Watch the video above to see milestones being created, grouped, and described step by step.
The guide below covers each part of the process so you can set up your own milestones with confidence.
Defining Information Delivery Milestones for Clearer BIM Project Scope
A milestone isn’t just a deadline – it’s the point at which information is exchanged, reviewed, or delivered for a specific purpose. If your milestones are vague or missing, your team doesn’t know what they’re working toward, deliverables slip, and the scope becomes a moving target. Standards like ISO 19650 emphasise this for good reason: defining the purpose and timing of each information exchange is one of the most important things you can do at the start of a project.
In Plannerly’s Scope module, milestones sit across the top of the task grid and define the key objectives your project is working toward. They might represent deliverables, phases, stages, data drops, BIM uses, or any other meaningful point where information needs to be exchanged. Each milestone has a name, a description, and delivery dates – so the team understands not just when something is due, but why it matters. Combined with the scope list and task grid, milestones form the backbone of your project’s information delivery structure.
Setting up milestones is straightforward. You click to add a milestone, give it a name, and as you type, autocomplete suggestions appear to speed things up. You might define milestones for an asset management model, a handover and commissioning model, design stage deliverables, or any other exchange point your project requires. Each one can have a description explaining its purpose, which appears as an icon on the milestone header for quick reference.
When you have lots of milestones, you can group them into stages. Click on “group” to create stage containers – stage one, stage two, and so on – and then drag your milestones into the appropriate group. Stages themselves can also have descriptions, giving your team a clear overview of each project phase. You can reorder milestones and stages at any time by dragging them into the right sequence, so the layout always reflects how the project actually flows.
Each milestone also supports delivery dates with specific time periods that need to be adhered to. This means the team can see at a glance not only what needs to be delivered, but exactly when each exchange is expected. Combined with the scope list and task grid, milestones give every requirement a clear destination – a defined point where the work needs to be ready.
Getting milestones right at the start sets the rhythm for the entire project. When the team understands the purpose behind each information exchange, they can focus on what’s important rather than guessing what’s needed next.
How to define milestones in Plannerly’s Scope module
- Add a milestone – click the add milestone button in the Scope module. A new milestone appears across the top of the task grid.
- Name the milestone – click into the milestone to edit its name. Use the autocomplete suggestions that appear as you type to speed up setup with common milestone types.
- Define deliverable milestones – create milestones for specific deliverables such as an asset management model, handover and commissioning model, design review, or data drops.
- Add a description – click the check mark to open details and add a description that explains the purpose of the milestone. This appears as an icon on the header for quick reference.
- Group milestones into stages – click “group” to create stage containers (e.g., stage one, stage two). Drag milestones into the appropriate stage to organise them logically.
- Add stage descriptions – describe each stage to give the team an overview of what that phase of the project covers.
- Reorder milestones and stages – drag milestones and stage groups into the correct sequence so the layout reflects the actual project flow.
- Set delivery dates – add specific dates or time periods to each milestone so the team knows exactly when each information exchange is expected.
What you’ll learn
- Adding and editing milestones – how to create milestones and rename or reorder them as the project evolves
- Autocomplete for faster setup – how suggestion prompts help you define common milestone types quickly
- Milestone descriptions – how adding a purpose to each milestone helps the team understand what each information exchange is for
- Grouping into stages – how to organise milestones into project stages for better visual structure
- Delivery dates and timing – how to set specific time periods that define when each milestone needs to be completed
Common questions
What’s the difference between a milestone and a stage?
A milestone represents a specific point at which information is exchanged or delivered – for example, a design stage model or a handover deliverable. A stage is a group or container that holds related milestones together. You might have a “Stage 1 – Design” stage containing milestones for concept design, developed design, and technical design deliverables.
Can I reorder milestones after I’ve created them?
Yes. You can drag milestones into a different order at any time, and you can move them between stage groups as well. The layout is flexible so it can evolve as the project develops.
How do milestones relate to the master information delivery plan?
Milestones define the columns of your task grid, and each task cell sits at the intersection of a scope item and a milestone. Together, they form the structure of your master information delivery plan (MIDP) – showing what needs to be delivered, to which milestone, and by whom.
What should I include in a milestone description?
Focus on the purpose of the exchange. What is the information being delivered for? Who will use it and how? For example, a commissioning model milestone might describe that the purpose is to provide as-built geometry and asset data for the facilities management team. Clear descriptions help the team focus on what’s important rather than just hitting a deadline.
How does this connect to ISO 19650?
ISO 19650 requires projects to define the purpose and timing of information exchanges. Milestones in Plannerly map directly to this concept – each one represents a defined point of exchange with a clear purpose, description, and delivery date. The expert course lesson on MIDP and TIDP covers how this fits into the broader ISO 19650 workflow in detail.
Explore further
- Defining your information requirements database – set up the scope items that sit against your milestones in the task grid
- Defining information tasks containers – learn how to configure the task cells that sit at each milestone intersection
- Understanding the Plannerly Scope user interface – a detailed guide to navigating the full Scope module layout
- BIM Boot Camp – the intensive programme covering end-to-end BIM and ISO 19650 workflows