Open vs Closed Building Management System: Which Wins?

Why isn’t it smart building management to use a closed BMS?

A closed building management system is a proprietary ecosystem that puts everything under one roof, so to speak. That may sound like a smart move, but here’s the problem: it essentially robs you of your ability to control how your BMS is constructed—and that means your choices are restricted to only what the vendor offers.

• All parts, software and service come from one manufacturer, which severely restricts your operational choices and can increase your costs.
• Fewer hardware options, so you might not get exactly what your building needs.
• Having to deal with potentially multiple channel partners depending on which site has issues.
• Upgrades become more difficult, if not impossible, without buying a completely new system.
• No access to the advantages found in more modern, open systems such as advanced analytics, greater control and more robust cybersecurity.
• Your system can too quickly become outdated, even obsolete, leaving you with no support or ability to upgrade your security.
• Closed BMS platforms use proprietary communication protocols that make integration nearly impossible.

Buying a closed BMS is like buying a coat that only offers one size, one color and one price. You might be able to squeeze into it and eventually be ok with the color, but it’s not really what you need, is it?

Why is an open BMS a smarter choice?

Simple. An open BMS allows you to customize each of your locations with exactly the right equipment and resources. More importantly, you keep complete control of your data, providing you with unprecedented visibility so you can see exactly what’s going on at each site and scale the most successful strategies across your entire portfolio.

You’ll have the flexibility of buying the system outright or as SaaS, something you won’t find with a closed system vendor.

Just be sure to work with a qualified Master Systems Integrator like Energy Management Collaborative (EMC) to ensure that you’re choosing the best options to build your BMS.

What are the benefits of controlling your strategy?

When you own your strategy, you’re in complete control of how your BMS is structured. But choosing a closed system means you’re no longer in control. Your vendor oversees your strategy as well as your data.

That’s a problem you can’t afford to have.

Owning your strategy can only happen when you choose open, non-proprietary integrations that let you align the stack to your operations, rather than having to accept what the vendor offers.

As your Master Systems Integrator, EMC can help you choose the best components for your needs to create an open architecture that allows you to select the right options so you can make the right decisions as your needs change.

Owning your strategy gives you control of your data, control over how your BMS is designed and constructed, and control over every part of your system. In an open system, nothing is proprietary and everything can be best-in-class. Open systems also employ communication protocols that easily integrate with your infrastructure. 

You help make the decisions, so whatever you wind up using is the best answer for executing your strategy.

With an open BMS, your data belongs to you instead of the vendor.

The reality of having a closed system?  You can’t have easy, transparent access. You’ve handed control of your data over to the vendor. Want to migrate your building data? That’s not going to happen. Proprietary system contracts make it unclear as to who owns the data and nearly impossible for you to migrate.

An open system provides you with open protocols and allows you to export your data, so you can control access, reporting and analytics. You generate your own reports, rather than waiting for the vendor to do it.

Not sure if your current BMS is open or closed? Schedule a discovery call with EMC's Master Systems Integrators.

Turnkey execution, done at scale.

When you work with a Master Systems Integrator such as EMC, you only work with one resource to access everything you need for success—project planning, design, engineering, procurement, construction and final delivery.

Because a company like EMC is responsible for managing each part of the process, you don’t have to be concerned with scale-related challenges like tight schedules and capital requirements. Dealing with a closed system forces you to coordinate with multiple contractors rather than one.

With EMC, it’s easier to know when you’re winning.

When you choose to work with EMC, we work with you to develop several pilot locations so you can see how well it works and adjust as necessary.

With a closed system, you have visibility to the overall picture of how your system is performing. You’re even able to see how well each individual part of your portfolio is doing.

What you don’t have—and can only have with an open BMS—is the ability to see all the data, so you can make educated decisions instead of assumptions.

For example, your overall lighting data might indicate that everything is running smoothly, but if you could see deeper into the data, you could clearly understand how every part of that system is actually performing. This would let you see how a specific area will need maintenance before it becomes a costly problem. Being able to take care of a small issue before it turns into a bigger one is the difference between planned maintenance and untimely emergency repairs.

That’s not going to happen with a closed BMS.

Energy management consultants you can rely on.

If you’re currently locked into a closed system BMS — or are considering purchasing one — let’s talk first. EMC can provide a comprehensive assessment that will give you the data you need to make the most informed decision for your portfolio.

Letting a vendor dictate your energy management strategy isn’t in your best interest. An EMC open building management system gives you the ability to control your strategy and own your data. It’s how you win, both short-term and in the long run.

EMC was founded in 2003 and we’re now one of the largest providers of innovative turnkey energy management solutions, completing more than 12,000 best-in-class projects every year. If you have any questions regarding the information in this article or if you’d like to talk with us about analyzing your current or proposed BMS, contact us today.