Coulter BIM Information Management

In my last blog post, I briefly mentioned COBieOM, and the more I think about it, the more I realise just how overlooked this tool really is. In a world obsessed with glossy digital twins, immersive dashboards and fully model-driven facilities management, COBieOM is almost the complete opposite: simple, practical, open, and genuinely useful for real facility managers.

And yet — hardly anyone talks about it.

Given how much time and money the industry pours into digital handover solutions, it’s surprising that one of the most effective and accessible tools comes not from a large software vendor, but from COBie inventor Bill East himself.

What COBieOM Actually Is

COBieOM is part of the COBie toolkit alongside COBieQC and COBieForms — all created by Bill East and made available without subscriptions, licensing traps or vendor lock-in.

COBieOM does something incredibly smart:
It generates an O&M Manual or Project Website using the COBie data you already have.

The output is:

a single ZIP file

you unzip it onto a server, shared drive or desktop

inside is a complete project website

with clickable HTML pages

linking all the COBie data, PDFs, manuals, drawings, certificates and asset attributes

In other words, it becomes a self-contained digital handover package, fully open, fully offline, fully portable.

No cloud subscription.
No proprietary viewer.
No hidden ongoing costs.
No vendor ecosystem you’re forced into.

Just a straightforward, standards-based deliverable.

And that alone makes it more “open” than many Common Data Environments in the market today.

What’s Inside the COBieOM Project Website?

When you open the HTML homepage, you get:

floor levels and zones

all the rooms and their attributes

every asset, with its manufacturer, model, serial number, installation dates

all related documents (O&M manuals, warranties, certificates, datasheets)

clean hyperlinks between spaces, systems and components

fully readable pages even decades later

It is transparency at its finest — everything linked, everything permanent, everything in a format your average facility manager can navigate without specialist training.

Why Isn’t COBieOM Mainstream?

Here comes the uncomfortable part.

I personally believe that many commercial vendors do not want COBieOM to succeed, or at least have no reason to promote it.

Why?

Because it solves the “digital handover” problem in a way that doesn’t generate recurring revenue.

With COBieOM:

You don’t need a cloud platform subscription

You don’t need a digital twin licence

You don’t need a proprietary viewer

You don’t need an FM system upgrade just to access your handover data

Instead, you get a simple ZIP file that works forever.

That’s not a profitable business model — but it’s exactly what many clients and FM teams actually need.

The Digital Twin Distraction

Every industry event I attend has the same buzzwords:

digital twins

platforms

live feeds

sensors

3D immersive experiences

operational dashboards

It all sounds impressive.
But most facility managers I speak to do not want a 3D model open on a second monitor all day. They don’t want to navigate geometry. They don’t want AR overlays. They don’t want to chase software training.

They want:

asset lists

maintenance dates

warranty documents

responsible persons

system diagrams

room information

quick answers to immediate problems

The glamour of digital twins often overshadows the simple question: does the FM team actually want this, and will they use it?

Some do — I’ve met the occasional FM who embraces BIM fully. But they are the exception, not the rule.

Most just want information they can trust, in a format that doesn’t require a subscription or a training course.

This is exactly where COBieOM shines.

COBieOM’s Real Strength: Longevity

Think 10, 20, 30 years ahead.

Will today’s CDE platforms still exist?
Will that FM cloud platform still be supported?
Will the digital twin vendor still be in business?
Will the proprietary API still be readable?
Will the client still have the licence?

Nobody knows.

But a ZIP file containing:

COBie spreadsheets

linked documents

self-contained HTML pages

…that will still be readable in 30 years.

COBieOM is future-proof in a way modern SaaS tools simply cannot guarantee.

Why This Matters for Information Managers

As Information Managers, our role is not just to manage models — it is to ensure information survives the project.

We need deliverables that:

last longer than software versions

don’t rely on vendor ecosystems

can be understood by non-BIM users

support real FM workflows

align with structured information standards

are affordable and maintainable

COBieOM ticks every box, often better than the expensive solutions.

It doesn’t replace a CDE.
It doesn’t replace a CAFM system.
It doesn’t replace a digital twin.

But it is the missing piece between BIM deliverables and FM reality.

Final Thoughts

COBieOM deserves far more recognition than it gets. It’s open, practical, sustainable, affordable, standards-based, vendor-neutral, and — crucially — FM-friendly.

In an industry full of closed ecosystems and over-complicated workflows, COBieOM stands out as something refreshingly simple:
a handover solution that actually works for the people who need it most.

I hope more clients, contractors and asset owners start to see the value.
Because not every problem needs a digital twin.
Sometimes, a ZIP file is the most powerful deliverable of all.