How to Pick the Perfect Building Management System in 2023

The rapid growth in industrial technology has led to increased demand for smart buildings. As we are moving into the era of industry 4.0 world is more focused on sustainability. Technological advancements have been beneficial for building owners and facility managers to effectively optimize their buildings' operational costs. Technologies such as building management system (BMS) has been a breakthrough for real estate management.

BMS acts as an intelligent system that automates various building systems which leads to improved building performance. However, there are various BMS systems in the market and each offers different features and functionalities this has resulted in conflicts when choosing the right building management software.

Well, the European Union has announced by the end of 2025 every building will be integrated with a building management system which can revolutionize their economy and promote sustainability. Before diving more into the discussion about different BMS systems, let's first understand the basics of BMS and How it can impact operations in the building.

What is a Building Management System (BMS)?

A building Management System is a digital system that monitors and controls assets in a building which is used to control various systems including HVAC, lighting, and access control.

Building Management can help you reduce operation costs by automating and BMS acts as an intelligent brain of a building with a centralized control system for facility managers and enhancing occupant comfort.

Building management systems are typically made up of 3 main components, which are sensors, actuators, and control systems. These components collect real-time data about the building's environment and send this information to the control system where software systems monitor the data to make better decisions.

Building Management System and its 3 Types in Detail

There are three types of Building Management Systems:

1. Distributed Control Systems

2. Building Automation System

3. Web-Based BMS

1. Distributed Control Systems (DCS)

A distributed Control System is a type of BMS that is used to monitor the operation of a variety of systems in a building such as HVAC, lighting, and DCS are used in large buildings with complex systems.

DCS continuously gathers data from sensors which is transmitted to a centralized control unit to monitor the building's performance. Directed Control Systems can directly impact your building operations by reducing downtime by identifying issues in less time and improving surveillance by monitoring building activities.

DCS might be quite expensive so make sure to pick the right DCS that adopts your current systems and budget

2. Building Automation System (BAS)

Building Automation System (BAS) provides monitoring and features to automate operations by centralizing all the building management to connect all the devices and enhance occupant experience.

A building automation system comprises hardware components like sensors and actuators used to control operations and BAS can help to improve overall building efficiency by monitoring their operations.

Building Automation Systems can provide energy management solutions to reduce energy consumption of buildings and BAS can improve security by centralizing operations of building security systems.

3. Web-Based BMS

Web-based BMS is a technology-based building management system where managers can access software remotely over a browser or web application. Unlike other BMS systems which require dedicated digital screens or servers, it leverages remote access where facility managers can control and monitor their equipment from anywhere with an internet connection.

Web-based BMS are typically cost-effective when compared to BAS and DCS while providing scalability and an easy-to-use user interface even for people who aren't familiar with BMS.

However, it's important to consider various factors while choosing the best building management system and web-based BMS is considerably the best BMS due to its remote access.

What to Consider When Choosing a Building Management System?

1. The BMS's vendor and support

Selecting the right building management system vendor is a crucial aspect to be considered when making your decision and make sure you research the reputation and proven track record in providing reliable BMS solutions. Assess the performance of the BMS offered by the vendor and check if they use quality components that offer better work efficiency.

Maintenance services are important for BMS solutions so it's always recommended to ensure that BMS vendors provide technical support and maintenance services who can assist you with troubleshooting and look for vendors that offer training programs and resources for your staff so that they can easily understand each component of BMS system, which ensures smooth operations and maximizes productivity.

2. The BMS's compatibility with other systems

Compatibility is a complicated process because most of the buildings have outdated infrastructure and Building management systems should seamlessly integrate with these buildings, which makes it a complicated process. But once your building is integrated with the BMS system it streamlines the data sharing between various devices and allows them to communicate with each other which is all controlled by centralized BMS software.

Facility managers can access their entire building's assets and control multiple functions from a single dashboard which simplifies operations and BMS allows real-time data transfer between systems which allows up-to-date information on buildings' performance and energy consumption for managers to make data-driven decisions.

3. Features and capabilities of the BMS

When choosing a building management it's important to consider the size and capabilities of the infrastructure to ensure the system meets the specific needs of the buildings.

