ISO 19650 How to Create an Information Production Schedule (IPS) - Complete Workflow Guide

1.1 - Create your project and add milestones

From your Projects workspace, click New Project (or the plus button). Enter a descriptive project title - for example, the project name followed by "Information Production Schedule". Docs, Scope and Verify all start ticked under Modules. This guide uses Scope and Docs, so keep those ticked and click Create. The Scope module is where you will define, structure, and manage all of your information deliverables - it is the backbone of the Information Production Schedule.

Next, add your delivery milestones. Milestones represent the key delivery gates - the points at which the appointing party expects to receive agreed deliverables. In ISO 19650 terms, these are your information exchange points.

• Open Scope. On the Shape your scope screen, click Add Row. This adds your first folder, your first row and a milestone called Milestone 1
• Click Milestone 1 to open Edit Milestones, type Pre Construction as its title, press Enter, and close the window
• Click the plus at the end of the milestone header (tooltip Add Milestone), type Operation, and press Enter

You can add as many milestones as your project requires. For this walkthrough we use two, but real projects may have milestones for concept design, detailed design, construction, commissioning, and operation.

1.2 - Build your folder structure

The folder hierarchy organises your deliverables by discipline or delivery team. Your top-level parent folder is the Untitled Folder that Add Row created. Rename it Information Production Schedule (or IPS). This acts as the overarching container, equivalent to the MIDP in ISO 19650 terminology.

Next, use Add Folder to create individual folders for each discipline that will deliver information on your project:

• Architect
• Contractor
• Electrical Engineer
• Mechanical Engineer
• Structural Engineer

Drag each discipline folder (a little) directly to the right so that it nests inside the parent Information Production Schedule folder (see the blue arrows to see where it will be indented). This indentation creates a clear hierarchy - the IPS contains all discipline-level delivery plans, and each discipline contains its own tasks.

Now remove the Geometry field, since the IPS is focused on document-based deliverables (drawings, reports, data sheets, certificates) rather than geometric models. Click the three dots on the Information Production Schedule parent folder and select Edit. In the Edit Folder window, under Tasks Include Fields, uncheck Geometry and click Save. This setting cascades to all sub-folders and tasks, so you only need to do it once at the parent level.

1.3 - Add deliverables and document placeholders

Each task row in Scope represents a single deliverable or group of related deliverables that a team must produce. Within each discipline folder, add tasks for the major information containers expected from that team. For example, under the Architect folder you might create:

• Drawing Set - architectural drawings package
• Room Data Sheets - room-by-room specifications
• Life Cycle Analysis - sustainability and whole-life cost data
• Architectural Preconstruction Model - the BIM model deliverable

Repeat for each discipline folder, using names your project team will immediately recognise. To give a row a task at a milestone, hover over its empty cell and choose Add Task.

Open Settings (the gear icon in the Scope toolbar) and choose the Scope tab. Under Custom data fields, switch the Files row on. You can switch Information Requirements off at first to keep the view focused on document delivery. These switches save by themselves, and you can change them later as your workflow evolves.

You can also use Plannerly's AI features to generate a visual icon for each deliverable. Click the green AI/robot icon on a task row and the system will generate an appropriate image. This is optional but helpful when sharing the scope with stakeholders who benefit from visual cues alongside text descriptions. Free Plannerly accounts have limits on AI generations.

Once your tasks are in place, add document placeholders to define exactly what files are expected - before the files exist. On screen these are called requested files. Click a task's milestone cell to open it. On a new project, the first task you open asks What else would you like to plan? Use Add New to add Files and Checklists, then click Save. Then click Add New in the Files field to open Add files. You will see four options:

1. Upload - upload actual files directly, or drop them into the window
2. New request - define a file that has not yet been delivered
3. The list under the buttons - choose a requested or delivered file already in File Manager
4. Add Link - reference an external document location

Use New request. Type the expected File Name and Extension, choose a Team if you know it, and click Add. For example, for the Architectural Drawing Set at the Pre Construction milestone:

• Floor Plans (PDF)
• Exterior Elevations (PDF)
• Building Sections (PDF)

When a team uploads a file later, Plannerly will automatically match it against the placeholder, validate the file format, and update the version from v000 (placeholder) to v001 (delivered). This means delivery tracking is automatic, not manual.

1.4 - Define acceptance criteria

Click on a task cell to open the task detail modal. Here you can edit the task name to be fully descriptive (e.g., "Architectural Drawing Set"), add a description explaining what the deliverable involves, and most importantly, define the acceptance criteria in the Checklists field - the specific conditions that must be met for this deliverable to be considered complete and acceptable.

