BMS and Preventative Maintenance Systems 2025
The commercial construction world has utilized building management systems to monitor and control building systems for over a decade. However, for commercial and residential buildings being built and renovated today, effective management and maintenance are becoming crucial for compliance, operational efficiency, and cost savings. Imagine spending millions of dollars in building infrastructure such as HVAC, Hot Water, Electrical and Lighting and not being able to monitor the performance of those systems. It would be tragic to install a new system and it performs poorly to the point of not saving on operating costs and energy usage. It would be foolish to spend money on capital improvements and not effectively plan for that system and components maintenance. With large proprietary systems paving the way, new innovative companies and technology are emerging to accomplish these goals with costs reducing and flexibility increasing.
Below is an overview of top-tier Building Management Systems (BMS) and Preventive Maintenance Software (PMS) tailored for large-scale facilities and smaller offices and multifamily as well.
Top 5 Proprietary Enterprise Building Management Systems (BMS):
Siemens Building Technologies: Siemens offers comprehensive solutions that integrate HVAC, lighting, security, and energy management into a unified platform, enhancing building efficiency and occupant comfort.
Schneider Electric: Their EcoStruxure™ Building Operation provides real-time monitoring and control across building systems, promoting energy efficiency and sustainability.
Honeywell Building Solutions: Honeywell's BMS integrates various functions, including HVAC, lighting, security, and fire safety, into a single platform to optimize building performance and occupant comfort.
Johnson Controls: The Metasys® system by Johnson Controls offers seamless integration of building systems, providing centralized control and advanced analytics to improve operational efficiency.
ABB Building Solutions: ABB provides flexible and scalable BMS solutions with a strong focus on security and access control, suitable for large commercial properties.
These are the tried and tested systems that have decades of systems fine tuning and billions of points of data at their fingertips. These systems are proprietary so if you pick one you are stuck with them for the lifetime of the equipment and beholden to that companies’ internal updates and upgrades. These systems tend to be high initial cost with the advantage of bulletproof build quality and a high level of technical support.
New and Upcoming Options for Building Management Systems (BMS):
1. Navitas: Local Navitas System Integration (NSI), based in Plymouth, Massachusetts, provides state-of-the-art building automation systems (BAS) that integrate universally with HVAC, lighting control, card access, and other building systems. Our engineers develop customized solutions to reduce energy use and operational costs, often following LEED certification requirements and documentation. We work on large-scale commercial, institutional, and industrial projects, including new construction and renovations.
2. Enertiv: The only platform with everything you need to track, analyze, report, and optimize energy consumption, preventive maintenance, tenant billing, equipment health, and CAPEX - all in one place.
3. AggreGate Building Automation: This is a powerful and flexible Building Management System (BMS) that uses vendor-agnostic technology and open-source interfaces based on IT standards, making it suitable for controlling all intelligent building systems.
4. OpenRemote: OpenRemote offers a robust open-source IoT platform designed for system integrators to manage buildings and real estate. It is described as the only 100% open-source BMS.
5. BETTER, VOLTTRON, and WEBs-N4: These are software solutions developed by the U.S. Department of Energy, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and other organizations. They are open to varying degrees and can be used for building management.
These are the newer systems that are available for controls installers to utilize that are open sourced, meaning that once you install the hardware and data collection points within your building, you are not stuck with one company to read, interpret, and control those points. We have worked with Navitas and Enertiv on several projects and they are proving to be a less initial cost upfront while providing a desirable amount of flexibility in functionality and features.
Top 5 Preventive Maintenance Software (PMS):
Fiix: Fiix's cloud-based preventive maintenance software helps plan, track, and optimize maintenance to boost efficiency and asset health.
Limble CMMS: Limble offers real-time reporting and multi-language support, facilitating efficient maintenance management for large facilities.
eMaint: eMaint provides customizable reporting and analytics features, aiding in the scheduling and tracking of regular maintenance work to keep equipment running smoothly.
UpKeep: UpKeep is a mobile-first preventive maintenance software that streamlines work orders, facility, and asset management, enhancing on-the-go maintenance operations.
Coast: Coast stands out with its flexible workflow management and comprehensive mobile solution, making building maintenance a breeze.
(Bonus) Enertiv: Also seen above in BMS options, Enertiv is a low cost and wide use application that includes preventative maintenance applications.
Implementing these systems can significantly enhance the management and maintenance of large commercial buildings, leading to improved efficiency, reduced downtime, and substantial cost savings. As a building owner it is imperative that you know what options are available to general contractors, mechanical contractors, and property management companies that will be serving the asset. Often times contractors and property managers have preferences on what systems they use, however, that does not necessarily mean they are using the best and most cost-effective options. Today, in 2025, there are so many options for systems equipment and controls and software to choose from, it is better to choose all of them based upon the specific assets than go with a one size fits all approach.
We are constantly researching and discussing these systems with our clients, partners, vendors, and contractors to stay up to date on what works best in different applications.