Baptist Health: Freedom Through Open Systems

Project Overview

In 2020, Baptist Health decided to change their building automation service vendor. Because their campus of 35 buildings ran on an open-protocol Automated Logic system, they were able to make the change without difficulty, preserving their entire building automation system investment and avoiding the costly "rip-and-replace" scenario common with proprietary systems.

The Challenge: Ensuring a Smooth Transition

The primary challenge was not technical, but operational: to ensure a seamless handover of service and support for a large, mission-critical portfolio of healthcare facilities. With 17 mission-critical buildings monitored 24/7, there was no room for error or downtime. The owner needed assurance that a new vendor could step in and provide support without any learning curve or interruption of service.

The Solution: The Power of a Standardized System

Because the Automated Logic system is standardized and non-proprietary, Mechanical Air Concepts was able to continue supporting the entire campus without any additional training. The system, running an older version of WebCTRL with controllers dating from 2006 to 2022, continued to function flawlessly under a single user interface. This allowed the owner's team and MAC's on-call engineers to maintain constant monitoring of critical conditions and dispatch teams immediately.

Conclusion

This case study is a powerful testament to our core philosophy. By initially choosing an open system, Baptist Health empowered themselves. They were not locked to a single vendor and could choose the service provider that offered the best value. This project highlights the long-term financial and operational benefits of untrapping the owner from proprietary ecosystems.