The BG6 framework moves online, giving project teams a collaborative way to define, assign and align design responsibilities.
BSRIA has launched BG6, a collaborative building services design management platform. The new platform creates a leap forward in digital construction, helping project teams establish clear design responsibilities, improve coordination and reduce costly delays and errors.
Building services design relies on input from multiple disciplines, with clients, architects, consultants, specialists, contractors, manufacturers and suppliers all contributing to the process. Yet as design responsibilities are assigned across increasingly complex project teams, establishing clear lines of accountability has become a critical challenge.
The BG6 platform provides a structured framework for defining who leads, supports and reviews each design activity. As a digital tool it gives project teams a collaborative way to manage responsibilities and keep information current as projects progress.
Avoiding costly errors
The cost of getting this wrong is significant. Research from the Get It Right Initiative (GIRI) estimates that avoidable errors cost the UK construction industry approximately £5bn a year, with poor communication of design information a major contributing factor. These errors can lead to delays, disputes and expensive rework, often emerging long after design decisions have been made.
Central to the problem is a lack of clarity over responsibility. When roles aren’t clearly defined, project teams can make assumptions about who is responsible for particular tasks and what they need from each other, leaving gaps that may only become apparent once construction is underway.
Regulatory changes have added further urgency. The Building Safety Act 2022 and associated changes to Building Regulations have strengthened expectations around competence and accountability. This places greater emphasis on project teams being able to demonstrate not only that design responsibilities have been clearly allocated, but that decisions have been properly coordinated, documented and accounted for throughout the project lifecycle.
John Taylor, Product Manager at BG6, said:
“The industry has long recognised the cost of poor coordination, yet responsibility gaps continue to create problems across projects. Too often, assumptions about who’s doing what are only challenged when something goes wrong, by which point the consequences can be significant.
“BG6 has always brought clarity to the design process. This new platform takes a major step further into the digital construction era, making it easier for teams to work collaboratively, establish responsibilities from the outset and maintain that clarity as projects evolve.
“With greater regulatory scrutiny and growing pressure on project costs and delivery, the industry can’t afford to leave design responsibility open to interpretation.”
Bringing greater transparency and consistency
BG6 represents a shift from defining responsibilities at the start of a project to actively managing them throughout the design process. By bringing greater transparency and consistency to how design activities are allocated and coordinated, BG6 helps project teams to identify gaps earlier, reduce the risk of errors and strengthen accountability.
John continued:
“Better buildings depend on more than good design.
“They depend on clear decisions, effective coordination and a shared understanding of who’s responsible for delivering them. The BG6 platform gives the industry a practical way to turn that principle into action.”
Find out more at bg6.io.
