June 25 CSI Webinar: “See the Practical Value of CSI Dynamic Standards”

Introduction

Thank you to everyone who joined the June 25 webinar, “See the Practical Value of CSI Dynamic Standards”. The strong participation and thoughtful questions highlighted the industry's interest in understanding how Dynamic Standards will support the future of construction information.

The webinar provided a live demonstration of the platform and its capabilities, and the co-hosts, CSI CEO Mark Dorsey and CSI Standards Program Strategist Keith Richardson, fielded and responded to questions about the product, its features, pricing, roadmap, and long-term vision. This FAQ builds on those discussions by answering questions submitted before, during, and after the webinar.

We appreciate the feedback we've received and hope this resource provides additional clarity about CSI Dynamic Standards, plans for future communications, and insights on how the product will continue to evolve to support the needs of the AECO industry.

Frequently Asked Questions

General

What is CSI Dynamic Standards^SM (CDS)?

CSI Dynamic Standards (CDS) is a digital platform that makes CSI's standards easier to search, navigate, connect, and apply in everyday practice. Rather than relying on static publications that are updated periodically, CDS provides a dynamic environment where standards can remain current, connected, and better integrated with modern construction workflows. The platform is designed to help professionals find information faster, improve coordination, and support emerging technologies such as BIM, AI, digital twins, and data-driven project delivery.

What industry needs does CSI Dynamic Standards respond to?

As construction projects become more digital and interconnected, fragmented information creates inefficiencies, coordination challenges, and increased project risk. CSI Dynamic Standards addresses these challenges by making standards easier to search, keeping them current, connecting related information across classification systems, and supporting digital workflows. The goal is to reduce time spent searching for information while improving coordination and helping project teams make better-informed decisions.

Platform Features & Functionality

Can I see the relationship between MasterFormat^®, UniFormat^®, and OmniClass^®?

Yes. CDS includes crosswalks and connections between these classification systems, with additional relationships being added over time.

How quickly can I find what I need?

As seen in the demo, the navigation enables almost immediate search results. CDS is designed to help you find information faster through keyword searches, connected content, and intuitive navigation.

How much time can this save me over the course of a project?

The amount of time saved depends on your workflow, but CDS is designed to reduce time spent searching for information, coordinating standards, and navigating between related content.

Does the platform notify me when standards I'm using have been updated?

Yes. Users are notified when standards are updated, including new content, corrections, and version changes.

How easy is it to identify changes that affect an active project?

Updates are clearly identified through transition tools and version tracking. However, CSI recommends maintaining a consistent standards version throughout an active project and adopting updates on new projects whenever possible.

Are there search filters? For example, can I search for "glass" and only include entrances?

Yes. You can search by keywords and common industry terms, such as "glass” or “glass entrances". Search capabilities continue to expand as additional terminology is added.

Is it correct that this system will result in far larger numbers of specification sections?

No. CDS gives users the flexibility to expand or simplify content based on project needs, rather than requiring more specification sections.

Why was the demo switching between MasterFormat 2020 and MasterFormat 2026?

The demo showed that CDS can search across multiple MasterFormat editions, including both 2020 and 2026. Search results display the version in which a classification was most recently updated, allowing users to find information regardless of the edition in which it originated.

Does MasterFormat 2026 contain everything that was in MasterFormat 2020?

Yes. The content from MasterFormat 2020 is included in the 2026 edition. While some classifications may have been renumbered, renamed, consolidated, or relocated to different divisions as part of updates, CDS preserves the relationship between versions so users can search across editions and identify the current classification alongside prior references.

How does the document upload and compare tool work?

The tool compares documents against the current MasterFormat database, identifies outdated section numbers, and suggests the corresponding current classifications.

How far along is the document comparison tool?

The comparison tool is available and currently supports identifying and transitioning from MasterFormat 2020. Additional capabilities will be added as the platform evolves.

Where are we in terms of the tool set for transitions between versions?

TCS has released initial transition tools and plans to continue expanding them to provide a comprehensive suite of resources for moving between future versions of the standards.

The demo assumes that anyone cares about the numbering in the project manual. Most of our clients simply ask that we use MasterFormat 2010 or later.

That's a fair observation, and for many firms, maintaining consistent numbering within an individual project is the priority. CSI is not suggesting that every project should immediately adopt the latest MasterFormat numbering or that active projects should be renumbered whenever a new version is released. In fact, we recommend using a fixed version of the standards throughout the life of a project to maintain consistency and avoid unnecessary coordination issues.

The value of CSI Dynamic Standards extends beyond simply keeping section numbers current. The platform is designed to make standards easier to search, connect, and apply, while providing tools that help users understand how standards evolve over time. Transition tools are available for firms that want to adopt newer versions on future projects, but they are intended to support that process—not require it.

At the same time, many organizations, software providers, and owners increasingly rely on current, standardized data to support digital workflows, AI applications, BIM, asset management, and other connected systems. Maintaining up-to-date standards helps ensure that CSI's classifications remain authoritative and usable across those environments, while still allowing individual firms to choose the version that best fits their project requirements.

Pricing

Why are the standards transitioning from per-person licensing to company wide?

