EIR: Employer's Information Requirements - Complete Guide

📋 Table of Contents

1. What is EIR?
2. Importance of EIR in Projects
3. EIR in ISO 19650 Context
4. EIR Document Contents
5. How to Write an EIR
6. Practical Examples
7. Relationship with BEP
8. Ready Templates

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📄 1. What is EIR?

EIR (Employer's Information Requirements) is a formal document issued by the project owner (Employer/Client) specifying all their information requirements from the design and construction team using BIM.

1.1 Simple Definition:

EIR = "What does the owner want from BIM on this project?"

1.2 Who Prepares EIR?

• The Owner (Project Employer)
• Or a BIM Consultant on behalf of the owner
• Or the Project Manager in coordination with the owner

1.3 When is EIR Prepared?

• Before tender (Tender Stage)
• Attached to tender documents
• Used as criteria for evaluating contractor/designer bids

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🎯 2. Importance of EIR in Projects

2.1 Why is EIR Important?

Without EIR	With EIR
No clear standards	Specific, measurable standards
Each party works differently	Unified work across parties
Disputes over model quality	Clear acceptance criteria
Lost BIM benefits	Achieved ROI from BIM
Incompatible outputs	Unified, consistent outputs

2.2 EIR Benefits:

• Clear Expectations: Everyone knows what's required
• Contractual Basis: Included in contract as appendix
• Evaluation Criteria: For tender evaluation
• Dispute Reduction: Clear standards = fewer conflicts
• Value Assurance: Get what you actually need

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🌍 3. EIR in ISO 19650 Context

3.1 Requirements Hierarchy per ISO 19650:

3.2 Information Exchange Cycle:

1. Owner: Prepares EIR (in tender documents)
2. Bidders: Submit Pre-BEP (initial BIM plan)
3. Winner: Prepares detailed BEP responding to EIR
4. Execution: Work per BEP, deliver per EIR

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📑 4. EIR Document Contents

EIR is typically divided into three main sections:

4.1 Technical Requirements

Item	Description	Example
Software	Required software	Revit 2024, Navisworks 2024
Formats	Acceptable file formats	.rvt, .ifc, .nwc, .pdf
LOD	Level of Detail per phase	LOD 200 for Schematic Design
Coordinates	Coordinate system and units	Meters, WGS84
Naming	File naming standards	PRJ-ZON-DIS-TYP-NUM
CDE	Common Data Environment	BIM 360, Autodesk Docs

4.2 Management Requirements

Item	Description
Roles & Responsibilities	Who does what in BIM
Delivery Schedule	When each model/report is due
Quality Review	How models are checked
Change Management	How changes are documented
Meetings	Frequency and agenda of BIM meetings
Training	Team training requirements

4.3 Strategic Requirements

Item	Description
BIM Goals	Why we're using BIM on this project
BIM Uses	Required BIM Uses (Clash Detection, 4D, 5D...)
FM Outputs	What's needed for Facility Management
COBie	Operations data delivery requirements
Data Ownership	Who owns the model and data

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✍️ 5. How to Write an EIR

5.1 Practical Steps:

1. Understand Owner Needs:
   • What's the goal of BIM? (Cost reduction? Speed? FM?)
   • What outputs are required?
   • What are the owner's technical capabilities?
2. Define BIM Uses:
   • Design Authoring
   • Clash Detection
   • 4D Scheduling
   • 5D Cost Estimation
   • Facility Management
3. Define LOD per Phase:
   • Concept Phase: LOD 100-200
   • Schematic Design: LOD 200-300
   • Detailed Design: LOD 300-350
   • Construction: LOD 350-400
   • As-Built: LOD 500
4. Define Technical Requirements
5. Define Delivery Schedules
6. Review with Stakeholders

5.2 Tips for Effective EIR:

• ✅ Be specific and clear (no ambiguity)
• ✅ Link each requirement to a specific goal
• ✅ Ensure applicability (be realistic)
• ✅ Use tables and diagrams
• ✅ Review with a BIM expert
• ❌ Don't copy EIR from another project without modification
• ❌ Don't ask for what you don't actually need

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📝 6. Practical Examples

6.1 LOD Requirements Example:

| Element      | Schematic | Detailed Design | Construction | As-Built |
|--------------|-----------|-----------------|--------------|----------|
| Columns      | LOD 200   | LOD 300         | LOD 350      | LOD 500  |
| Beams        | LOD 200   | LOD 300         | LOD 350      | LOD 500  |
| HVAC         | LOD 200   | LOD 300         | LOD 400      | LOD 500  |
| Electrical   | LOD 200   | LOD 300         | LOD 400      | LOD 500  |
| Finishes     | LOD 100   | LOD 200         | LOD 300      | LOD 400  |
        

6.2 Naming Convention Example:

[Project]-[Zone]-[Discipline]-[Type]-[Number].[Extension]

Examples:
- HQ-B1-STR-MOD-001.rvt (Structural model for Basement 1)
- HQ-GF-ARC-MOD-001.rvt (Architectural model for Ground Floor)
- HQ-00-MEP-MOD-001.rvt (Unified MEP model)
        

6.3 Required BIM Uses Example:

• ☑️ Design Authoring: All drawings from model
• ☑️ 3D Coordination: Weekly coordination with Clash Detection
• ☑️ Quantity Takeoff: Quantities from model (LOD 300+)
• ☑️ 4D Scheduling: Link with Primavera P6
• ☐ 5D Cost: Not required on this project
• ☑️ FM Handover: COBie delivery at project end

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🔗 7. Relationship with BEP

7.1 EIR vs BEP:

EIR	BEP
Prepared by Owner	Prepared by Contractor/Designer
Specifies what's required	Explains how it will be done
Before tender	After award
Question: What do you want?	Answer: This is how we'll do it
Acceptance criteria	Execution plan

7.2 Sequence:

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📁 8. Ready Templates

8.1 Suggested EIR Structure:

1. Introduction: Project info and EIR purpose
2. BIM Goals: Why we're using BIM
3. BIM Uses: List of required uses
4. Technical Requirements: Software, formats, standards
5. LOD Matrix: LOD table per element and phase
6. Delivery Schedule: When what is delivered
7. CDE: Common Data Environment
8. Roles & Responsibilities: Who does what
9. Quality Assurance: How models are checked
10. Final Delivery: COBie and As-Built
11. Appendices: Templates, references

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