Application 11 May 2022

Solution Builder – Use Cases

For digitization to really show off its strengths, it needs a high level of data consistency across all phases of the lifecycle as far as possible, as well as efficient workflows along the value chains. Therefore, there needs to be a way to transfer the data from the technical building services planning directly to the next execution steps to allow the building automation to be implemented as quickly and easily as possible. Expert technical building services planners work with special planning tools; these also specify operating equipment lists and an addressing system in addition to the control diagrams. The price calculation, the coordination between the individual building systems, the detailed execution planning and its implementation are then based on this planning.

With WAGO Solution Builder, much of the information from previous planning steps can be reused. The addressing system with the data point names is particularly important for this. These names can be transferred from the completed technical planning into Solution Builder, establishing a direct link between planning and implementation. This meets the important requirement of data consistency, which is advantageous both during commissioning and later during operation. Every piece of equipment can be clearly identified in both the plan and the engineering, and changes can be tracked transparently.

Once one of the contracting companies has completed a building system, the expert planner must verify that the execution work is in accordance with the planning and accept and document it. This is particularly convenient with Solution Builder, since the documentation function represents the individual system components, including functional relationships. Even parameters for the functionalities can be represented, as well as the functions that are triggered by them. This transparency makes it easier for the expert planner to check and accept the execution work.

The documentation of the entire building automation system with Solution Builder, which is handed over to the building operator after commissioning is completed, always represents the current status of the system in detail. WAGO Solution Builder enables consistency, from technical building services planning, to execution and documentation, thus ensuring high efficiency throughout the entire lifecycle of the building. Solution Builder also offers advantages later, during building operation: By always providing up-to-date documentation of building automation, it makes many facility management tasks easier.

The foundation for a smooth commissioning process is laid right at the beginning of the building project. The system integrator is responsible for ensuring that the functional requirements set in collaboration with the client are met after commissioning. Advising the client, planning and selecting the required hardware and programming it are also the system integrator’s responsibility. These processes require particular attention to coordination among the various contracting companies. In particular, the specification of the technical interfaces needs to ensures that the communication works as planned during commissioning.

Good preparation is crucial in order to achieve optimal results. In building automation, the quality of the available information in particular plays a major role. WAGO Solution Builder helps system integrators process projects quickly and avoid errors. It makes it easy to carry over the structure of the addressing system created during planning in accordance with VDI 3814 or DIN EN ISO 16484. That way, it is not necessary to name the components used and their data points manually, since the names are carried over automatically from the planning. Solution Builder is based on a modern database architecture, allowing parallel project processing within a team for faster project engineering.

The biggest challenge for system integrators often begins at the commissioning stage. By its nature, this step occurs at the very end of the construction project; time pressure is the rule rather than the exception at this point. The installed technology is fully tested, the individual data point connections are checked, and the previously planned functionalities are established. With its database structure, Solution Builder offers invaluable advantages – even in this phase, multiple system integrator employees can work through the tasks in parallel, making the commissioning process fast and reliable. This is especially helpful in this stage of the construction project, when the building needs to be ready for use as soon as possible.

With Solution Builder, documenting building automation is very easy. The key information, such as the structure of the hardware, the individual control parameters and the IP addresses of the devices used, is automatically carried over into the documentation. It used to be necessary to collect and document this information manually, but WAGO’s solution eliminates these steps. In addition, all changes made during commissioning are automatically included in the documentation. Once commissioning is complete, Solution Builder is available for maintenance and expansion work. By always providing up-to-date documentation of building automation, it also makes many facility management tasks easier.

When facility management staff use WAGO Solution Builder after building commissioning, they benefit from the system’s high level of transparency. The integrated device management provides a comprehensive overview of the installed devices and their configuration. The benefits include a high level of security of the installed systems against unauthorized access. For instance, configuration ports that are not required for regular operation can be disabled on all devices. Managing passwords for the devices used is also very easy. If the company’s IT security policies change, the passwords can be adapted to the new requirements at a central location.

When the building documentation is always up to date, many facility management tasks are easier. For instance, Solution Builder is a helpful tool when faults occur during regular operations: It provides facility management staff with documentation for all the systems, allowing them to react quickly. When a typical fault occurs – such when the heating is not working in one of the rooms – the components responsible can be quickly identified via the equipment identification system, their functionality can be checked, and, if necessary, they can be replaced. That way, the facility management team can eliminate many kinds of faults themselves, without having to call in external service providers. This doesn’t just increase their independence and speed – it also supports cost-effective operation. The central component of Solution Builder is a database that always contains up-to-date information, providing the necessarily transparency.

Over the course of decades, a building’s use is likely to change, and new operational requirements often arise. Renovations, refurbishments and renewals of technical equipment may also be necessary. In many cases, this requires adjustments to the building automation systems. With Solution Builder, the facility management team is able to make the majority of such adjustments on their own. A typical example is a change in space usage, such as when offices are converted into meeting rooms, or an open-plan office is divided into multiple individual offices. In these cases, the heating, lighting and shading usually need to be adjusted to the new use. With Solution Builder, the facility management team has access to all the installed controllers. Adjustments usually require no programming work.

In many construction projects, it’s a common situation for the operator and facility management team to no longer have access to the individual controllers’ programming tools once the building automation system has been commissioned. WAGO Solution Builder is different: The system is designed for the building’s entire lifecycle, so it supports operators in many ways. For example, the facility management team can access the integrated database and the documentation. This is constantly updated throughout all phases of building operation, so the information it contains is always current.