Click the AI button on a field to generate a first draft: Fill out this field with AI for the description, and Add checklist items with AI for the criteria. The AI will produce relevant criteria based on the task name and context. Always review and refine the AI-generated content to match your project's specific requirements. 

Example acceptance criteria for an Architectural Drawing Set:

• Sheet index matches included PDFs
• North arrows included on all plan drawings
• Levels and datums clearly annotated
• Scale is readable and defined for each drawing type
• Coordination adequate for this project stage
• Quality assurance check completed by originator
• Ready for formal review and feedback

Acceptance criteria eliminate ambiguity. When a team delivers a file, both sides can objectively check it against the agreed criteria. In ISO 19650 workflows, clear acceptance criteria are essential for verification and for resolving disputes about deliverable quality.

2.1 - Create teams and assign in bulk

Open any task and look for the No Team dropdown in the tracking section. Choose Add Team to create a team. Enter:

• Team Name - e.g., "ABC Architecture" (or your company name)
• Role - pick from the list, e.g., "Lead Appointed Party" or "Architect" (in ISO 19650 terms, this maps to the appointing party, lead appointed party, or appointed party roles)
• Abbreviation - e.g., "ARC" or "LAP"
• Color - choose a color that helps visually identify this team

Click Save. The team is now available to assign to any task in the project. You only need to create each team once.

Instead of opening every task individually, use the Quick Assign tool in the Scope toolbar. In its panel, pick a team under Teams (e.g., Architect) and a status under Statuses (e.g., Proposed). Now, each time you click on a task cell in the grid, both the team and status are automatically applied. Pick the next team and repeat for the next discipline until all tasks are assigned.

Setting the initial status to Proposed signals that these deliverables are still under discussion - not yet committed. This is important for the collaboration step that follows.

2.2 - Create filtered Work Packages

A Work Package is a saved, filtered view of your scope that isolates the deliverables relevant to a specific team and milestone. This is what you will share with stakeholders, export as contract documents, and use to track delivery.

• Click the All Scope dropdown and select Create Work Package
• Under Work Package name, use a consistent convention: IPS ARC Preconstruction (or IPS_ARC_PRECON)
• Add a description such as "Architectural deliverables for the pre-construction milestone"
• Keep Start with all project tasks ticked and click Create Work Package
• In the editor, click Add Task Filter(s), choose Milestones and tick your milestone (e.g., Pre Construction)
• Add a second filter for Teams and tick your team (e.g., Architect). Filters save by themselves

Repeat for each combination of team and milestone that requires its own tender or contract package. In ISO 19650 terms, this is how you organise the scope for each appointed party or task team.

2.3 - Share, review, and approve

One of the most common failures in construction information management is teams signing contracts they have not genuinely reviewed. This substep changes that.

In the Work Package dropdown, open Actions and choose Share. Copy the Private link and share it with the relevant stakeholders - architects, contractors, owners, or whoever needs to review and agree (they must be invited to the project for security reasons). 

When recipients open the link, they can:

• Click into any cell to review the requirements
• Add comments with feedback or questions
• Use @mentions to notify specific people
• Suggest changes to requirements or acceptance criteria

All changes and comments are tracked in the activity log, creating a complete audit trail of who said what and when.

Once all stakeholders have reviewed the Work Package and feedback has been incorporated, change the task status from Proposed to Approved. 

You can update statuses individually or use Kanban view to quickly drag tasks between status columns. Do not approve tasks prematurely - the status change from Proposed to Approved represents a genuine agreement. Only approve once you are confident the requirements are clear, achievable, and accepted by the delivery team.

3.1 - Export scope as a PDF contract

Click the Export button and select Document. Use Add part and, under Scope, check both:

• Grid - shows all tasks in the familiar scope layout
• Details - generates a full page for each task showing descriptions, acceptance criteria, document requirements, and checklists

Open Settings & filters, then Filters, and under Work Package select the specific Work Package you want to export (e.g., "IPS ARC Preconstruction"). This ensures only that team's deliverables appear in the PDF.

Optional but recommended: add a cover page, customise headers and footers for branding, include a Document Index, and add a Teams Page with contact details. On the Free plan, exports carry Plannerly branding. Give the document a clear Package title - for example, "IPS ARC Preconstruction Appointment Document" - and click Create. The PDF will be generated and stored in File Manager.

