Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology and Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) standards play a crucial role in the digital transformation of the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry. This paper provides an overview of the development of BIM and IFC, highlighting their significance in this digital shift. Current techniques for automated extraction of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) system data from BIM models are explored, with a discussion of the primary challenges and limitations associated with these methods. Furthermore, the importance and recent advancements in automatic generation of control programs leveraging BIM data are examined.