Sell the software to non-users of the software to force the intended users of the software to use the software for them…Sounds like a good plan…despite what you may have seen, it is not…
During a demo the other day I was met with the same apprehension I always experience during these introductions. On average it takes me around 10-15 minutes to convince the person that the product is different from what they may have heard about “analytics” in the past, and this case was no different. I blame this industry. One thing I have learned is that our industry has it all wrong around how to market “analytics”. This leads me back to the lengthy title and the strategy of selling analytics to a building owner with their needs in mind. In my experience, building owners focus on money and how they can save more of it. This goal is usually at odds with the facility teams and building contractors that work within a building and are driven by complaints around comfort and maintaining the proper functionality of critical zones and equipment with financial savings being a far distant third consideration.
“Enough is enough!” I want to support a product that has been designed with actual operators of the building in mind. A product with features, functionality, and built-in processes specifically tailored with everyday use in mind by the teams expected to run the building efficiently. We know that the data is far too beneficial and powerful to keep siloed within the energy conservation space. Operators need to have a “seat at the table” to present the data to validate the operations and recommendations. I have rarely seen a building in which executives/owners take an active role in the utilization of the BAS and I do not believe that will change so why would analytics be any different?
This industry has “chased the c-suite” for a buy-in of BAS analytics long enough to agree that it is a wasted effort as they will not use the tool provided, so why continue the hunt? The teams that need the support are found in service vehicles and boiler rooms around the world. It is time we took them seriously and provide them with the technology needed to adopt data-driven building operations.