System integrators (SIs) have a unique understanding of smart building technologies for electrical and mechanical systems yet are often not brought into a construction project until after the planning and purchasing stages. If there are incompatibilities due to a lack of detailed design or the result of pure cost-based value engineering, the integrator bears the brunt of those missteps post-design, ultimately putting the whole project at risk and reflecting poorly on all stakeholders involved in the project.
To succeed as a developer, owner, and/or operator, there must be a clear digitized facility infrastructure that captures the power of the all-digital world, allowing facility management teams to acquire, curate and present simplified and actionable paths to successful outcomes. The most strategic path forward offers tangible benefits to stakeholders with proof of success and represents the digital future of facility management.
By reconsidering contracting tiers and altering the traditional design-build process to be more collaborative across facility management teams with digital tools to achieve their outcomes, these teams will operate more efficiently, improve facility performance, and create a healthier, more productive smart building infrastructure designed for maximum usability. It’s important to remember that SIs operate with the efficiency, performance, comfort and health of the building in mind – always looking at a building as the critical asset whose value is worth maximizing. When teams focus on the desired outcomes of building owners from the start, there is a greater shift in prioritizing upfront collaboration.
To that end, when designing and constructing a smart building, collaboration needs to happen between the designers, contractors, end users, and SIs – and all stakeholders need to be on board with this approach to building from the start. This collaboration will drive better specification with an optimized, validated design that allows digitization and integration to be delivered in a streamlined, cost-effective manner and eliminates any guess and check. As teams concentrate on the experience of the user and desired outcomes of the building owner, the more important that upfront collaboration becomes.
Offering SIs a seat at the table earlier in the process is integral to minimizing risk and limiting rework and delays, which is typically 30% of building costs. Plus, this type of collaborative process helps ensure:
- The specification for the final integrated solution is detailed enough to support the client’s required outcomes
- There is a crystal-clear scope to bid on for all stakeholders, eliminating assumptions
- There is an established image of advocating for the customer and their desired outcomes in collaboration with the design firm and general contractor, ultimately helping to differentiate the SI in winning more business
There’s a unique opportunity for the industry to rethink facility construction for the building management era, placing higher value on prioritizing connectionand collaboration. SIs are truly vital when taking an integrated approach for construction projects and new builds. By driving better specification with optimized design, reducing the risk of rework or delays and therefore minimizing building costs, and allowing digitization and integration to be delivered at nearly the same price as a traditional building, SIs are redefining what it means to sit at the design table.
