When it comes to construction projects, nobody wants surprises, at least not the kind that appear when handover is approaching and someone realises critical information is missing, incomplete or just plain wrong.
The importance of accurate information in construction projects
It’s a scenario Emma Hooper and Rob Jackson have seen too many times. And it’s one of the key reasons they’ve become strong advocates for the Information Delivery Specification (IDS), a tool designed to fix exactly this kind of problem.
In a recent webinar, hosted in partnership with BIMplus, Emma and Rob from RLB Digital walked attendees through not just what IDS is, but why it matters and how to start using it in your own projects.
What is IDS
At its heart, IDS isn’t just another acronym or digital standard. It’s a response to a problem that everyone working in built environment delivery knows all too well: the chaos of unclear information expectations.
How to implement IDS in your projects
As digital leads Emma Hooper and Rob Jackson explained during the webinar, IDS allows project stakeholders to clearly define what information they want from the supply chain in a format that both humans and software can understand. No grey areas. No misinterpretations. No last-minute scrambles to align with client expectations.
From ambiguity to accountability
Where once teams had to comb through a 40-page Word document or an Employer’s Information Requirement (EIR) full of “shoulds” and “maybes,” IDS clearly spells out what information is needed, down to naming conventions, classifications and property sets—and does it in a format that can be validated automatically.
By implementing IDS, organisations can automate large parts of the model-checking process. Instead of manually reviewing each element of a digital model, IDS allows teams to run quick checks against a predefined set of rules. It’s a small shift with huge implications: fewer errors, fewer delays and a lot less back-and-forth.
The role of email in project information management
While IDS brings structure to digital models, there's another aspect of project information that often remains messy: email. Even if your models and structured data are well-managed, email can still slip through the cracks in information management.
Common challenges with email management
Ask yourself, how much of your project communication lives in someone’s inbox? Everyone in construction knows the answer. It's a lot.
But, despite being the primary communication tool across most construction projects, email is still treated like an afterthought, even though it’s where decisions get made, risks are flagged and contracts are clarified. When that communication isn’t captured, structured or searchable, it becomes a blind spot especially when the pressure’s on.
Bringing discipline to project correspondence
It’s no secret that project teams often struggle to retrieve critical emails months down the line, as they can easily get buried in personal folders or accidentally deleted. Sometimes, the absence of a single email can change the outcome of a contractual disagreement.
This scenario may feel uncomfortably familiar. This kind of thing happens every day.
The point is to challenge the assumption that email can be left unmanaged in an industry that thrives on accountability. Just like IDS brings clarity and structure to model data, we need to bring the same discipline to project correspondence. Because a well-organised inbox might just save your project.
Tools for better project communication
The message throughout the session was clear: construction doesn’t need more complexity, it needs more clarity. And that clarity comes from setting expectations early, validating them consistently and capturing everything along the way.
IDS provides that structure for digital deliverables, while email management tools like Ideagen Mail Manager bring discipline to the messy but vital world of project communication.
Together, they form a foundation for smoother collaboration, fewer misunderstandings and more predictable project outcomes.
Want to bring structure to your project communication?
Request a demo of Ideagen Mail Manager to see how easy it is to keep your email organised, searchable and working for you, not against you.
