THE FRAMEWORK
How the assessment works
The Planaletix Engineering Data, Knowledge & Collaboration Maturity Assessment (DKC) evaluates an AEC firm's information backbone and the collaboration flows that run across it, in twenty dimensions across two parts. Part A measures data and knowledge management: governance, the project information lifecycle from bid to archive, document and records control, master drawings and specifications, classification and findability, lessons learned and knowledge capture, data quality, systems integration, security and confidentiality, and archives. Part B measures collaboration and continuity: the multi-office operating model, platform consolidation, cross-discipline workflows, distributed and follow-the-sun working, formal communication governance, external collaboration, site and mobile access, information continuity and ransomware resilience, collaboration culture, and performance measurement.
Only 12% of construction firms consistently use their project data in decisions — the rest are paying for information twice: once to produce it, and again to work around not finding, not trusting or not keeping it. The DKC measures whether the firm's data, knowledge and collaboration are governed systems or accumulating liabilities — including the WhatsApp flows and untested backups the dashboard never shows.
20 DIMENSIONS · 200 QUESTIONS
Explore the dimensions and maturity levels
WHO IT IS FOR
Built for AEC leadership teams
The DKC is designed for the leaders accountable for how a firm's information is kept, found, protected and moved:
- Managing Directors and Operations Directors of design and delivery firms
- Information Managers, Document Control Managers and Heads of Digital
- IT Directors accountable for platforms, continuity and recovery
- Technical Directors whose master specifications and standard details carry the firm's expertise
- Knowledge Managers and Quality Directors
- Leaders of multi-office and offshore production operations
- Commercial and claims leaders who depend on records when disputes arise
- Developers and owner-operators receiving, storing and reusing project information at portfolio scale
The DKC evaluates the firm as an information institution — not one project, one server or one librarian. It applies to design consultants, construction contractors, EPC contractors, developers, owner-operators and cost consultancies of any size, in any country. At the start you select your firm type — or several — and the assessment automatically presents only the dimensions applicable to your selection, renormalising the scoring so your result is comparable and fair. Questions pair design-side and delivery-side evidence throughout, and every question is answerable whether the firm produces information or receives and manages it.
STANDARDS ALIGNMENT
Mapped to the standards you work to
Every dimension of the DKC framework maps to the standards and evidence shaping information and collaboration practice:
- ISO 19650 — organization and digitization of information: lifecycle states, containers, naming and status
- DAMA DMBOK data management practices, adapted to the engineering information estate
- ISO 30401 — knowledge management systems: knowledge as a governed firm asset
- ISO 22301 — business continuity: RPO/RTO, tested recovery, exercised resilience
- ISO 44001 — collaborative business relationship management
- Regional data protection law — UAE PDPL, Saudi PDPL — for personal and client data obligations
- Autodesk/FMI Harnessing the Data Advantage — $1.85 trillion bad-data cost; only 12% of firms consistently data-driven; 30% say more than half their data is bad
- Construction ransomware research — sector victims up 41% year on year, spearphishing the dominant vector
- KPMG Global Construction Survey 2025/2026 — 54% expect complete supply chain digitization within five years
WAYS TO TAKE IT
Self-assessment, validation or a full programme
THE FRAMEWORK AT A GLANCE
Engineering Data, Knowledge & Collaboration: all 20 dimensions
Part A — Data & Knowledge Management (50%)
- D1 Data & Knowledge Governance — risk gate
- D2 Project Information Lifecycle — risk gate
- D3 Document & Records Control
- D4 Drawings & Specifications Management
- D5 Classification, Metadata & Findability
- D6 Lessons Learned & Knowledge Capture
- D7 Data Quality & Integrity
- D8 Systems Integration & Data Flow
- D9 Security & Confidentiality of Project Data
- D10 Archives, Legacy Digitisation & Reuse
Part B — Collaboration & Continuity (50%)
- D11 Collaboration Strategy & Operating Model — risk gate
- D12 Platform Consolidation & Common Tooling
- D13 Cross-Discipline Workflow Integration
- D14 Distributed & Follow-the-Sun Working
- D15 Formal Communication Governance
- D16 External Collaboration
- D17 Site & Mobile Connectivity
- D18 Information Continuity & Resilience
- D19 Collaboration Culture & Behaviours
- D20 Collaboration Performance Measurement
QUESTIONS
Frequently asked questions
We already have a CDE — is this the same as the BIM assessment?
No. The DBV module measures the design production engine; the DKC measures the information estate and the flows across the whole firm — including commercial records, knowledge, archives, continuity and the offices and parties beyond any one project's CDE.
Our people collaborate fine on WhatsApp — why does it matter?
Because every instruction, approval and decision in a private chat is a record the firm does not hold when a dispute, audit or handover demands it — and knowledge that leaves when the phone does. The assessment measures whether governed channels are genuinely usable enough that people choose them.
We are a developer — is it for us?
Yes. Select "Developer" at the start and the assessment scopes to the nineteen dimensions a developer is accountable for — the information it receives, stores, protects and reuses at portfolio scale — and skips production master content.
Who should answer the questions?
The person accountable for operations or information management — typically the Operations Director, Information Manager or IT Director — ideally after consulting document control, knowledge, IT and delivery leads. Answers save automatically.
How long does it take?
150–180 minutes for the full 20 dimensions; less where firm-type scoping reduces the set. It can be completed over several sessions.
Is our data secure?
The report is generated in your browser. Answers and scores are stored in Planaletix's secured assessment record for your engagement and are never shared.