The Future of Building Management

Overview
Empirically, the conventional way of property management has been laborious, costly, and time-consuming. The manual way of tracking large amounts of paperwork, lengthy approval processes, and costly management fees are some of the frustrations that property owners faced in their daily building and staff operations. The pandemic has exacerbated these problems as many businesses are abruptly forced to cut costs, reduce manpower and re-assess their mode of working.

In addition to these challenges, the main concern for building owners is the increase in complexity of new buildings. As we transition to more complex and high-performing developments, it is becoming more apparent that the conventional way of building management is just not up to the task of managing today’s building operations. From an equipment perspective, we now have buildings with energy and sustainability systems which are relatively new for building systems that even five years ago were not commonplace. The systems that make up the building environment often require varying levels of periodic intervention to run optimally.

Therefore, building owners are increasingly seeking building management solutions that provide a clear picture of building operations, equipment and efficiency opportunities in their properties.

What is a Building Management System
A building management system (BMS) is a computer-based control system that controls and automates many aspects of a building. From lighting to ventilation to video surveillance and security, everything is interconnected with a building management system with the aim toward streamlining and improving the building’s efficiency. BMS will play a key role in the future of smart buildings as it can significantly enhance productivity, reduce manpower costs and ensure comfort and safety for the people working in the building.

Building Management System Architecture
A building management system typically consist of the following:

- Sensors
The sensor devices will collect data such as temperatures, humidity, tenant staff entry, room occupancy etc. throughout the building.

- Controllers
The controllers are the brains of the BMS. It decides on the best course of action to keep the building operating in alignment with the preferences when the BMS was set up based on data gathered from the sensors. 

- Output Devices
The output devices which include relays and actuators will carry out the commands made by the controllers.

- User Interface
The user interface, usually accessible remotely via a mobile device such as smartphone, tablet or laptop, allows you to interact with the building automation system by monitoring the data reported.

Benefits of Building Management System
BMS offer a wide range of benefits for building owners and tenants. Some of the benefits are:

- Access to the Fuller Picture
BMS enables building owners to have a clearer overview of energy usage data which will significantly enhance cost and energy-efficiency of the building. The Beblu BMS offers real-time context-based insights on building conditions, assets and equipment.

- Simplified Custom Reports
BMS can produce reports that reveal trends and demonstrate progress towards efficiency goals. It can be generated on-demand and automatically at regular basis and distributed to stakeholders and easily accessed via customer-facing portals

- Streamlined Internal Systems
Interconnected network of building management and analytics tools that allows continuous collection and analysis of data from devices and sensors. These includes:
- Indoor air quality sensors
- Lighting controls
- Smart access control system
- Digital Power Meters

- Improved Uptime
By allowing critical insights to be extracted from large volumes of data, analytics platforms allow greater focus on areas where downtime can be minimised, improving operational efficiencies and reducing costs. 

- Increased Energy and Utility Efficiency Opportunities
For building owners, this is typically top priority as it can result in significant savings, up to 40% energy-efficiency savings. The BMS can also help track energy consumption and produce energy efficiency reports, identify valve leakage and provide valuable airside analytics

- Optimised Maintenance Teams
BMS can monitor equipment and assets effectively to reduce system breakdowns. It also improves efficiency of field service visits and allows for smaller maintenance teams which will reduce manpower costs. BMS can also be integrated with computerised maintenance management systems (CMMS) to provide superior performance monitoring and maintenance management. This helps reduce maintenance costs as preventive maintenance is 3 to 9 times cheaper than reactive maintenance.