Construction Project Handover: Why CDE Platforms Fall Short

Construction project handover is one of the most critical, yet often overlooked, stages in a building’s lifecycle. Over the past decade, the UK construction industry has made huge progress in digitising its data and workflows, with Common Data Environments (CDEs), BIM platforms, and digital Quality Assurance (QA) systems now widely adopted by contractors.

These tools have transformed how project information is managed during design and build phases.

However, when it comes to handover, many projects still fail to deliver usable, compliant information to the client.

The problem with “Bulk Download” Handovers

As projects near completion, it’s common for contractors to export vast volumes of files from their CDE or document management system and hand them over as bulk downloads with no structure or standardisation.

On the surface, it seems like the requirement has been met — all the data is technically there. But what looks like digital progress on the contractor’s side, often feels like digital chaos to the end user.

For clients — generally the asset owner or facilities manager — this information often arrives in an unusable format. Without a clear structure or intuitive navigation, critical documents become difficult to find and interpret.

The result? A construction project handover and an Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Manual that meets contractual obligations but fails to support the building’s operation or long-term compliance.

Why CDEs aren’t built for Handover

CDEs are excellent for managing live construction projects and resulting data, enabling collaboration, live updates, tracking revisions, and ensuring version control during design and construction. Yet they were never designed for what happens after project completion.

Once the contractor’s role ends, the client typically loses access to the platform. The handover information becomes a data dump or a set of disconnected file exports, stripped of the metadata and relationships that gave those documents meaning.

This results in:

• Loss of context and accessibility: Without context and easy searchability, files become isolated and important documents can easily be lost or forgotten.
• Reduced long-term value: Clients struggle to retrieve or evidence the right information when needed.

Contractors, meanwhile, risk disputes, delayed payments, and reputational damage. After months or years of successful collaboration during construction, it’s the final impression at handover that clients remember, and an unusable data dump leaves the wrong kind of legacy.

Building Safety Act requirements demand more

With the introduction of the Building Safety Act, the expectations around construction project handover have changed dramatically. For Higher-Risk Residential Buildings (HRRBs), asset owners must maintain an auditable “Golden Thread” of information that proves building safety throughout its lifecycle.

Simply delivering multiple file exports is no longer enough. Documentation must be clearly structured, searchable, and compliant with regulations. Without this, clients risk falling short of legal requirements and compromising safety management.

The Gateway 3 challenge: What it is and why it’s causing delays

Gateway 3 is a critical “hold point” for HRRB projects under the Building Safety Act. Before any higher-risk building can be occupied, the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) must confirm compliance with building regulations. Approval at Gateway 3 requires a complete digital record of the building’s safety information, including as-built drawings, O&M manuals, fire and emergency files, and the safety case report.

In theory, Gateway 3 should give assurance that a building is safe to occupy. In practice, however, many projects are struggling to achieve timely approval.

The pain points and delays at Gateway 3

Since the new regime came into force, industry reports and contractor feedback have highlighted widespread challenges:

• Low approval rates: Fewer than one in four HRRB projects have successfully passed through Gateway 3 since the regime began.
• Extended review times: Applications are taking months beyond statutory targets, with projects delayed waiting for completion certificates.
• Information gaps: Many submissions are rejected because key documents, such as fire and emergency files or as-built drawings, are incomplete or inconsistent with the final build.
• Fragmented data sources: Information often sits across multiple systems (CDEs, QA platforms, subcontractor tools), making it difficult to assemble a coherent digital record.
• Resourcing pressures on regulators: The BSR and local authorities face growing workloads and limited capacity, slowing the review process further.

The impact is significant: delayed occupation, stalled cash flow, and rising project costs, all because information isn’t structured or validated early enough.

How a “Gateway 3-ready” Digital Handover changes the game

To avoid these risks, contractors need to build Gateway 3 readiness into their information management strategy from the outset.

Rather than scrambling to compile safety documentation at the end, a proactive digital handover process, with a system set up for Gateway 3 Management, ensures compliance evidence is collected, validated, and structured throughout delivery.

With a specialist platform like Zutec’s Digital Handover solution and Gateway 3 Solution, contractors can:

• Track progress against Gateway 3 requirements in real time with a dedicated dashboard.
• Use standardised templates for O&M manuals, Fire & Emergency Files, and Health & Safety Files aligned to Building Safety Act and Golden Thread standards.
• Validate and structure documentation as it’s created, not after completion.
• Consolidate data from multiple sources into a single, compliant digital record.
• Give clients and approvers controlled access to review and verify evidence early.

As an add-on to its core Digital Handover platform, Zutec’s Gateway 3 dashboard unifies all building safety information into a single source of truth.

Contractors can clearly see what’s complete, what’s missing, and what needs validation, ensuring they are always ready for inspection and approval.

The role of a specialist Digital Handover provider

To deliver a compliant and usable handover, contractors should work with a specialist Digital Handover provider. A dedicated platform bridges the gap between project completion and asset operation, ensuring clients have a single source of truth for all building information.

With a solution like Zutec’s Digital Handover platform, contractors can:

• Deliver structured, validated data aligned with Building Safety Act and Golden Thread principles.
• Give clients long-term access to critical documentation.
• Simplify the data transfer and review process.
• Strengthen client relationships with a professional, compliant handover experience.

Going beyond a Handover data dump

CDE platforms have significantly improved information management during construction, but they are not fit for purpose when it comes to construction project handover.

As regulatory and client expectations rise, contractors must look beyond traditional exports and embrace purpose-built digital handover solutions.

Ready to go beyond a Handover data dump? Read our 2-minute Playbook.

Or explore Zutec’s Digital Handover Solution to ensure your handovers are complete, compliant, and genuinely valuable for clients, not just another folder of forgotten files.