Introduzione

The Dutch construction and infrastructure sector faces a double challenge: deliver more housing and infrastructure at speed, while cutting emissions and improving circularity. Fragmented tools and proprietary formats make this difficult. DigiGo is the nationwide initiative that tackles this head-on. By aligning the industry around open standards and common ways of working, DigiGo enables seamless data sharing across design, build, and operate phases. The result is fewer errors, faster delivery, and better sustainability outcomes.

What DigiGo is

DigiGo stands for “Digitaal Samenwerken in de Gebouwde Omgeving” – digital collaboration in the built environment. It is not a product or single platform, but a sector-wide program that unites contractors, consultants, product suppliers, clients, municipalities, and knowledge institutes behind a shared digital strategy. Guided by an umbrella governance (including the Bouwdigitaliseringsraad), DigiGo coordinates standards, communities, and implementation projects so that companies can collaborate using the same digital “language”.

In practice, DigiGo works like an orchestrator. Many excellent standards already exist, but they were created by different bodies and adopted unevenly. DigiGo brings coherence: it curates a portfolio of the most relevant standards for the full asset life cycle, aligns their roadmaps, and promotes consistent adoption. Where gaps exist, DigiGo encourages development through open processes; where overlaps exist, it helps harmonise. This approach creates a level playing field where organisations of all sizes can participate without being locked into proprietary systems.

How DigiGo works: the open-standards approach

Standards that everyone can use

Open standards are specifications for data and processes that are published, vendor-neutral, and governed transparently. They enable any party – regardless of software – to exchange information reliably. In the Dutch built environment, three frequently used examples are:

• VISI – a structured protocol for formal project communication and contract management, creating an auditable, unambiguous record of decisions.
• NLCS – the national CAD standard for civil/infra drawings, aligning layers, symbols, and naming so multiple firms can read and reuse each other’s work instantly.
• DICO – the electronic data interchange (EDI) standard for orders, deliveries, and invoices between contractors and suppliers, eliminating manual data entry.

Alongside these, organisations use BIM exchange formats (e.g., IFC), classification schemes (e.g., NL-SfB), information delivery specifications (ILS), and product data standards (e.g., ETIM/GTIN). DigiGo coordinates this landscape so information flows from one process to the next without loss.

Portfolio, governance, and knowledge

To keep standards practical and usable, DigiGo combines three elements:

• Portfolio management – mapping which standards are most critical, where gaps or overlaps exist, and how they connect across the asset life cycle.
• Transparent governance – product managers and expert/user groups steward each standard; release calendars are aligned so updates don’t break projects.
• Knowledge & adoption – a public knowledge base, training, validation tools, and communities help teams implement standards correctly and consistently.

This combination unlocks scale. When the whole chain uses the same open standards, software vendors build better support, integrations become simpler, and innovation accelerates.

Why DigiGo matters

Interoperability and speed

A typical project involves architects, engineers, contractors, and suppliers working in different tools. Without standards, teams spend time converting files, re-typing data, and resolving misinterpretations. With DigiGo standards, data moves cleanly between parties. Model changes, CAD updates, purchase orders, delivery notes, and asset handover all use common structures – cutting cycle times and reducing rework.

Lower cost and fewer errors

Open standards remove the need for bespoke interfaces between every pair of systems. That reduces integration spend and eliminates many manual steps where errors creep in. The payoff shows up in fewer claims and RFIs, smoother contract administration (VISI), efficient drawing production/review (NLCS), and automated procurement and invoicing (DICO).

Innovation and digital twins

Standardised, high-quality data is the foundation for analytics, AI, and digital twins. With DigiGo, asset information can be linked across BIM, GIS, and IoT sensors. That enables predictive maintenance, smarter logistics, safer sites, and better design decisions based on feedback from operations.

Sustainability and compliance

Meeting environmental goals requires consistent data: energy, transport, materials, and waste. Open standards let organisations collect and exchange that data once, then reuse it for tender scoring, client reporting, and corporate disclosures. This is where DigiGo directly supports CSRD-aligned ESG reporting, CO₂ reduction programs, and the transition to a circular economy.

Benefits for companies

• Freedom from vendor lock-in – your data is in open, reusable formats, so you can switch tools or partners without losing history.
• Tender readiness – many public and private clients expect open formats (IFC, VISI, NLCS) and structured environmental data; adopting them increases eligibility.
• Error reduction – structured messages and files reduce misunderstandings, claims, and schedule risk.
• Lower integration spend – standard interfaces replace one-off connections, cutting both CAPEX and OPEX.
• Future-proof compliance – CSRD, taxonomy, and ISO management systems become easier when data is already standardised.

