Why interoperability matters
Every construction project is a collaboration between teams using different software. The architect models in one tool, the structural engineer in another, the contractor in a third. Without a common language, that diversity becomes friction: data is re-keyed, geometry is rebuilt, and information leaks out of every handoff. Interoperability is the discipline of moving information between those tools without losing its meaning, and it is the difference between a model that serves the whole project and one that serves only its author.
This is the problem openBIM sets out to solve. Rather than forcing everyone onto one vendor's platform, it relies on shared open standards so that data flows freely. The standards organisation buildingSMART maintains the schema that makes this possible.
What IFC is and does
IFC — Industry Foundation Classes — is the open, vendor-neutral data schema at the heart of openBIM. It describes building elements, their properties, and their relationships in a structured way that any compliant application can read and write. When you export to IFC, you are translating your proprietary model into a common dialect that survives the trip to another tool.
A model trapped in one vendor's format is an asset with an expiry date — IFC is how building information outlives the software that made it.
That durability is the point. IFC keeps data usable across tools and across years, long after a particular software licence lapses. It is foundational to how we deliver coordinated, portable models in our BIM modeling services.
Model view definitions and clean exchange
A full IFC file can be vast, and dumping everything into every exchange helps no one. A model view definition (MVD) is a defined subset of the IFC schema scoped to a particular use case — energy analysis, coordination, facilities handover. By agreeing the right MVD up front, a handover carries exactly the data the recipient needs, which makes the exchange both lighter and more reliable. This connects directly to the data-maturity ideas in our guide to understanding LOD.
Handover and ISO 19650
- Agree information requirements and the relevant MVDs before modeling starts.
- Structure data so it maps cleanly to IFC properties and classifications.
- Validate exports against the agreed schema, not just visual checks.
- Package the handover so the asset owner inherits usable, queryable data.
- Follow the common framework set out in ISO 19650 to keep it auditable.
The international standard ISO 19650, published by the International Organization for Standardization, gives the whole industry a shared process for managing information across a project's life. Templates that support a compliant handover live in our free resources.
Frequently asked questions
What is IFC in BIM?
IFC (Industry Foundation Classes) is an open, vendor-neutral data schema for describing building information. It lets models created in one application be shared, read, and reused in others without proprietary lock-in.
What is a model view definition (MVD)?
A model view definition is a defined subset of the IFC schema scoped to a particular exchange or use case, so that a given handover carries exactly the data the recipient needs — no more and no less — improving the reliability of an IFC exchange.
Planning an openBIM handover? Request a free quote or explore more in our Insights library.
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