Things You Don’t Go Cheap On

There are certain things in life that you should not, under any circumstances, go cheap on. Some of the items that make this list might include a mattress, car, shoes, toilet paper, tattoos, and plastic surgery. Granted, everyone is different and will prioritize these decisions according to what is most important to them, but why is it that we refuse to compromise on the quality of these specific items?
Let’s take a mattress for example. This is an easy one. On average, humans spend nearly a third of their lives sleeping. Any place or thing you spend this much time on certainly merits an investment where price is far from your first priority. Beyond the substantial amount of time you will spend using this product, the quality of sleep will also affect the quality of your life. Finally, according to Sleep Advisor, mattresses can last more than ten years when properly cared for. Anything you are going to have to deal with for over a decade should be of a high quality. So the driving factors behind this decision include:

Time spent using the product on a daily basis
Health
Productivity
Quality of life
How long you will own the product

Next, we take a look at investing in an automobile. Depending on your lifestyle, a car may or may not fall into this category for you, but it’s easy to see why this product seems like a worthwhile expense. A quality car ensures your safety on the road. It may get better gas mileage which will save you money in the long run. A good car will also require less maintenance, again mitigating an ongoing expense you may run into with a lower quality vehicle. The longevity of ownership also comes into play. A 2015 study showed that buyers hold onto their new vehicle for 6.5 years. The driving factors behind why an automobile is a worthwhile investment are:

Safety
Reduce ongoing expenses
How long you will own the product

Let’s skip down our original list to plastic surgery. Again, not for everyone, but I doubt you would argue against spending a little extra if you were getting some work done. First and foremost, you are going to have to live with the results of this procedure the rest of your life. It’s going to impact how you feel about yourself, how other people treat you, and potentially your physical well-being. This is something you want to be done right the first time, otherwise, you are likely in for some misery and very expensive procedures to make things right. Some of the elements that influence this investment are:

Time spent using the product on a daily basis
Safety
Health
Quality of life
Reduce ongoing expenses
How long you will own the product

It’s easy to see the similarities in why these are things we don’t mind spending a little extra money for. This raises the question, why would a facility owner or manager ever go cheap on a building automation system?!

Never Go Cheap On Your BAS

Particularly when it comes to new construction, but even in existing buildings, the lowest bidder of building automation controls almost always wins out. The general contractor (GC) for the project gets quotes from at least three mechanical contractors and those mechanical contractors often get quotes from multiple controls vendors. Nine times out of ten, the mechanical contractors will choose the lowest bidding controls manufacturer, because they know the GC is going to choose the lowest bidding mechanical contractor. It’s a vicious cycle that leads to a lot of headaches that last a very long time.
Unlike other contractors on a construction project, the controls vendor is going to be around for at least the next 5 or 10 years on a regular basis. This vendor is going to have the greatest effect on your ongoing operations costs whether it be from energy consumption or the time spent addressing issues caused by the system. Beyond ongoing costs, tenants’ number one complaint to facility management is regarding temperature control. It’s also the number one reason why a tenant will remain in their current location or leave to find a new space for their company. The BAS is the tool that will be used on a daily basis to remedy the issues that are most important to tenant retention!
A quality building automation system is going to be one that the facilities team knows how to manage themselves. This immediately reduces the expense of ongoing service calls, improves occupant comfort, health, and productivity, and gives you the best chance to reduce energy usage in your facility. Building automation systems meet virtually every criterion we have for something worth investing in: