BMS and BIM - Overlaps and Functional Challenges

Digitalized buildings are one of the first types of technologies that could have been considered Proptech.

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The first Building Management Systems (BMS) / Energy Management Systems (EMS) were introduced in the 1970s to monitor and control HVAC and energy hardware. During the same period, the concept of Building Information Modelling (BIM) emerged as software to model a building's composition, later evolving to 3d modeling in the 1908s, forming the definition for BIM we use today.

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There can be some confusion around the distinction between BMS and BIM, however, conceptually these are two distinct concepts.

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Building Management Systems (BMS)

Building Management Systems are software systems used to manage a building during its operations. Depending on the asset type this can also extend to facility management (though this also is a distinct concept). BMS provides a centralized control and analytics mechanism for a property's HVAC and energy, though over the years use cases have extended to things like tenant CRMs, accounting & financial management, predictive maintenance, and asset management.

The increasing prominence of The Internet of Things (IoT) has enhanced modern BMS solutions capabilities by providing the data connectivity required to centralize networks of embedded sensors, devices, and software. Terms like Facility Management Systems, Energy Management Systems, and Property Management Systems are also used interchangeably, though there can be some differences in the scale of applications.

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Building Information Modelling (BIM)

Building Information Models by their plain definition, are models of buildings - usually detailing their composition, whether it be materials, dimensions, or hardware components. However, it is used today to describe 3D building models, the most common example being software like AutoCAD or Revit.

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The primary use case for BIM is during the first phase of the building life-cycle, the design-build phase. BIMs replaced the need for blueprints and physical models during construction, providing a more comprehensive and detailed visualization of a building design. Generally, 3D conceptual schematic models don't fall under the BIM definition as they do not provide information about the building's

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The overlap

As Building Information Models developed, it became clear the information captured was still useful further down the building lifecycle and not just the design-build phase. As a result, many solutions on the market incorporate elements of both BIM and BMS. Most often we see Building Management Systems include some elements of 3d modeling to visualize the data, information, and systems against the building.

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Another example of this we see is BIMs augmenting their solution to be able to assist operations post-construction, capitalizing on the already captured users and spending efforts developing the systems. How vendors position themselves in the market varies, however, we have seen an increasing shift fo generalist solutions using terms like facility or property management systems which convey broader applications in different property types. Vendors operating in specific segments focus on different use cases, such as energy management systems, attempting to lead by meeting specific needs.

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BIM and BMS providers need to navigate the market vigilantly to not only meet demand but differentiate themselves from the competition, needing to balance focus on specific use cases and offering a broad range of use cases.

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