Introduction

In today’s Building Information Modeling (BIM) world, some of the most valuable practices aren’t brand-new trends but long-established methods that are finally being widely adopted. One of those is the Uniforme SparingenOpgave (USO) procedure.

We spoke with Marc Overman, a Dutch BIM Project Leader at DIBS42 and a passionate advocate of USO. While USO has been around for years, Marc points out that it’s only in recent years that we’ve seen its broader implementation, especially on large projects led by major contractors.

At DIBS42, this way of working has always been a given. In fact, the company’s founder, Dennis Mulch, was one of the first adopters and signers of the USO standard. For DIBS42, it’s unimaginable to run a BIM project without it. Now that the standardization is gaining ground, the benefits are more visible than ever.

In this friendly interview, Marc breaks down USO in simple terms and explains why more and more projects, not just in the Netherlands, are embracing it.

Interview Q&A

Q: BIM is constantly changing. From your perspective, what’s the next big thing?

Marc: While there’s a lot of buzz about digital twins, AI, or VR/AR, I’d actually point to something less flashy but incredibly impactful: USO procedures.

USO (Uniforme SparingenOpgave) is Dutch for “Uniform Openings Specification.” It’s a standardized way for project participants to collaborate on something critical yet often messy: the openings in building models for pipes, ducts, and cables.

Although it’s sometimes presented as a new thing, USO isn’t new. The method has existed for years, but what’s exciting is seeing it implemented more and more, especially by main contractors on big projects. At DIBS42, we’ve always worked this way, even before it was formally standardized.

Q: Can you explain USO in simple terms?

Marc: Think of it as a clear playbook for handling openings in BIM models. USO uses open BIM standards like IFC for model data, BCF for comments/issues  so that all parties share and interpret the same information in the same way.

Whether you’re requesting a hole or approving one, everyone works in a unified, standardized format. That consistency means fewer misunderstandings, fewer mistakes, and much smoother coordination.

Q: Was coordinating openings really such a problem?

Marc: Absolutely. Before USO, each discipline had its own way of doing things, often involving 2D markups or email requests. Mistakes were inevitable, like wrong sizes, misplaced holes, missing openings, and f course the cost of fixing them on site was high.

With USO, all data is in the model, standardized, and instantly clear to everyone. It turns a traditionally chaotic process into a transparent, well-documented workflow.

Q: What are the key benefits?

Marc: The main advantages are clarity and consistency, reduced miscommunication, seamless collaboration across different tools, and future-proof data. The main advantages are clarity and consistency, reduced miscommunication, tool-agnostic collaboration, and future-proof data. No ambiguity in what’s needed or approved, everyone works from the same digital model, and the process is accessible regardless of the software used. Because it’s based on open standards, the information remains usable for years, even during maintenance or renovations.

At DIBS42, we can’t imagine doing BIM without this level of clarity. It’s part of how we’ve always worked, so it’s exciting to see it becoming more common across the industry.

Q: How widely is USO used now, and what’s next?

Marc: In the Netherlands, it’s growing fast and dozens of major firms have adopted it. Internationally, its principles could work anywhere because it’s built on global standards.

For DIBS42, this is business as usual. And soon, our DIBS42 HIVE plugin for Revit, which already contains a suite of BIM productivity tools, will include a dedicated USO tool to make working with the standard even easier.

Looking ahead, I see USO as part of a bigger movement toward “micro-standards” in BIM: highly targeted, practical solutions for specific coordination challenges.

Q: Any advice for teams new to USO?

Marc: Start small, educate your team, and use the community resources available. Once people see how much rework they avoid, adoption becomes natural. The real power of USO isn’t in the guideline itself, it’s in how it builds trust in BIM collaboration.

You can also check the link to inform yourself more about USO and give you a headstart on the topic: https://www.digigo.nu/ilsen-en-richtlijnen/tools-voor-informatiemanagement/basis-uso/

Conclusion

USO isn’t a passing BIM trend; it’s a well-established best practice that’s finally getting the industry-wide attention it deserves. DIBS42 has long relied on it as a foundation for successful projects, and with more contractors adopting it, the benefits are now shared across the supply chain.

With upcoming tools like the one we are making for the DIBS42 HIVE plugin, the process will be even easier to integrate. For anyone in BIM, it’s a reminder that sometimes the “next big thing” isn’t about new technology, but about fully embracing proven methods that make collaboration work.

‍