INDUSTY COMMENT
Why specifications need to focus on outcomes, not products
T
he quality of a Building Energy Management System (BEMS) specification plays a fundamental role in project success. Yet inconsistent specifications continue to create
uncertainty across projects, making it harder to compare tenders, manage expectations and ultimately deliver the operational performance clients expect. Catherine Walker, executive officer of the Building Controls Industry Association (BCIA) explains the need for a consistent approach. As buildings become increasingly connected, data-driven and focused on operational performance rather than simply compliance, defining the required level of system capability from the outset has never been more important.
The BCIA has developed the new BCIA BEMS Delivery Framework to help provide the industry with a clearer, more consistent approach to specifying Building Energy Management Systems (BEMS).
Define the destination before choosing the technology
A straightforward office requiring time scheduling, monitoring and basic optimisation does not need the same controls capability as a hospital, laboratory or complex mixed-use development. Two technically compliant systems may therefore offer very different levels of integration,
analytics, user access and ongoing optimisation.
Selecting a manufacturer is not, in itself, a specification. Until the required operational outcome has been defined, different suppliers may legitimately interpret the same project in very different ways. Good procurement starts by defining the
required operational outcome. Product selection should follow.
A common language for BEMS delivery
This principle sits behind BCIA’s new BEMS Delivery Framework, originally authored by Christopher Kelly CEng BEng MCIBSE of Kelvin Control Engineers Ltd and developed and maintained by the BCIA Technical Working Group, to give clients, consultants and contractors a practical, consistent way to describe the functionality expected from a Building Energy Management System. The framework establishes six Delivery Levels, from L0 to L5. Together, they provide a structured language for defining progressively greater levels of BEMS capability.
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Rather than naming particular products or manufacturers, the levels describe what the delivered system must achieve. Project teams can identify an appropriate level, translate it into a clearer specification and evaluate tenders against a shared requirement.
The framework is deliberately outcome-
based and manufacturer agnostic. It does not replace detailed engineering design, nor suggest that every building requires the highest level. Instead, it helps project teams select the right level of functionality early in the project and provides a consistent reference throughout specification, procurement and delivery, creating a stronger foundation for successful project delivery and long-term building performance.
Better definition supports better delivery
Using a common framework can help project teams: • reduce ambiguity within specifications • improve the consistency of tender submissions
• enable fairer comparison of contractor proposals
• align commissioned functionality with client expectations
• identify scope gaps before work begins
• support ongoing operation, maintenance and future optimisation
Consider two bids described simply as providing a “fully integrated BEMS”. Both may satisfy the specification, yet one could include advanced optimisation, analytics and third-party integration while the other delivers competent plant control with more limited functionality. Without clearly defined
outcomes, those differences may only become apparent after the contract has been awarded. Clearer requirements also create a stronger basis for commissioning and handover. The project team can assess whether the agreed capability has been delivered, while facilities teams gain a system that is better aligned with the way the building will actually be operated throughout its lifecycle.
Better procurement begins with better specification
Better BEMS procurement is not about prescribing more technology. It is about expressing the required outcome with enough clarity for designers, suppliers and contractors to deliver it consistently. As the industry increasingly measures success by operational performance rather than simply installed technology, clearer specification and high-quality engineering must go hand in hand. By giving the industry a shared language for defining BEMS capability, BCIA’s BEMS Delivery Framework helps ensure projects are specified more clearly, procured more consistently and delivered with the operational performance building owners increasingly expect.
Download the BCIA BEMS Delivery Framework at
https://www.bcia.co.uk/ frameworkdocument and consider which Delivery Level best reflects the operational requirements of your next project.
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