Integrating IoT solutions in smart building management systems

Today, more and more buildings are being designed, constructed, and renovated as smart buildings to enhance the management of commercial, industrial, and residential properties.

IoT technology is transforming building management and maintenance due to rising building standards and growing demands from occupants and property managers, driving the need for smart solutions. Thanks to the interconnection of devices through IoT, valuable data can be collected to support informed decision-making. 

When you're managing a large commercial building, you want to make sure it's being used to its full potential. After all, wasting energy means wasting money. And this is just one of the crucial benefits of using a Building Management System (BMS).

If you’re an engineer, property manager, or just interested in building technology, this blog will explain the concept of a Smart Building and its key components, including Building Management Systems (BMS) and IoT sensors. 

We’ll also take a quick dive into how these systems work together to enhance building efficiency, and share insights on how our smart building platform addresses common challenges faced by property managers today.

So let’s get started!

Facing challenges like energy savings, optimizing space, and maintaining a productive workforce can be daunting. A comprehensive view of your buildings helps you pinpoint areas for cost savings and efficiency improvements, giving you the insights needed to maximize the value of your properties. This is where a smart building solution comes in. But let us first define what we believe a smart building is?

It’s a building that meets the needs of both owners and occupants in the most efficient way possible. It should provide a safe, comfortable, and energy-efficient environment that enhances the well-being of everyone using the building.

A smart building uses advanced technologies to increase efficiency, comfort and safety. By integrating systems such as lighting, HVAC, security and access control through IoT devices, a more responsive and intelligent environment is created. For example, a smart building allows you to schedule when the lights and air conditioning should turn on.

Within the smart building platform, you will be able connect all the building's components such as the security, safety and comfort systems present in your building. 

However, different buildings have unique priorities: hospitals focus on monitoring environmental conditions such as temperature and air quality for patient comfort, while banks emphasize building security and asset protection.

Digital transformation is being driven by connected sensors that gather data on air quality, temperature, occupancy, movement, and cybersecurity. This data is transferred through wired connections like fiber optics and wireless networks such as 4G and 5G.

Large buildings generate a lot of data through their various systems and equipment, but this data is only valuable if it’s captured and converted into actionable insights. By analyzing patterns of historical data, AI can recommend how to optimize system operations, improve equipment performance and lifespan, eliminate inefficiencies, and reduce energy consumption and costs.

As we continue exploring the benefits of Building Management Systems (BMS), you'll see how integrating these technologies can transform your property management practices, keeping your buildings running efficiently, effectively and safely.

During our work with various property managers and stakeholders, we've frequently discussed the concept of smart buildings. The question often arises: Are smart buildings limited to large-scale properties, or can any building be considered smart?

Short answer is, any building can be smart, regardless of age, size, or layout. Most people think smart buildings have to be extremely modern, cost the earth, or involve invasive installation. 

This isn’t the case. IoT technology enables the transformation of both new and existing buildings into smart spaces, as sensor networks can be easily installed and updated even in older structures. 

The key to creating a great smart building is identifying your priorities, whether it's increasing security or avoiding energy waste, and accessing the right data.

A BMS usually consists of a central control system that is connected to various sensors and actuators located throughout the building. The control system collects data from sensors and uses this data to adjust the operation of the building's systems and equipment in real time.

A BMS can be stand-alone, meaning it controls only one building, or it can be integrated with other systems to control multiple buildings or even an entire campus. An advanced BMS can also be IoT or cloud-based, hosted on a remote server and accessed via the Internet, rather than installed on-site.

The terms Building Management Systems (BMS), Building Automation System (BAS), Building Maintenance System (BMS) or Building Energy Management System (BEMS) are often used interchangeably in the commercial real estate.

Building Management Systems (BMS), often referred to as building automation or control systems, are sophisticated platforms that oversee and regulate a building's essential systems. These systems typically include heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), lighting, security, and access control. A BMS integrates hardware devices and specialized software to provide property managers with centralized control and monitoring capabilities. 

Unlike other software, a Building Management System (BMS) is becoming increasingly popular because it offers property managers a single dashboard to manage and control all aspects of a smart building. Real-time data helps smart buildings optimize energy use, reduce costs, and increase tenant satisfaction. 

Because every business operates differently, the most effective building management systems are those tailored to each property’s unique needs. 

IoT solutions are like the brain of your building - they are a network of smart devices, such as sensors and controllers, that work together to collect, process and share data about how your building's assets are used, maintained and managed. These components communicate with each other to keep your building running smoothly, coordinating everything from routine maintenance to unexpected surprises, all based on the data they collect.

Types of sensors

• Environmental sensors: These monitor temperature, humidity, air quality, and other factors to ensure optimal comfort levels inside the building.
• Occupancy sensors: These detect the presence or absence of people in specific areas to optimize the space usage.
• Motion sensors: These track staff movement within the building to improve security monitoring.
• Energy monitoring sensors: These measure energy consumption in different areas and provide real-time data to identify and reduce unnecessary energy consumption.
• Security sensors: These detect unauthorized access, intrusions or suspicious activity and trigger alarms to ensure security.
• Other commonly used IoT sensors include water-leak, fire and smoke detectors, and vibration sensors.

Other commonly used IoT sensors include water-leak detectors, fire and smoke alarms, and vibration sensors.

And don’t worry - they won’t send you a bill for all that hard work! The best part? A one-time investment in these smart solutions can pay off big, saving more in the long run than it ever cost to set them up! 