What industry needs does CSI Dynamic Standards respond to?

Before making the transition, we realized that printing books is no longer a sustainable model for driving industry adoption of the standards. Work results are becoming more specialized, systems are becoming more integrated, and materials, technologies, and delivery methods are evolving at a pace that would have been difficult to imagine even a decade ago.

The pace of industry change continues to accelerate, and CSI recognizes the need to deliver more frequent updates through a digital delivery system built for that purpose. Value is accrued most at the organization level– firms who complete more projects at greater scale typically receive more benefits through preventing rework and excess costs, mitigating legal liabilities, and driving on-budget, safe, and sophisticated builds.

This model is designed to ensure that each stakeholder pays a fair share of value for the benefits they received from the standards so we can reinvest back into development and improvement of tools by TCS and rebuilding CSI’s capacity to update and maintain the standards over time.

How do I justify the expense to my company?

From a procurement perspective, well-coordinated specifications improve pricing accuracy, reduce interpretation risks, and ensure fair, transparent competition. This helps achieve better value for money and strengthens procurement integrity - and as firms have more projects, that value increases. We recommend you look at your number of active specs, estimates, and masters to gauge the value for your firm’s size. For assistance in making your case internally, please reach out to info@theconstructionstandard.com.

Please also note that the standards have never been free, and over time, some may have not followed our licensing agreement when purchasing a book and sharing standards within the firm for commercial use. Firms need to be licensed to use MasterFormat, UniFormat, and OmniClass in their masters, project specifications, cost estimates, and project management. For questions on our licensing agreements, please find individual license agreement here and firm license agreement here at TheConstructionStandard.com.

How will this model benefit the community moving forward?

Moving to a digital and firm-wide license helps drive adoption and evolve towards modern solutions that can not only keep up with the industry’s rate of change, but drive new change entirely. CDS is an essential foundation to building new features, releases, and products to help drive the ecosystem towards more accurate estimating, decreased legal liability and number of disputes, and better collaboration across teams for safe and efficient builds. We’re excited to share new parts of our roadmap in the coming months.

This change is especially important as we look forward to a more tech-enabled set of users in the next generation of construction practice. The standards are our collective legacy - and we need the right vehicles to ensure their use and adoption, providing the foundation upon which the next generation of construction information systems will operate.

CSI is uniquely positioned to bring the entire construction ecosystem to the table to solve problems and build more sophisticated designs in the future - and we are energized by the ways we’ll be able to innovate, execute, and drive the industry forward together.

Can I see more of the platform before committing to a subscription?

Yes, it’s free to access the platform if you’d like to sign in and test the free lookup tool. For a demonstration of features or specific use cases, please reach out to info@theconstructionstandard.com

Roadmap & Future Direction

Is CSI building specification software?

No. CSI's mission is to steward industry standards—not replace commercial software providers.

While CSI continues exploring new ways standards can support modern workflows, any future tools are intended to complement existing specification and project delivery software rather than compete with it.

What can we expect for new releases and products, such as Outline Specs and PPD authoring, estimating, and scheduling?

The concepts shown during the demonstration represent areas that are being explored, not commercial products planned for release at this time. As construction standards and digital workflows continue to evolve, CSI is evaluating how its standards, content, and expertise can support emerging industry needs and create new opportunities for practitioners and technology partners.

Webinar-Specific

Where can I find a link to the June 25 webinar?

In the CSI Learning Library here.

What was the goal of the June 25 webinar?

The goal of “See the Practical Value of CSI Dynamic Standards” was to demonstrate how Dynamic Standards works in practice, explain why CSI is modernizing delivery of the standards, and answer questions directly from members and industry professionals. It also helped clarify CSI's vision for maintaining MasterFormat®, UniFormat®, and OmniClass® as relevant, authoritative standards that support today's increasingly digital construction environment.

Did the June 25 webinar achieve its goal?

Yes. The webinar generated significant interest and engagement. More than 340 people registered; the session generated 561 new website visitors for The Construction Standard, and an ENR 500 firm signed a license the same day hundreds of professionals registered. In addition, the post-webinar survey showed that three out of every four post-webinar respondents reported that the session improved their understanding of how CSI Dynamic Standards could apply to their work. The event also increased awareness of the platform and prompted continued conversations through follow-up webinars, articles, and demonstrations.

How can we preview and/or start working with the product ourselves?

There are several ways to learn more about CSI Dynamic Standards. Short video walkthroughs to help you explore the platform are available at The Construction Standard. You can also explore the free lookup tools available through the platform and contact TCS to schedule demonstrations or to discuss subscription options that best fit your organization's needs.

Will there be a future webinar that walks through the entire process of building a workflow in Dynamic Standards?

CSI recognizes the interest in seeing complete end-to-end workflows and plans to continue offering educational webinars and product demonstrations. Future sessions are expected to build on earlier demonstrations by exploring practical workflows in greater depth, including how professionals can use Dynamic Standards throughout the specification development process.

Don’t see your questions answered here? Send an email to info@theconstructionstandard.com.

June 25 CSI Webinar: “See the Practical Value of CSI Dynamic Standards”