Features such as HVAC, and lighting BMS should be capable of controlling temperature and air conditioning systems to ensure the comfort of occupants while minimizing energy usage and the ability to integrate with the existing devices such as security system, fire alarm system, and access control system. This provides an overview of the entire building.

BMS systems extensively collect real-time data from the sensors and devices which helps to make data-driven decisions this is only possible when devices are compatible with existing systems and while choosing a BMS system pick a system that is scalable and secure to protect the BMS system against unauthorized access.

4. The Cost Of Building Management System

The budget is a crucial factor to be considered when choosing a BMS. The cost of a BMS system can widely vary depending on the size of the building and the complexity of the systems to be managed.

The cost can range anywhere between a few thousand to several hundred thousand dollars it depends on the type of hardware the BMS uses such as sensors, and controllers This can vary depending on the complexity of the system.The initial investment and upfront costs associated with installing a BMS system can be quite expensive but this one-time investment can turn your building into a digital infrastructure that can provide you with information about every asset present in the building.

Data can be used to monitor and make data-driven decisions to save a significant amount of energy saving over time. When choosing a BMS it's important to consider the budget and analyze the ROI of projected energy saving.

5. Ability to collect and analyze data

The building management system's end goal is to provide insights and information about assets present in the building and this can prevent problems and downtime of assets all this is possible when BMS can efficiently collect data. Sensors are used to collect data on different parameters such as temperature, humidity, and energy consumption.

Once the data has been collected it needs to be analyzed which is performed by software applications embedded in the BMS system which provide graphs and patterns. These results can be used to analyze and make informed decisions on how to improve the efficiency of the building.

Data analytics can enable predictive maintenance by monitoring the building's equipment and can accurately predict when maintenance is required to reduce downtime and avoid breakdowns of equipment.

Here are 4 steps to implement a BMS:

Step 1: Assess your needs

Step 2: Select a BMS

Step 3: Implement the BMS

Step 4: Monitor and maintain the BMS

Step 1: Access your needs

Conduct an assessment of your building's requirements and you need to determine what you want to achieve with the building management system. and what are the systems you want to monitor and your saving goals? once you identify the areas and consider your budget and long-term plans for the building to determine and scale BMS implementation.

Once you know your needs Involve stakeholders, facility managers, and owners in this process to gather their inputs and implement BMS aligning to required needs.

Step 2: Select a Building management system(BMS)

There are multiple BMS systems each offering exceptional features. So it's important to first conduct your market research sort out BMS systems that align with your requirements and contact vendor to get an overview of their services.

Check out their real-world implications and go through documentation, and reports. See how BMS can impact your operations and enhance productivity.

Step 3: Implement the BMS

After developing a detailed assessment for choosing a BMS system now you need to implement it and assign tasks to each team member involved in the installation process. This includes integrating the system with the building's HVAC, lighting, and security while configuring BMS software according to your building's hardware requirements and automation controls.

Integrating BMS is the most complex part. You should make sure that it aligns with the existing devices and that every component is connected to a centralized monitoring system.

Step 4: Monitor and maintain the BMS

Once the building management system has been implemented you must establish regular maintenance and system updates to keep the BMS system working efficiently. It is important to monitor it regularly, which will help you ensure that the system is providing the desired benefits. This includes checking the system's warning and reviewing data collected by the system to make sure the data collected is accurate.

Constantly perform maintenance on devices such as updating the software and replacing the defective devices. These devices need to be protected from cyber attacks, physical damage, and unauthorized control. So implementing proper methods to avoid this is to be considered.

Conclusion :

A building Management system comprehensive solution that plays an important role in the effective and efficient management of building systems, with various types of BMS available building owners and managers must choose a BMS based on their specific needs.

When implementing a BMS, factors such as vendor reputation, support, and features must be taken into consideration, and constant maintenance is required for BMS to effectively streamline building operations. If you still can't make up your mind to choose the perfect BMS for your property worry not.

We at sclera can help you do that. Sclera provides solutions for facility management we offer a variety of BMS solutions that can help you improve productivity.

If you are looking for a reliable building management solution, contact Sclera today. We will help you to implement and maintain the BMS for you.