The control and access of a building's mechanical systems often rely solely on the Building Manager. That one person is the central point of contact for the access, control, and diagnostic details of the entire building’s contingent of systems. It is a responsibility made even more complex on multi-location campuses, in buildings with specialized system needs, and at companies whose buildings are not just spread across a campus but have locations across the city.
That centralization prevents un-wanted tampering of the systems, but the process for access doesn’t lend itself to an efficient operation strategy. The manager has to constantly answer system access requests and hope that when an alert is triggered, they are in the right location, at the right time, to manage it. In multi-tenant buildings, they can spend so much time handling complaints that they miss the root cause. And all of this, of course, takes them away from the other responsibilities of their job.
It’s not only ineffective, but it’s also inefficient, both for time spent working and the actual system performance. It’s a problem that can be solved by increasing access to building automation and control systems from ODIN. Adjusting access levels to incorporate more team members can actually improve system control and operational efficiency without the building manager having to give up oversight and control.
Let’s look at what levels of access are available, who might benefit from them, and how a few control changes can benefit your business.
Open Access
A building control system can open access to key team members across the organization.
Reception - Employees in reception can be given access to temperature controls. Being continuously in the space makes it easier for them to regulate that efficiently.
Owners - Leadership can pull system performance data when they need it. Wherever they are.
Technicians - Specialists can get alerts, diagnostic detail, and performance data in real time. When there is an issue, they can react quickly and have the access they need to make a difference. They no longer have to wait to be “called in”; they can already be on the way. If the alert is triggered from an off-site location, they can even start to diagnose the issue before they arrive.
Building Managers Maintain Control
While employees may have insight and control access over specific, set systems, the Building Manager maintains operational authority over the building controls systems. This is important because they will have the “birds-eye view” of the full system operations. They will be able to use that insight to see that the reason the heat is trending on a regular basis is that employee comfort is being affected by a humidity issue. It’s something that otherwise might have gone undetected because the Building Manager was tending to so many smaller issues that they didn’t have an opportunity to step back and locate a cause for a seemingly simple concern.
What is Permission Control
Access to building control systems doesn’t automatically come along with a job title. Access to the system, and the level of control granted, has to be given. And that access can be carefully scheduled and regulated. This allows managers to manage and scale control as teams change while empowering key team members with what they need to respond to requests or issues quickly.
It also helps improve maintenance operations. If there is a contract with a third-party technician, control can be granted during scheduled maintenance periods. It makes maintenance more efficient as a technician can arrive on-site and get right to work without having to track down someone to give them system access or waste time walking back and forth between a data access terminal and the maintenance job.
The Power of Building Automation and Control Systems
When business is moving quickly, the power to react is paramount. By opening access to your building controls systems, a company can increase that reaction time leading to more efficient operations and more effective responses.
To discover the benefits ODIN’s building control solutions can bring to your team, schedule a demo today.
