This BIM Boot Camp session covers automated model checking, COBie handover and lessons learned in one connected workflow. The companion guide below walks through how teams can replace disconnected spreadsheets, manual issue tracking and fragmented handover processes with a structured, contract-linked system that automates verification, captures change and feeds lessons back into future projects.
Why connected verification, handover and lessons learned change everything
Most teams start their digital delivery journey with good intentions but end up managing requirements in spreadsheets, tracking issues across disconnected tools and handling handover as a stressful last-minute scramble. The problem is not a lack of effort. It is a lack of connection between what was agreed, what was delivered, what was checked and what was learned. When your scope lives in one spreadsheet, your model checks happen in a separate viewer, your issues get logged in email threads and your COBie data gets assembled manually at the end, the result is wasted effort, duplicated administration and a handover process that nobody trusts.
This session demonstrates a fundamentally different approach. Instead of bolting tools together with formulas and duct tape, the workflow connects requirements, deliverables, model data, verification rules, issue resolution, reporting, COBie export and lessons learned into a single structured system. Everything starts from the contracted requirements defined in the Scope module, flows through automated checking in the Verify module, gets managed through the File Manager and Docs module, and loops back into templates so the next project benefits from what you learned on this one.
The session is structured around three demonstrations. The first shows how to create work packages from filtered scope, assign tasks through the kanban board, and connect model elements to contracted requirements using automated rules that evaluate compliance percentages instantly. Instead of comparing a spreadsheet on one screen against a model viewer on another, the system links elements by property values and checks them against your defined information requirements automatically. Tasks that fail verification get moved to a fixes column with threaded comments, full activity history and direct accountability, so there is no need to create separate issue reports.
The second demonstration covers data export and COBie handover. Once requirements have been verified against model data, the system can generate formatted reports showing completion status, checklists and missing items. It can also export scope data to Excel for use in tools like Tableau or Power BI, create information delivery specifications in machine-readable formats, and produce COBie spreadsheets automatically by pulling verified property values from model elements into the standard COBie format. This means COBie handover becomes a natural output of the verification workflow rather than a painful manual assembly exercise at the end of a project.
The third demonstration covers lessons learned and continuous improvement. The system tracks version history for every document and scope item, showing exactly what changed compared to the original template. Unscoped tasks, which are requirements discovered during delivery that were not part of the original scope, are captured separately and can be fed back into company templates for future projects. When a template is updated, ongoing projects that use that template receive a notification and can choose to accept or reject the changes. This creates a bidirectional learning loop where every project makes the next one better, and project archiving protects the completed record for long-term reference.
How the connected workflow operates
- Filter scope into work packages – Create targeted work packages from your master information delivery plan by filtering on milestones, folders, teams or statuses, then save those filters for consistent use across Scope and Verify modules
- Assign and track tasks visually – Use the kanban board grouped by team member to distribute workload by dragging tasks, with real-time updates visible to all project participants so consultants manage their own to-do lists without chasing emails
- Connect models to requirements – Link model elements to task cards using property-based rules that can match by name, code, entity type or any combination, then let the system evaluate compliance percentages automatically across all tasks
- Review and verify deliverables – Check information requirements, attached documents, geometry alignment and property completeness from a single interface with cluster grouping tools that isolate elements for visual review
- Manage issues from requirements – Move non-compliant tasks to a fixes status with threaded comments and full activity tracking instead of creating separate issue reports, so the requirement card itself becomes the issue record
- Export COBie and project reports – Generate handover reports and COBie spreadsheets directly from verified model data, with automatic formatting, permission-based access and e-signature support
- Capture lessons and update templates – Review what changed during the project, feed unscoped tasks and document updates back into source templates, and notify ongoing projects about template improvements
- Archive the project – Protect the completed project record, preserve the full audit trail and ensure the golden thread of decision-making is available for future reference
What you will learn
- Automated model checking – How property-based rules link model elements to contracted requirements and evaluate compliance automatically, replacing manual spreadsheet comparisons with instant percentage-based verification
- Contract-linked issue management – Why starting from requirements instead of separate issue reports reduces administration, keeps accountability clear and provides a complete activity history on every task card
- COBie handover automation – How verified property values from model elements flow into formatted COBie spreadsheets automatically, turning handover from a stressful end-of-project scramble into a natural output of the delivery workflow
- Unscoped task capture – How requirements discovered during delivery are recorded separately and can be incorporated into templates so future projects start with more complete scope
- Bidirectional template updates – How changes made to company templates notify ongoing projects with the option to accept or reject updates, creating a continuous improvement loop across your entire portfolio
- Golden thread reporting – How the full audit trail of who requested, delivered, tested and approved every requirement provides accountability and supports compliance without additional administration
Common questions
How does automated model checking work in Plannerly?
You create rules that link model element properties to task cards in the Verify module. Rules can match by name, code, entity type or any property value, and can be combined using and/or logic. Once rules are set, the system evaluates every linked element against your defined information requirements and shows a compliance percentage. You can set rules at the individual task level or across all tasks in a model with a single action. These rules can also be saved as part of a template so future projects inherit the same checking logic.
Does this replace the need for separate issue tracking tools?
For requirement-based issues, yes. Each task card in the Verify module already represents a contracted requirement. When a deliverable does not meet that requirement, you change its status, add comments and assign the fix, all within the same card. The full conversation and activity history stays attached to the requirement itself, so there is no need to create a separate issue, reference a different system or duplicate information. Teams on the sending side can also run the same automated checks before submitting, catching problems before they reach the manager.
How is COBie data generated from the verified model?
When you define information requirements in Scope and tag them as COBie properties, those requirements carry through to verification. Once model elements are linked and checked, the verified property values can be exported as a formatted COBie spreadsheet. The system pulls the data directly from the model elements that passed verification, places it into the correct COBie tabs and formats it for import into facility management or CAFM systems. This means COBie assembly happens continuously as you verify rather than as a separate manual exercise at project close.
What are unscoped tasks and how do they support lessons learned?
Unscoped tasks are requirements that were not part of the original project scope but were identified during delivery. For example, if you discover that bathroom sinks need warranty documentation but that was never scoped, you create the task directly in the Verify module. It appears in a separate unscoped area on the grid so it does not alter your contracted scope, but it captures the requirement for future reference. You can then drag it into your company template so the next project includes it from the start.
How do template updates flow to ongoing projects?
When someone updates a source template, any project that was created from that template receives a notification showing what changed. The project team can review the differences and choose to accept or reject the update. This works for both documents and scope items, creating a bidirectional learning loop where improvements flow from projects to templates and from templates back to projects without waiting for a quarterly review meeting.
Explore further
- Verify: task tracking, model checking and quality assurance – Full help documentation for the Verify module including model rules and compliance checking
- Simplifying BIM model checking automation – How automated verification connects requirements to model data
- How to create, contract and manage asset information requirements – Step-by-step guide to setting up AIR for handover
- Exports and reporting – Documentation covering report generation, versioned exports and scheduled delivery
- Version history and source template features – How template updates and version tracking support lessons learned
- Advanced: model verification and quality assurance – Deeper training on verification workflows and confidence building
- Expert: information verification, tracking, compliance and lessons learned – Expert-level training on compliance workflows and continuous improvement
- BIM Boot Camp: full BIM workflow, 80% less admin – The final Boot Camp session covering the complete end-to-end workflow
- Free BIM and ISO 19650 training – All Plannerly training courses from basic through expert certification
- BIM Boot Camp – The full Boot Camp course page with all sessions and resources