Collating information. As explained in the earlier chapters, a traditional brief usually consists of several documents or at least several parts. Additional briefing information may be captured in appendices, emails and meeting notes. The core idea behind using a briefing database is to bring all this fragmented information together. This should make it easier to find information and to ensure the consistency of requirements. There is value in this because traditional briefs tend to be riddled with inconsistencies, caused by the simple fact that it is difficult to keep track of the many pages. It is quite possible, for example, that the main briefing document for a restaurant calls for 500 seats, while the attached room list mentions 450 seats. These are not particularly shocking inconsistencies, but especially in projects where the brief functions as a delivery contract (as in Design & Build projects), such inconsistencies can be highly inconvenient. Databases can help to avoid inconsistencies because all information about a particular room or space comes together in a single database object (in this case the object the restaurant), which has dedicated fields for specific requirements (such as the number of seats, the desired floor area, etc.).Traditional brief BIM BriefInformation is spread overInformation is linked to di\x10erent documents unique database objectsStrategic brief (text document)The restaurant should be the social heart of the o\x05ce buildingFunctional brief (text document) RestaurantThere should be around- Function: social heart of the building500 seats in the restaurant - Capacity: 500 seats- Size: approx. 1200 sq.m.RestaurantRoom list (spreadsheet)Restaurant size: approx. 1200 sq.m.From multiple documents to a single databaseInformation that is usually spread over different parts or pages of the brief come together in one database object that contains all the relevant information. 132