The contract comes directly from the scope. There is no separate document to maintain, no risk of the contract drifting from the actual requirements.

3.2 - E-sign and verify chain of custody

In File Manager, locate the exported PDF. In its Signatures column, click Request. Under Who needs to sign?, click Add signers and tick the team members who need to sign this document. Click Send signature requests. Plannerly will automatically send each signatory an email with a link to review and sign. You can also choose signers before you export, using Signatures at the top of the export window.

When signatories open the signing interface, they can:

• Review the full PDF document
• Type or draw their signature
• Add comments with @mentions if needed
• Check "I agree to electronically sign this document"
• Click Approve & sign

Plannerly's e-signature system includes user authentication, IP address tracking, timestamps, and a cryptographic audit trail. Once all signatories have signed, you can click on the document to view the complete chain of custody:

• Document ID - unique identifier for this document
• Signing status - how many signatories have signed and how many remain
• Complete chain of custody - from the originator through every signatory
• Timestamp and IP address for each individual signature
• Full history thread - who requested signatures, who signed, all status changes

This information is permanently attached to the document and cannot be altered after signing.

3.3 - Schedule tasks with durations and dependencies

Click Timeline View on the switch at the bottom of the Scope screen. Tasks with dates appear as bars on a Gantt-style timeline. Tasks without dates wait in the Unscheduled tasks drawer: drag each one onto the timeline. You can then set task durations in several ways:

• Drag - click and drag the right edge of a task bar to extend or shorten it
• Calendar - hover over a bar, click its date range, and use Quick picks or the Custom row
• Natural language - hover over a bar, click its duration, and type a duration in plain language, e.g., "1.5 weeks", "10 days", or "1.5w"
• Specific dates - pick exact start and end dates on that calendar, or in the task window

Next, create dependencies to define the logical order of production. Drag from the node at the end of one task to the beginning of the next task. This creates a finish-to-start link, meaning the second task cannot start until the first is complete. For example, the Drawing Set may depend on the Preconstruction Model being complete, while Room Data Sheets may depend on the Drawing Set. Tasks without dependencies can run in parallel. The timeline automatically reschedules downstream tasks when you add or adjust dependencies.

Finally, assign individual team members to each task. Double-click a task in the Timeline view to open the task modal. In the tracking details panel, click to assign a team member. Once assigned, the team member's avatar appears on the task in the Timeline view, making it immediately visible who is responsible for each deliverable.

4.1 - Set up delivery dashboards

Docs is already on if you kept it ticked in Step 1. If not, click the settings cog in your project to open project settings, then select Docs under Project and Modules. It saves by itself. Docs is where you will create dashboards to monitor document delivery progress.

Navigate to the Docs module and click Add Chart. In Configure Charts, click Add Chart and, under Chart data, select File delivery status. Configure the chart:

• Chart Label - e.g., "Architecture Document Deliveries"
• Description - e.g., "Progress of document deliveries against agreed placeholder requirements"
• Filters - select the relevant milestone (e.g., Pre Construction) under Milestones, then open Additional Filters for the folder (e.g., Architect) and team (e.g., Architect)
• Columns - set to 1 so the chart spans the full width

Click Save. The chart will automatically populate, showing the percentage of documents delivered versus placeholder requirements for that team and milestone. Create additional charts for each team or milestone combination you want to monitor.

4.2 - Upload deliverables and monitor progress

When teams are ready to deliver, they can upload their files in three ways:

• From the Scope grid - click the three dots on a document placeholder row and select Upload requested file
• From the task modal - click on a task cell and use the upload button to attach files against placeholders
• From File Manager - drag and drop files directly, or choose Import, then Upload File; files with the same name and format as a placeholder are matched to it automatically

When a file is uploaded against a placeholder, Plannerly automatically validates the file format, renames the file to match the agreed placeholder name, updates the version from v000 (placeholder) to v001 (delivered), and changes the row from a dashed box marked Requested to a solid blue box.

As teams upload deliverables, your dashboards in the Docs module update automatically in real time. There is no manual data entry, no spreadsheet reconciliation, and no chasing teams for status updates. You can also:

• Export dashboards as versioned reports using automated PDF exports
• Email progress reports to responsible teams on a weekly basis
• Compare actual delivery against agreed milestones across all teams simultaneously

This closes the loop: requirements were defined, agreed, contracted, scheduled, and now delivery is automatically tracked against that same baseline. The entire information lifecycle lives in one connected system.