TIME TO VIEW THE BMS DIFFERENTLY

Richard Caton, Managing Director of Janus Technology, explains why a Building Management System (BMS) should instead be seen as a business opportunity for AV integrators.

Integrating a BMS with a smart home system can be seen as a dark art and thus treated with caution by AV integrators. But how have we got to this point? In large homes with a complex design, the HVAC engineering team will typically select an “off the shelf” solution or, worse, copy and paste a BMS design specification from a previous scheme without taking the time to understand the bespoke nuances of the home in question, or its occupants. The specification might say that the BMS has to integrate with the smart home system - but that’s often as explicit as it will get. Frequently, the result is that the two control systems operate side by side in silos, with the HVAC system programmed by a BMS controls specialist, who has no interest in working with the AV integrator on how it can interface or integrate with the Control4 or Crestron system used elsewhere in the house.

WE NEED TO BRIDGE THIS GAP

In order to do this, BMS engineering teams and home technology integrators need to communicate and collaborate more effectively with each other. Otherwise, conflicts and complications can arise which seriously impact on the client’s experience.

As everybody knows, the client’s experience is affected not only when things go wrong but also by how they’re fixed. If and when there’s a problem, the client frequently turns to the AV integrator for help as the first port of call, even if the fault lies elsewhere. This is definitely the case for issues with the heating and cooling of the home, where the set up and programming was carried out by another trade and there’s no or very little integration with the smart home platform. You’ve all been there!

The nature of our industry is that we build long-term relationships with our clients, often underpinned by service contracts, whereas other trades walk away when their installation job is done. It’s easy to be annoyed when the client calls, and tempting to say that the HVAC control is not your problem, but it’s much better to look at such calls – inevitable as they very often are - as a business opportunity.

What these calls tell us is that the client wants the smart home integrator to take more interest and ownership of the BMS. If you’re tuned into that opportunity from the start and are clear with the client that you can be a solution, then they will be willing to pay for it.

Working with a consultancy that’s experienced with AV and BMS integration, such as Janus Technology, allows installers to guarantee that the BMS and its operation is truly integrated with the smart home and provides the best possible solution for the client. We agree that understanding BMS demands expertise and, often, resources that some integrators either just don’t have or don’t have the freedom to deploy. We are well versed in the language and topology needed to integrate a building, whether a simple HVAC interface or a complete smart building infrastructure. With our know-how, we can be part of your team, and help you from the very start of a project to make sure the key decisions are made, that the BMS is programmed correctly and that it can be properly integrated via the smart home platform you’re using.

Getting BMS control and integration right will deliver a better client experience and, ultimately, make the job easier, rather than more of a headache. As with so many other areas of a project, custom installers are best placed to provide the technical glue that can make this happen.