How do you manage BMS data ownership and access rights across different parties and roles?

2 Identify the parties and roles involved

The parties and roles involved in BMS data ownership and access rights may include the building owner, operator, manager, tenant, contractor, service provider, vendor, regulator, and third-party data user. Each party may have different interests, expectations, and obligations regarding the BMS data. For example, the building owner may want to retain the ownership and control of the data, while the tenant may want to access and use the data for their own benefit. The contractor may need the data for maintenance and troubleshooting, while the service provider may need the data for analytics and optimization. The vendor may claim the ownership and access rights of the data generated by their products, while the regulator may require the data for compliance and audit purposes. The third-party data user may request the data for research or commercial purposes.

3 Establish clear and consistent policies and agreements

To manage BMS data ownership and access rights across different parties and roles, it is essential to establish clear and consistent policies and agreements that define and document the terms and conditions of data collection, storage, use, and sharing. These policies and agreements should cover aspects such as the scope, purpose, duration, and frequency of data access, the format, quality, and security of data transfer, the ownership, retention, and disposal of data, the rights and responsibilities of each party, and the dispute resolution and liability mechanisms. These policies and agreements should be aligned with the relevant laws, regulations, standards, and best practices in the industry and jurisdiction.

4 Implement effective data management and security systems

To enforce BMS data ownership and access rights across different parties and roles, it is crucial to implement effective data management and security systems that enable and monitor the data flow and access. These systems should include features such as data encryption, authentication, authorization, logging, auditing, backup, recovery, and alerting. These systems should also comply with the applicable data protection and privacy laws and regulations, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union or the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) in the United States.

5 Communicate and collaborate with the stakeholders

To maintain BMS data ownership and access rights across different parties and roles, it is important to communicate and collaborate with the stakeholders regularly and transparently. This can help to build trust, mutual understanding, and alignment among the parties, as well as to identify and resolve any issues or conflicts that may arise. Communication and collaboration can be facilitated by using tools such as dashboards, reports, newsletters, surveys, feedback forms, meetings, workshops, and forums. Communication and collaboration can also be enhanced by creating a data governance framework that defines the roles, responsibilities, processes, and standards for managing BMS data.

6 Review and update data ownership and access rights periodically

To adapt to the changing needs and expectations of BMS data ownership and access rights across different parties and roles, it is advisable to review and update them periodically. This can help to ensure that the data ownership and access rights are relevant, accurate, and compliant with the current situation and objectives. Review and update can be done by conducting regular audits, evaluations, consultations, and revisions of the policies, agreements, systems, and practices related to BMS data.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?