This approach ensures the system’s long-term viability and its adaptability to organisational, technical and regulatory changes.
Client benefits
Thanks to the implementation of integrated Power BI dashboards and a dynamic deliverable tracking tool (Deliverables Tracker), the progress of reviews and closure rates are now visible in real time. Steering teams thus have a consolidated and up-to-date view of performance, enabling them to manage activities with precision and identify bottlenecks in advance before they impact delivery times.
Steering bodies now rely on real-time operational data, replacing static files and fostering a shared, transparent and objective understanding of the project’s status among all stakeholders. Since the system was rolled out in 2024, significant and measurable gains have been observed:
- A 69% reduction in review cycles, from an average of 13 days to 4 days;
- A 21% reduction in the volume of overdue deliverables, corresponding to the clearance of approximately 260 documents;
- A 33% improvement in the compliance rate of metadata and workflows;
- Full traceability of 100% of document transmissions, including the identification of senders, dates and versions;
- A significant reduction in the number of resubmissions, from 22 to 5 per quarter.
These results reflect more effective management, better control of document flows and enhanced overall performance within a complex and highly regulated project environment.
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