How DigiGo relates to CSRD, CO₂ Performance Ladder, ISO, and GHG Protocol

CSRD requires consistent, auditable ESG data. With DigiGo, material footprints, fuel use, and energy data can be captured in common formats and linked to projects and assets. That allows finance and sustainability teams to aggregate Scope 1–3 emissions, align with the Standard europei di rendicontazione della sostenibilità (ESRS), and prepare evidence for assurance.

Il Scala delle prestazioni CO₂ rewards companies that systematically reduce emissions. Open standards make it easier to quantify baselines, track reductions, and participate in sector initiatives – key elements for higher Ladder levels.

ISO frameworks (e.g., ISO 19650 for BIM information management, ISO 14001/50001 for environmental and energy management) benefit from structured data models and naming conventions. When information is standardised upstream, audits become simpler and corrective actions more targeted.

Il Protocollo GHG underpins most carbon accounting. DigiGo standards help connect activity data (materials, transport, energy) to emissions factors and consolidate results consistently across projects and suppliers.

Practical steps to adopt DigiGo

1) Map your use cases and choose standards

List the information flows that matter most: design exchanges, formal communications, purchasing, logistics, handover, and operations. Select the relevant open standards (e.g., IFC + BIM Basis ILS for models, NLCS for CAD, VISI for communications, DICO for orders/invoices). Prioritise where friction or risk is highest.

2) Update workflows and templates

Embed standards into your procedures: BIM Execution Plans aligned to ISO 19650; CAD templates based on NLCS; project communication plans using VISI roles, message types, and deadlines; procurement SOPs that send/receive DICO messages. Make standards the default way of working, not an optional extra.

3) Configure software and validate

Ensure your tools export/import the chosen standards reliably. Use validation tools (model viewers, schema checkers) to catch errors early. For DICO, connect your ERP to middleware or native modules; for VISI, adopt a certified application and integrate workflows with your CDE or DMS.

4) Train teams and appoint standard owners

Nominate internal “owners” for each major standard. Provide short, role-specific training (e.g., project managers for VISI, designers for NLCS/IFC, buyers/AP for DICO). Share do’s and don’ts, example files, and issue-resolution tips.

5) Pilot, measure, and scale

Run a controlled pilot on one project, measure KPIs (cycle time, RFIs, data errors, invoice throughput, rework), and capture lessons learned. Adjust templates and training, then roll out to more projects and suppliers. Celebrate wins to build momentum.

6) Engage clients and partners

Align expectations upfront in contracts and project start-ups. Share your standardised templates and require open formats in deliveries. The more parties adopt DigiGo standards on your projects, the stronger the network effect and ROI.

Standards in practice: VISI, NLCS, DICO

VISI – clear, auditable communication

Formal project messages (questions, approvals, notifications, changes) are exchanged as structured records with defined roles and deadlines. Everyone sees the same status and history. Disputes decrease because intent and timing are unambiguous, and reporting is straightforward.

NLCS – common CAD language for infra

Using the same layers, symbols, and naming across organisations means drawings from different firms can be overlaid and edited without remapping. Review is faster, “as-built” data is easier to transfer to GIS/asset systems, and onboarding external partners is smoother.

DICO – automated supply chain transactions

Orders, confirmations, delivery notes, and invoices move electronically between ERP systems. Purchasing and finance teams stop re-typing PDFs; mismatches are flagged automatically; and throughput increases without adding headcount.

Future outlook to 2030

Over the next few years, sector agreements aim to make open standards the default in Dutch construction. Expect broader mandates for open deliverables in tenders, more clients running projects on VISI/CDEs, and deeper integration of environmental data (e.g., digital product passports) into models and procurement.

The emerging data-sharing trust framework will further increase confidence: companies will be able to grant and revoke access to specific data securely, enabling cross-organisation workflows for permits, inspections, logistics planning, and asset operations. By 2030, the “digital thread” – continuous data from concept to decommissioning – can become business as usual, supporting circularity and net-zero pathways.

Conclusione

DigiGo gives the built environment a practical route to work faster, greener, and smarter. By adopting open standards now, you reduce risk and cost in the short term and prepare for the regulatory and market realities ahead. Start with the information flows that matter most, make standards your default, validate continuously, and bring partners along. The companies that move early will enjoy a measurable advantage in delivery speed, quality, and sustainability performance.

Ecocharting helps you turn DigiGo data into results – from baseline measurement to CSRD-ready, audit-proof reporting. Contattateci oggi stesso to take the next step.