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There was a time that the convergence of building automation systems (BAS) across the enterprise network was a novel concept. And much like the first wave of cell phones, early efforts to marry building and information technology (IT) were imperfect and the results a bit clunky.
Today, however, BAS-IT convergence is an everyday reality. New Web-based technologies are driving open standards (e.g., XML) that improve ease-of-use by delivering information to those who need it, when they need it, and how they want it, whether it’s a desktop computer or (highly evolved) mobile device.
The standardisation and rapidly decreasing cost of connectivity has already delivered benefits to facility managers and their organisations that range from improved comfort to reduced energy consumption and costs.
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As the concept of convergence has evolved, it has also ushered in a new era of computing “in the cloud”, enabling organisations to manage building data from disparate systems across multiple locations using shared applications in a hosted environment. This cloud architecture delivers additional benefits including reduced capital expenditure on IT infrastructure and support, while increasing scalability to address new organisational challenges such as sustainability, predictive maintenance and asset management.
But despite the many advantages, integrating lighting, HVAC, power, video, access control, fire safety and other systems onto an IT network is not yet “plug and play.” Like most things in a building, planning, collaboration and a well defined architecture are keys to accomplishing the transition. Organisations must adopt an all-encompassing approach to fully seize the opportunity and ultimately improve the bottom line.
Following is a blueprint for organisations looking to embrace and leverage convergence — now and into the cloud.
Building a Common Vision
Successful convergence hinges on developing a unified strategy between traditionally separate groups — facilities, security, safety and IT. Fostering collabouration and building partnerships among these groups poses several challenges because each part of the organisation has separate (and sometimes conflicting) priorities and budgets. Establishing common goals, such as combating rising energy costs, extending asset life, reducing risk or protecting intellectual property, will help drive this collabouration. Maintaining clear lines of communication and establishing strong working relationships among these groups is essential for success.
Integrating building systems and IT means merging roles and responsibilities and obliterating silos previously in place. This merger, which is the first step toward integration, is critical and thus requires as much careful planning as any other strategic component.
The IT relationship should be established during the planning period and is key to selecting the standards and protocols that can make convergence with other enterprise systems possible. Initial discussions should include making the architectural decisions surrounding convergence, the implementation process and the desired outcomes from data sharing and dashboard management applications. IT will want to determine what the integrated building systems will bring to a network, including bandwidth, exposures and data management structures, as well as how the building resources will interact with other systems already on the network.
Convergence provides the greatest savings when organisations can start asking the critical questions for optimal system use and performance: “Where else can we use this?” and “How can we maximise this?” Questions such as these can help guide converged systems deployment and performance as groups collabourate to meet overall business goals.
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