21. April 2026

Smart building gap analysis for the New Hospitals Programme

If you are part of the New Hospital Programme, there is a strong focus on BIM, digital strategy and information requirements at OBC stage.

But one step is often misunderstood or left too late: smart building gap analysis.

This should be carried out early to establish a clear baseline across the organisation, before detailed information requirements are developed.

Why this matters early in the programme

At early strategic stage, trusts are often moving quickly into defining:

Exchange Information Requirements
BIM delivery approaches
Asset data structures
Common data environment setup

The challenge is that these are sometimes defined without a clear understanding of current capability.

That leads to:

Requirements that are difficult to deliver
Misalignment between project outputs and operational needs
Disconnected systems and data
Increased cost and rework later in the programme

Smart building gap analysis addresses this by setting a clear starting point.

The six key areas to assess

A smart building gap analysis should assess capability across six areas:

People
Skills, roles and responsibilities across estates, digital and project teams
Process
How information is currently created, reviewed, approved and used
Data
Structure, quality and consistency of asset and building information
Technology
Systems such as CAFM, BMS and document management, and how they integrate
Delivery model
How projects are set up and delivered, including roles, responsibilities and supply chain expectations
Governance
Standards, ownership and control of information across the organisation

Together, these provide a clear view of current maturity and where improvement is needed.

Why it should come before information requirements

Information requirements define what needs to be delivered by the project. But without a gap analysis, they are often developed in isolation from how the organisation actually works.

This can result in:

Information that is technically compliant but not usable
Asset data that does not align with CAFM systems
Unclear or unrealistic requirements for the supply chain
Gaps between project delivery and operational use

By completing a gap analysis first, trusts can ensure that information requirements are:

Aligned with operational needs
Proportionate to current capability
Clear and achievable for delivery teams
Structured to support long term use

Supporting OBC and digital strategy

At OBC stage, trusts need to demonstrate a clear and credible approach to digital and information management.

A smart building gap analysis supports this by:

Establishing a baseline of current capability
Identifying risks early
Defining a clear roadmap for improvement
Informing digital strategy
Supporting decisions around systems such as the common data environment

Without this foundation, it is difficult to show that the proposed approach is practical and deliverable.

Where things typically go wrong

Across many NHS projects, similar issues appear:

Gap analysis is not carried out early enough
Information requirements are based on previous projects rather than current needs
Operational teams are not involved at the right stage
Asset data requirements do not align with CAFM systems
Digital strategy is developed without a clear baseline

These issues tend to surface later, when they are more difficult and expensive to resolve.

A more practical approach

A more effective approach is to:

Carry out a smart building gap analysis early
Use it to define a clear roadmap
Develop digital strategy based on that roadmap
Define information requirements aligned to operational needs
Support delivery with ongoing client-side input

This creates a stronger foundation and reduces risk across the programme.

How Lynefield supports NHS trusts

Lynefield supports NHS trusts with:

The focus is on making sure information delivered through projects is practical, usable and supports estates teams in operation.

Speak to us

If you are working on the New Hospital Programme and want to make sure the right foundations are in place early, get in touch to arrange a short call.