The naming convention is one of the most underrated parts of ISO 19650 — until you spend 3 hours hunting for a file or a subcontractor calls asking "which version is the right one?". The standard defines 7 mandatory segments. In 5 minutes you understand all of them.
The 7-segment structure
Per ISO 19650-2:2018, Annex A, every file name is composed of 7 fields separated by underscores:
Project_Originator_Volume_Level_Type_Role_Number
- Project — project code (e.g. A7-AUTO for Motorway A7)
- Originator — author firm code (3-6 characters)
- Volume / System — zone or system code (ZZ for entire project)
- Level — level code (00 = ground, 01 = level 1, ZZ = all, XX = not applicable)
- Type — document type (DR = drawing, MO = model, SP = specification etc.)
- Role — discipline (AR = architecture, ST = structure, MEP, EL, HV...)
- Number — sequential number (4 digits, e.g. 0001)
A concrete example
For a level-1 architectural plan in building A of an office project, the filename would be:
OFFICES-A_HEXC_A_01_DR_AR_0001
At a glance you know: project Offices A, originator Hexcloud, building A, level 1, it is a drawing, discipline architecture, first document in series. Multiple team members can read the same name and understand exactly the same thing.
For the full table with all discipline codes, document types and additional examples, download:
Why "policy-only" naming does not work
The biggest problem with naming conventions in firms without a compliant CDE: they are written in the BEP, presented in onboarding and... ignored in practice. Under deadline pressure, someone uploads "Plan_level_1_FINAL_v2.pdf" and nobody notices until the auditor looks for the document and cannot find it.
The solution is automatic upload validation: the system checks every filename against the ISO 19650 regex and rejects non-compliant files. This turns the naming convention from "written rule" into "enforced law".
With automatic validation, compliance jumps from ~40% to 100% in less than 2 weeks. The team learns the rule by enforcement, not by training.
How to build naming for your firm
The standard defines the structure, but the concrete codes (Project, Originator, Volume) you define yourself. Practical steps:
- Define your Originator code (3-6 characters — usually your firm initials)
- For every new project, assign a unique Project code (max 8 characters)
- Use the standard discipline codes (Annex A of ISO 19650-2) — do not reinvent the wheel
- Document in the BEP with concrete examples for each possible combination
- Implement automatic validation in your CDE — without it, naming dies in 2 weeks
Apply naming convention correctly from project one
See how aligned your practices are with ISO 19650, download ready-to-use templates, or see how a platform with automatic validation completely changes the game.