Implementing IoT solutions in smart buildings requires a multi-layered approach that integrates hardware, software, and connectivity. Managing smart homes and buildings can be a nightmare due to the complexity and diversity of systems involved.

Real estate owners and property managers have a need for a clear overview of their properties, technicians need to know when there is malfunction in the building, and tenants need to control smart devices connected with their apartments. Main problem that people involved with managing and owning smart homes deal with is that there are so many smart device providers. 

For example, sensors like smoke detectors, window sensors, and temperature sensors may come from one company with its own app, while another company provides digital locks with a separate app for management, and so on. Additionally, there is a need for property management in terms of access management, handling tenants' leases, etc. Users, of course, want a simple interface and do not want to manage multiple apps and credentials.

With countless devices and their individual apps, it's like juggling multiple remote controls. This fragmentation makes it difficult to maintain a cohesive and efficient system. But what if there was a single platform that could control them all?

For one of our clients, we created a solution that brings all these systems together into one smart building platform, simplifying device management, tenant leases, and access control. Our platform integrates various devices and systems, providing a unified interface that allows for seamless control and monitoring. This not only reduces the complexity for users but also enhances the overall efficiency and functionality of the building management system.

Let’s explore a case study from one of our clients to see how they addressed their building maintenance and management challenges. After implementing our smart building platform, the client was able to streamline operations, improve tenant satisfaction, and achieve significant cost savings. 

During our project kickoff meeting, we gathered a wide array of ideas and feature requests from our clients for their new platform. So, the first challenge was to identify what were the most important functionalities for people that were going to use the platform. 

Different groups of people had varying needs, all of which were equally important. Product owners conducted interviews with representatives from each group, including owners, managers, and tenants, to understand their specific requirements. However, the resulting list was still quite long. This led us to collectively decide on the most crucial functionalities and identify where we could save development time while still delivering a solid solution. We also explored which functionalities could be addressed with third-party solutions to streamline the process.

When you're dealing with many integrations (many device providers with their own data structures, authentication methods), it's always challenging to make sure your application runs smoothly. 

Each integration brings its own set of protocols and requirements that must be synchronized into user-friendly applications. Our goal was to ensure that users never feel the complexity of underlying integrations, but also to make it simple enough for developers to manage our internal code and database. We decided that the best approach would be to follow the standards, so we designed our solution following the Real Estate Core ontology.

The next challenge was to choose which technologies and architecture designs best fit the needs of the platform. The first MVP that was built before we took it over was very simple and its design could not support all the goals of the project. That MVP only provided functions to control the device (i.e. door unlock, temperature check, etc.). 

After a deep analysis of the requirements and future plans, we introduced a new architecture that included the use of the Neo4j database for relations instead of previously used MongoDB. This was a perfect fit for the project because of how complicated relationships between entities in a property can become and due to supporting many different functionalities it was a challenge to design optimal database schema. 

The next thing was to choose how we want to handle authorization and authentication. The platform needed to support several different user roles, each with different permissions. For example, property owners need an overview of all their properties, the ability to manage leases, access to the building itself, but not the ability to enter the apartments or inspect the interior of the apartments. 

At the same time, the super admin can grant or revoke tenants' access to their apartments as needed, such as when tenants move in or out. Tenants, on the other hand, can view and control their smart devices, including opening and closing doors and windows, adjusting the fridge temperature, and managing flood alarm settings.

To support these features effectively, we had to integrate secure authentication mechanisms. Due to limited time and the urgent need for this functionality (MVP did not support authentication or authorization), we decided to use Keycloak. 

It is an open source project that provides an interface where users, roles and permissions can be managed. It also provides APIs so it can be easily integrated into your application. Keycloak provides so many user management options and supports all major protocols and still leaves enough flexibility while saving development time.

By ensuring secure and efficient management of building systems, everyone benefits from using a Building Management System (BMS):

1. Building Owners: A BMS enhances property value by boosting efficiency, cutting operational costs, and promoting sustainability, which can lead to increased property value.
2. Facility Managers: A BMS streamlines the management of complex building systems by providing a single platform for data collection, analysis, and control, making management more efficient and proactive.
3. Occupants: With a BMS, occupants enjoy a more comfortable and productive environment. The system optimizes lighting, heating, and cooling based on real-time data, improving overall comfort and well-being.

Our smart building platform integrates and automates various systems to make building management easier and more efficient. It connects different systems and technologies such as HVAC (heating, ventilation, air conditioning), energy and lighting, saving you time and improving sustainability. 

This means you can automate routine tasks, such as adjusting lighting based on occupancy or time of day. This not only frees up your time to focus on more strategic FM tasks, but also ensures that your building is running at peak efficiency without constant manual intervention. Contact us to see how our custom platform can improve your building's performance.

The definition of "smart buildings" evolves every year as new technology emerges. These days, IoT technology is leading the way, transforming how we manage and interact with buildings to make them smarter, safer, and more sustainable. What was considered smart in 2010 seems outdated today. At Zendev, we believe that by staying focused on the business requirements of owners and tenants—such as safety, clean air, energy efficiency, and flexibility - we can consistently deliver smarter and more valuable buildings. 

While smart building renovations take time and money, the real estate industry is clearly heading in that direction. Property owners and managers should prioritize the technology that will best serve them and their tenants.

Want to dive deeper into BMS, IoT devices, and how Zendev can help? Reach out to the ZenDev team here!