CDE-Bund: Questions and Answers

General

• What is the CDE-Bund?

  The CDE-Bund (Federal Government Common Data Environment) is a central digital data platform for federal construction projects. It is designed to store and share all the necessary project information – such as plans, models, documents and contracts – in a structured and secure manner in one place.

• What is the aim of the CDE-Bund?

  The aim of the CDE-Bund is to simplify and standardise the exchange of information in federal construction projects. A shared platform is intended to improve collaboration, transparency and efficiency throughout all project phases.

• What sort of projects is the CDE-Bund used for?

  [1] The CDE-Bund is used for federal construction projects, both for those that do not use the BIM (Building Information Modeling) method and for those that do. It supports the exchange of both 2D drawings and 3D models (digital twins).

• What are the benefits of the CDE Bund for its users?

  As a user, you will benefit in particular from:

  • Project data that is centrally available and easy to find
  • More efficient coordination, as everyone involved is working with the same information
  • Time and cost savings in day-to-day project work
  • Secure data exchange in a protected environment

• Who is behind the CDE-Bund?

  The CDE-Bund was procured jointly and is also operated jointly by the Federal Administration’s three largest contracting authorities for building projects:

  • Federal Office for Buildings and Logistics FOBL
  • Federal Office for Defence Procurement armasuisse
  • Federal Roads Office FEDRO

  This collaboration ensures that the platform is tailored to the needs of the government’s construction projects.

• How does the CDE-Bund support collaboration with external partners?

  The platform facilitates collaboration with engineering, design and construction firms, as all project stakeholders work in a shared, clearly structured data space. Information is always up to date and easily accessible.

• Is the CDE-Bund platform secure?

  Yes. The CDE-Bund provides a centralised, secure environment for data exchange. Access rights are managed so that each person can only access the information relevant to them.

Files

• Can individual files be uploaded – or can entire batches be uploaded at once?

  Both are possible. Both individual files and bulk uploads are supported.

• What about protocols and checking files in and out – particularly when it comes to plans?

  • We are currently developing a feature that will allow users to edit files directly on the platform, such as Excel or Word documents.
  • Essentially, we want to move away from a document and folder-based approach towards a datacentric one.
  • Documents can be checked out and checked in.

• Can several people edit a file at the same time?

  No, the CDE-Bund does not currently support this feature.

• How well do the solutions align with the KBOB (Coordination Conference for Public Sector Construction and Property Services) guidelines?

  • We have been in contact with KBOB from the outset and work in close coordination with it.
  • Our aim is to gradually transition from the old file-based structures to genuine data-oriented models – it’s a balancing act.
  • There are also efforts under way to further develop the KBOB’s structures as a whole.
  • In future, information is to be organised increasingly using metadata rather than folder hierarchies.