3 Hidden Problems In real Estate Software Integration

The first hidden problem that we often see is that when hardware vendors provide software such as climate control, co2 emission control, access control systems, and hitting systems - they are not providing really good software. Because building hardware and building software are 2 very different types of business.

So what to do in order to make sure you will get a really good software solution?

1) check cases
if you choose software from a hardware vendor, go and check cases of the integration of the vendor. Go to the buildings and talk to their customers. Even if it’s just a startup, you will get very useful information.

2) check API/SDK documentation
Not just check it in real life, but ask for the sandbox.
The sandbox is a piece of software that the vendor usually provides for the IT integration, where they can test their software in a safe environment.

3) tutorials
There should be tutorials for the developers such as videos or pieces of code that explain how the solution works.

The second thing that you should keep in mind when you’re doing any kind of data integration inside your building, is that not all integrations are safe. For personal data, the GDPR regulations, are quite strict and the penalties are quite high.

To avoid the integration that might harm your company, you should keep in mind to double-check the cybersecurity of the integrations:

1. Check encrypted protocols (HTTPS, VPN). Sometimes it’s even better to hire a cybersecurity company for the audition to make sure that all protocols are encrypted.
2. Make sure that the authorization is secure and the end points of these connections are protected from the veto settings.

What you should definitely check and what can be often hidden - is the parameters of the object in the BIM model: there should be some data. Ideally, there should be information like material, width, height - it helps us understand whether the model is correct. And if there is only 3D available, then this is not a model, this is just good old 3D that is impossible to integrate.

So when you start a BIM integration project, don’t forget to double check the following parameters of BIM objects:

1. Typization. For example, if it’s a heater, then you should see that it’s a part of the heaters group and that all the heaters are a part of the climate control system.
2. Make, a serial number
3. Technical parameters
4. Building spaces bindings. Last but not least, all objects inside the BIM model should be connected to the spaces. This way we can understand in which room the equipment is located.