Data management and workflow is a crucial aspect to all industries. In this article we will be learning about IFC and how it relates to BIM by firstly explaining what BIM is and then answering the following questions: **What is the IFC?** and **What is the IFC's connection with BIM?** Keep reading to learn all about IFC and BIM to help you to **#ONEUPYOURBUSINESS**!

## BIM EXPLAINED

In a previous article we have already gone into great detail about [Building Information Modelling](/blog/what-is-bim/ "Building Information Modelling") (BIM) and what it is. To briefly explain, BIM is defined as a process of planning, design, implementation and maintenance of a building that uses the information model of a building containing all the information regarding its entire lifecycle.  In April 2016, BIM Level 2 was made mandatory in various countries including the UK for government construction projects. The [UK BIM Framework](https://ukbimframework.org/ "UK BIM Framework") provide valuable information on BIM standards and requirements in the United Kingdom to help support you in implementing BIM.

## WHAT IS IFC?

The IFC (Industry Foundation Classes) is a data format that allows inter-exchange of an information model without the loss of data or distortion. The data format is used to describe, exchange and share information. It was developed by [buildingSMART](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BuildingSMART "buildingSMART") to aid interoperability in the architectural, engineering and construction (AEC) industry and to be used with BIM based projects.

## WHAT IS THE IFC'S CONNECTION WITH BIM?

Since 2013 the IFC has been registered as the official International Standard ISO16739 for Building Information Modelling used for sharing and exchanging construction and facility management data across different software applications.

The IFC supports the exchange of data between different software applications and BIM, providing guidelines to determine what information is being exchanged between applications supporting the maintaining and management of data.

Having the IFC standard improves data management resulting in reduced errors, consistent data, reducing costs and improves collaboration as it helps multiple people working on a project with different formats be able to transfer and exchange data accurately and quicker. For instance, a virtual building model could be created in [Autodesk Revit](/blog/autodesk-revit-review/ "Autodesk Revit") and then sent over to an architecture who uses Archicad, and a technician who uses Tekla. This can become a problem if other people's applications can not read the software and therefore using a common extension, IFC, can solve this problem.


BuildingSMART provides a list of certified IFC applications which you can check out [here](https://www.buildingsmart.org/compliance/software-certification/certified-software/ "here"). With this list you can check if the software used by people in your projects supports an openBIM flow and if the flow itself is compatible with this process.

We explain in simple terms what the IFC (Industry Foundation Classes) is and how it relates to Building Information Modelling (BIM).

IFC And BIM Explained

We have already explaining what IFC is and to follow on from the crucial topic of data management, this article we will be exploring what COBie is as we answer the questions: **What is the COBie?** **What is the difference between COBie and IFC?** and **What are the basic principles of COBie?** Keep reading to learn all about COBie to help you to **#ONEUPYOURBUSINESS**!

## WHAT IS COBIE?

COBie is an abbreviation for Construction Operations Building Information Exchange and is commonly used for data exchange from construction to operations. It is a non-proprietary data format for building information models (BIM) which concentrates on delivering asset data as distinct from geometric information.

## WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COBIE AND IFC?

The COBie data model is a subset of the IFC (Industry Foundation Classes) that was developed by buildingSMART. COBie is part of the  UK Building Information Modelling (BIM) Task Group level 2 initiative as well as the openBIM movement to collaboratively design, build and operate buildings.

COBie is known for its spreadsheet, the “least common denominator” data management tool that contains digital information about an asset. The spreadsheet allows users to efficiently exchange data as most people have Excel and can be also used by those who also have  basic Excel knowledge.

## WHAT ARE THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF COBIE?

COBie is a step forward for digital construction and lifecycle building information management as it aims to make data exchange more efficient and simpler. Below we outline three basic principles of COBie:

1. **Classification**: Many CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management System) and CAFM  (Computerized Maintenance Management System) systems are using classifications to structure documentation. Therefore, implementing a classification system with COBie will add a dimension in navigating the information and provide aggregation possibilities across projects
2. **Data model**: As COBie aligns with the open IFC format this means COBie shares the industry best practices making the integration with design and construction tools and processes easier
3. **Format**: COBie provides people with options for different delivery formats. As we discussed earlier COBie provides specifications and templates for a data based spreadsheet. As COBie offers different delivery formats this makes collaboration in an openBIM workflow simpler as you do not need a specific BIM tool and knowledge of the IFC data model

In this new article we explain what COBie is and what the main difference is between COBie and the IFC (Industry Foundation Classes).

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