The BCIA has just launched its new BEMS Delivery Framework, introducing six clear delivery levels from L0–L5.
Why does it matter?
Because for too long, terms like BMS, integrated, smart and smart building have been open to interpretation.
What one specification calls “smart” can be very different from another.
The new framework gives customers, consultants and BMS providers a much clearer common language around what is being specified, what should be delivered and, importantly, what should be evidenced at handover.
That can only be a good thing for our industry.
For customers, it means greater transparency and a better understanding of the capability they are investing in.
For consultants, it provides a clearer framework for defining requirements and comparing proposals.
And for BMS businesses like learnd, it supports something we believe strongly in: competing on engineering quality, capability and outcomes — not simply who can make a specification fit the lowest number.
There’s another part of this that we particularly welcome.
The framework recognises that making a building “smarter” isn’t simply about adding more technology. Data quality, integration, commissioning, maintainability, operational capability and the ability to actually use that technology all matter.
A genuinely smart building needs to deliver value once everyone has left site.
We think greater clarity around that will help raise standards across the BMS industry and, ultimately, help customers get better-performing buildings.
A great piece of work from the BCIA Technical Working Group and a positive step for the industry.
We’re looking forward to seeing how the framework is adopted across future projects.
