In this video, Thomas, Stuart and Jacqueline share their expert insights that help asset owners navigate the growing demands of digital and information-led delivery. Drawing on deep experience across capital projects and operational estates, they advise on government BIM mandates and ISO 19650, helping organisations translate policy and standards into clear, actionable asset owner instructions.
For more than ten years, UK contractors have appeared far more digitally mature than asset owners. This has little to do with innovation and everything to do with obligation. Government mandates such as PAS 1192 and BS 1192, now evolved into the international ISO 19650 series, gave contractors a clear and enforceable roadmap for managing information during project delivery. Compliance was essential for winning work, so the industry adapted early.
Asset owners were never under the same pressure. Many simply accepted whatever information arrived at handover, often in inconsistent formats and stored within contractor-controlled systems. As digital responsibilities expand beyond project delivery and into long term asset management, this gap has become more visible and more problematic. Owners now face the reality that they cannot operate efficiently or safely without taking control of their information environments.
A major challenge occurs when asset owners do not define what information they need or how they expect it to be structured. If a contractor holds project data within their own systems and the relationship ends, the asset owner may be left without clarity on where the data sits, whether it is complete or how it can be used operationally. The shift to ISO 19650 makes it clear that owners must set the rules rather than inherit someone else’s methods. Strong governance and well defined requirements are the only way to ensure long term continuity and value.
At the same time, digital twins are becoming more common across UK estates. They provide huge value but also introduce new security considerations. A digital twin is not simply a complete model of the building. It is a collection of purposeful data views. Some might be harmless, such as information about air quality. Others might reveal sensitive details about building systems or usage patterns. Asset owners need to look beyond traditional IT security and consider the full information lifecycle. Decisions about what data is collected, who can access it and how it is stored all influence the level of risk.
The greatest digital transformation opportunity lies within existing buildings. Around 80 percent of the buildings that will exist in 2050 already exist today. Most of these assets operate with outdated systems, disconnected spreadsheets or manual inspections. Retrofitting them with sensors, improved building management systems or operational digital twins comes with cost and potential disruption. This is where the business case becomes essential. Owners need reliable data, clear metrics and evidence of return on investment to justify capital interventions. Without structured information management, it becomes almost impossible to prove the value or track the impact of any digital upgrade.
As assets become more connected, the benefits grow, but so do the responsibilities. Better data enables energy efficiency, improved utilisation and safer operations. It also increases the need for strong governance, resilient infrastructure and long term planning. Digital maturity is not about technology alone. It is about ownership, control and confidence in the data that supports an entire estate.
The message for UK asset owners is clear. The gap that once seemed manageable is now exposing real operational, financial and security risks. Taking control of information requirements, establishing a consistent environment for data and understanding the purpose and sensitivity of digital twins are now essential steps. Retrofitting strategies must be supported by strong business cases, and security considerations need to be built into every digital decision.
Contractors had a decade head start because they were forced to adapt. Asset owners are now at the point where action is no longer optional. Those who take control of their information today will reduce long term costs, strengthen resilience and unlock genuine value from digital transformation. Those who do not will continue to inherit inconsistent data, fragmented systems and avoidable burdens that limit the performance and potential of their assets.
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