printer friendly version

Simplified fire and facilities management from one screen

Building and facilities management includes a multitude of functions that make it a complex task. To manage facilities effectively, organisations need multiple tools and products, each with their own management interface, some with none at all. There are various platforms on the market promising to integrate these systems into one interface, making it easier for users to manage everything from ‘a single pane of glass’.

The reality, however, is that these platforms are complex solutions that do not always deliver the integration promised when the client chooses a range of products and especially for older products that still perform their tasks adequately. A local company tackled this state of affairs by developing its own solution, able to integrate almost any electronic systems into a single user interface.

Fire & Instrument Services (F&IS) is an ISO 9001 company formed in 1995 and staffed by engineers and systems specialists in the fire and security, instrumentation and systems integration domains. It has one of the industry’s most advanced design and standards libraries and databases. This, plus its many years of experience in sophisticated fire engineering and automation, not only made the company a market technology leader, but has allowed the company to expand its operations into smart building and the integration and management of their systems via a single interface.

This solid foundation allows F&IS; to offer a sophisticated, but simple systems integration solution that covers all building systems monitoring and control (HVAC, electrical, fire, security, water) and facilities management from a single system on one screen.

F&IS; partners with Scansoft Technologies, the company responsible for developing the iBMS Adrenaline system, empowering both companies to focus on intelligent buildings and campuses, even in diverse locations. The technical expertise embedded in Scansoft allows it to integrate practically any building system to ensure fast, safe and effective management, reducing operational costs. The threat of business continuity in these environments is effectively dealt with due to the unique features of the iBMS Adrenaline system.

F&IS; has extensive experience in mining, commercial buildings, data centres, and complex technical environments providing turnkey design of fire detection, suppression and protection (including high-pressure water mist), and integrating systems to achieve smart buildings that are simple, safe and efficient to operate (including energy monitoring and management).

F&IS; has an impressive record in the design, installation, commissioning, documentation and maintenance of fire protection systems and process control instrumentation. It offers solutions with highly qualified technical staff and both local and remote support. A long-term maintenance service is also available to ensure the longevity and reliability of installed electronic devices.

Its general smart building services include systems integration with iBMS for fire, security, electrical demand side power management, HVAC and FM, and the design, supply, installation and maintenance of fire detection, gaseous fire suppression, and water mist fire protection systems. On the security side, it offers access control, CCTV, intruder detection and instrumentation advice, installation, and service, all of which can be integrated into iBMS.

Some of its clients include Shell, BP, Sanlam, Old Mutual, Africa Data Centres, IBM Campus, Engen, Exxaro, Tronox and Vodacom, and Stellenbosch University to mention a few.

iBMS Adrenaline

The iBMS software is a fully integrated building and facilities management system enabling companies to seamlessly monitor, control, and manage all system hardware through a single graphical user interface. This enterprise-level system is scalable from a single building to multiple buildings, irrespective of location. Its real-time monitoring ensures proactive management of all hardware, including fire safety systems, ensuring equipment functions at 100% capacity, while detecting fire-related events and initiating the appropriate response.

iBMS consists of three main processes: the iBMS data server, hardware controller modules and the client’s graphical user interface. Multiple clients can connect to the central data server, which is connected to several hardware controllers. The system is completely modular, and different processes can be distributed over a network through Scansoft’s Firefly inter-process communications protocol to ensure the safe transmission of critical data. The system can interface with any modern database.

The complexity of operations in the building and facility management sector tends to be very high. Achieving viable service excellence, efficiency, and effectiveness is possible only with intelligent tools such as iBMS. Furthermore, considering the stringent health, safety and environmental conditions imposed on companies today, with their accompanying litigation risks, a reliable, proactive and flexible management platform is no longer optional.

The key to iBMS is that it was designed as a fully integrated system from inception and incorporates best practices in building information modelling (BIM). It contains all the modules and tools required to successfully monitor, control and manage any building or facility systems or processes efficiently and effectively. The system is supplied with all these modules and tools on board, which are switched on depending on each client’s requirements and the chosen licencing structure.

iBMS can handle multiple protocols simultaneously to integrate with various hardware systems. This means it can communicate with systems using different protocols from different vendors from a single operator interface. A protocol gateway can interface with some systems where a protocol document or SDK (software development kit) is unavailable. In addition, legacy systems without intelligence can, in some cases, be upgraded via the addition of PLCs and sensors.

The most important aspect of this intelligent platform is its simplicity, allowing anyone with access rights to manage hundreds of devices and controls, ensuring business continuity from a single interface. Compared to international platforms, iBMS is simpler and less costly, integrates with more system hardware, and, critically, is fully supported in South Africa.

Some capabilities of iBMS

Fire: Standard fire detection hardware for fire alarms and other warning conditions can be monitored. The current status of any device can also be displayed in detail. Faulty devices can be isolated until they are serviced. This system’s outputs can control elevators, doors, and other critical infrastructure in an emergency.

Pre-recorded voice messages can be programmed into the system and played over voice evacuation systems. Using public address equipment, authorised operators can talk to a zone, floor, or building. Paging and calls can be made from anywhere on the network.

HVAC: Administrators can monitor and control all intelligent heating, ventilation and air-conditioning components from both plan and SCADA views. Moreover, it is possible to use other integrated system inputs and HVAC inputs combined to provide thermal footprint maps to identify cooling or heating problem areas for energy efficiency.

CCTV: Complete CCTV functionality is provided by connecting to the NVR service or proprietary DVRs. In the event of an alarm, cameras can automatically show, and record video footage, and system users can remotely control PTZ cameras to monitor the incident.

Access control: The system adds intelligence to even the most basic access control hardware, providing real-time information on users’ location within the facility. This information can also be used for time and attendance logging. Doors can be opened and closed to manually grant access to employees, visitors and contractors. In addition, area occupancy can be used to control air conditioning and electricity.

Electrical: The electrical/demand side power module, manages all electrical systems and sub systems. The system can perform automated meter reading and billing, Monitor and control generators, UPSs, PFCs, solar systems and batteries and lighting control.

Pre-paid metering can also be implemented.

Diagnostics: The unique SCADA views allow real-time ease of system monitoring and fast and accurate fault diagnostics.

Mobile access: iBMS Mobile is a mobile application that allows the receiving and tracking of all system alarms and faults, job cards, maintenance requests, and system mission-critical information.

Show and tell

To demonstrate the iBMS system’s functionality, F&IS; recently built a multi-million rand live system simulator which demonstrates the system’s capabilities. The iBMS Adrenaline Simulator represents a miniature building or data centre environment, with iBMS integrated into the various sub-systems typically found in buildings and large sites. These include fire detection, access control, security, energy management, and HVAC.

Benefits of iBMS Adrenaline

• Easy to operate (user-friendly).

• Quick to implement and learn, even for non-technical personnel.

• Centralised monitoring and control with distributed monitoring.

• Total integration of all building systems.

• Network aware.

• Time saving (increased operational efficiencies).

• It has the same look and feel even with different hardware.

• Logging and reporting of all historical data and events.

• SMS notification of critical events.

• Push notifications to iBMS Mobile.

• Real-time emergency management.

• Reduced building running costs.

• Elimination of business continuity risk.

• Rapid hardware diagnostics.

• Interactive smart documents (data sheets, manuals, drawings, reports).

• Automated monthly/weekly reports for all systems.

• Easily extendible to support new hardware (hardware agnostic).

Share this article:

Further reading: