If you have ever opened a tender pack and found the BIM rules spread across many files, you are not alone. Exchange Information Requirements (EIR) define the information requirements relating to a specific appointment. They set out the information required by the appointing party, when it is required and the criteria against which it will be accepted. This guide explains how BricsCAD can support delivery against those requirements.
Under the currently published ISO 19650 framework, the principal information requirement types are organisational information requirements (OIR), asset information requirements (AIR), project information requirements (PIR) and exchange information requirements (EIR). EIR relate to a specific appointment and are informed by the relevant higher level information requirements. As of August 2026, ISO 19650 Part 1:2018 remains the published standard, while a replacement Draft International Standard is under development. The current draft proposes the term ‘information production requirements’ in place of ‘exchange information requirements’.
An EIR can define:
Clear and testable information requirements allow exchange deliverables to be assessed against defined requirements and acceptance criteria.
EIR = the appointing party’s information requirements for an appointment.
BEP = the delivery team’s plan for information management and delivery.
The EIR defines the information required for the appointment. The BIM Execution Plan explains how the prospective or appointed delivery team proposes to manage and deliver information in response to the information management requirements.
Depending on the appointment, EIRs can specify information exchanges, delivery milestones, required information formats or schemas, classification requirements, IFC entities and properties, coordinate and georeferencing requirements, level of information need, documentation requirements and acceptance criteria. Where required, the project may also specify COBie information or BCF based issue exchange. Requirements for naming, CDE workflow, drawing conventions and information production procedures may be contained in associated information standards and information production methods and procedures rather than in the EIR alone.
The rest of this guide focuses on BricsCAD BIM and BricsCAD Ultimate, because the BIM information management capabilities discussed below are provided in those editions.
Set up the classification system or systems required by the project and apply the required codes consistently throughout authoring. BricsCAD V26 includes classification systems such as UniClass2015, OmniClass, MasterFormat, Uniformat and others. Assigned classification codes can be included when the BIM is exported to IFC.
Confirm the required IFC schema, exchange profile and entity scope before work starts. BricsCAD V26 provides IFC2x3, IFC4 Reference View, IFC4 Design Transfer View and IFC4x3 export options. Octave describes its IFC4 Design Transfer profile as unofficial and notes that it is not well supported by many software products. Save and test the agreed export settings early, then review the resulting IFC through the project’s agreed checking workflow.
Where an IDS file is supplied, import it through BIMPROPERTIES. BricsCAD V26 can create an IDS namespace and limit the Properties panel to the custom and IFC properties referenced by the imported IDS. If no IDS is supplied, configure the required IFC and custom property definitions from the EIR. At IFC export, BricsCAD can export only the IFC and custom properties specified by the imported IDS. The exported IFC should then be checked against the information requirements using the project’s agreed validation process.
Use the project’s agreed drawing templates, conventions and information standard. Where drawings or other documentation are required as part of an information exchange, those deliverables should be checked against the stated information requirements and acceptance criteria alongside the model and alphanumerical information.
Establish and document the agreed coordinate and reference point method early, then keep it consistent throughout the exchange workflow. Coordinate errors can cause models to be misaligned during federation and coordination, even when the IFC file itself remains structurally valid. BricsCAD BIM supports Survey Location, Project Location and Site Location reference points for model federation.
Use the project’s agreed issue management workflow and, where applicable, the BricsCAD BIM BCF panel. When BricsCAD is connected to a supported BCF cloud service, users can create issues, update statuses and add comments, screenshots and viewpoints. An imported standalone BCF file can be reviewed in BricsCAD, but issues in that imported file cannot be created or modified within BricsCAD.
If you help write the EIR, keep it:
If the EIR is vague, ask for clear points and state your assumptions. That helps your team deliver the right output the first time.
Use this simple checklist when you respond to an EIR:
A BIM EIR template download can save time, but it is only a start. Check for:
A template is useful, but it may not fit the project. Fix gaps early, or you may face rejection at first review.
An information exchange can fail acceptance if it does not meet the stated information requirements or acceptance criteria. Before issue, check the requirements that apply to geometry, classifications, properties and quantities, coordinates, information container naming and status, documentation, CDE workflow and the exported information. If COBie is required by the appointing party, confirm the specified COBie deliverable and validation method and test that workflow before the formal exchange.
Compliance depends on whether all requirements of the appointment can be satisfied, not simply whether an authoring tool can export IFC. BricsCAD BIM and Ultimate support IFC import and export, IDS import, custom BIM properties, model federation reference points and BCF issue management. BricsCAD has also achieved buildingSMART IFC4 Architectural Reference Exchange Export Certification.
However, Octave states that its RVT export is for viewing only. If an EIR requires a native editable Revit model, that requirement cannot be assumed to be satisfied by BricsCAD’s RVT export. BricsCAD can support the brief where the required information, formats, validation and delivery processes can all be met.
That is the difference between producing a model and delivering information that satisfies the exchange information requirements.
EIRs are appointment related information requirements established by the appointing party. They define the information required for an exchange and form part of the wider ISO 19650 information management process. In BricsCAD BIM V26, IFC exchange, IDS based property workflows, classification, model federation reference points and BCF issue management can support parts of that process.
Conformance still depends on satisfying the complete appointment requirements and the applicable acceptance criteria.
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Question: What is the main difference between an EIR and a BEP?
Short answer: An EIR defines the appointing party’s information requirements for a specific appointment. A BEP sets out how the prospective or appointed delivery team proposes to manage and deliver information in response to the information management requirements.
Question: Why test IFC export early in a BricsCAD BIM workflow?
Short answer: Early test exports can reveal IFC mapping, property, classification and coordinate problems before a formal information exchange. BricsCAD can also apply IFC syntax validation during export, which checks the model against official IFC schema rules and reports identified problems in an export log.
Question: What BricsCAD setup tasks matter most for EIR work?
Short answer: The required BricsCAD setup depends on the EIR and the project information standard. For current V26 BIM workflows, it can include shared templates, IDS or property definitions, classification rules, Survey, Project or Site reference points, project naming rules and a controlled IFC export profile.
Question: How can teams lower the risk of EIR rejection?
Short answer: Check each deliverable against the stated information requirements and acceptance criteria before issue. Depending on the exchange, this can include geometry, required properties and quantities, classifications, coordinates, naming, documentation and the exported information.
