Use Case Management

• Achieve a clear objective
• Focus on specific outcomes or benefits
• Define who needs what information, at what time, in what format, and at what level of detail to achieve the desired results.

How use cases drive success in BIM/VDC

By providing a standardized framework, classification system, and collaborative platform for documenting and sharing BIM use cases, buildingSMART's UCM promotes a common language and understanding of BIM applications across the AECO industry. This shared language facilitates better communication, collaboration, and ultimately, more effective BIM implementation.

UCM fosters a common language for BIM applications by:

• A standardized framework for documenting BIM use cases, ensuring consistency and clarity in their description. This includes defining the goals, processes, information requirements, and involved actors for each use case. This structured approach facilitates a common understanding of how BIM is applied in various scenarios.
• UCM provides a standardized framework for documenting use cases, ensuring consistency and clarity. This makes it easier to compare and analyze different approaches to BIM implementation. UCM utilizes metadata to categorize and classify BIM use cases, enabling efficient searching and retrieval of relevant information. This standardized classification system helps to streamline the documentation process.
• UCM leverages the IDM methodology to specify information exchange requirements for each use case. IDMs provide a structured approach for defining what information needs to be exchanged at each stage of a project, ensuring all stakeholders have a shared understanding of information needs.
• UCM offers a collaborative platform for developing and sharing use cases, promoting knowledge sharing and industry best practices. This platform facilitates a common understanding of BIM implementation across different disciplines and regions.
• UCM emphasizes the practical application of BIM through real-world use cases, demonstrating how BIM can address specific challenges and achieve tangible outcomes. This focus on practical examples helps to establish a common language for discussing and understanding the value of BIM in diverse contexts.

openBIM emphasizes the importance of open standards and interoperability to facilitate seamless data exchange throughout the lifecycle of a built asset. openBIM Workflow Enablers are tools and services that support this vision. They help to streamline processes, improve communication, and enhance collaboration among project stakeholders. A key enabler is the Use Case Management Service (UCM).

UCM plays a pivotal role in driving the adoption of openBIM by focusing on the practical application of BIM through use cases. It acts as a catalyst for the openBIM workflow by providing a practical and collaborative platform for sharing knowledge, defining requirements, and promoting best practices and helps to bridge the gap between theory and practice, enabling the industry to fully realize the benefits of openBIM.

• Use cases provide concrete examples of how BIM can be used to address specific challenges or achieve specific goals in construction projects. This makes the concept of openBIM more tangible and easier to understand.
• UCM provides a standardized framework for documenting use cases, ensuring consistency and clarity. This makes it easier to compare and analyze different approaches to BIM implementation.
• UCM encourages contributions from the entire buildingSMART community, fostering a collaborative environment for developing and refining BIM best practices.

The BIM method in planning, construction and operation of buildings offers great added value. To make the full benefit of this method, the needed information must be available in phase throughout the lifecycle of a building. Use Case is the starting point of the IDM development. It describes the business need and ideal scenario – including goals and success criteria – for the information exchange. The different parties and their responsibilities are specified with actors and roles. At the same time, their initial activities in the information exchange are also described. Agreements, contracts, standards etc. deal with the external conditions that may have an effect to the objectives or deliverables of the information exchange.

The ISO 29481 Building information models - Information delivery manual - Part 1: Methodology and format defines a framework and methods how to present process maps and exchange requirements for a certain purpose The standard provides a basis for reliable information exchange/sharing for users so that they can be confident that the information they are receiving is accurate and sufficient for the activities they need to perform. IDMs enable stakeholders across the supply chain to determine their information requirements, by identifying use-cases, mapping processes and define exchange requirements.

The IDM standard is a standardized method for extracting exchange requirements from specific use cases. However, business use-cases are also crucial for translating strategic goals into information requirements. IDM is thereby a suitable methodology for translating business.

IDM is a technical document (physical or digital) that describes business needs, activities and transactions and information exchange requirements for a specific purpose. Business need defines a Use Case. IDM is a way to record and share Use Cases in a harmonized way.

A Use Case consists of the following core elements:

The BIM method in planning, construction and operation of buildings offers great added value. To make the full benefit of this method, the needed information must be available in phase throughout the lifecycle of a building. Use Case is the starting point of the IDM development. It describes the business need and ideal scenario – including goals and success criteria – for the information exchange. The different parties and their responsibilities are specified with actors and roles. At the same time, their initial activities in the information exchange are also described. Agreements, contracts, standards etc. deal with the external conditions that may have an effect to the objectives or deliverables of the information exchange.

ISO 29481-1:2016

ISO 19650 series

ISO 7817-1:2024 / EN 17412-1

VDI/DIN-EE 2552-12.1

VDI/DIN-EE 2552-12.2

Operational responsibility for the Use Case Management Service is held by the DACH Chapter (Germany, Austria, Switzerland)

• Strategic responsibility is borne by a steering committee of international experts
• The participation of other chapters, institutions and companies is governed by a license model.