Our very own James Atkins, Director at FPC Global, recently joined a panel of industry experts, as part of the Nexus Labs buyer’s guide series, to discuss the intricacies of Master Systems Integrator (MSI) services, a critical but complex role in the Digital Buildings landscape. 

For those of you new to Nexus Labs, they are a growing community dedicated to demystifying Smart Buildings, offering insightful content and courses without the marketing fluff. As an ongoing supporter of Nexus Labs, we’d highly recommend checking them out! 

The latest buyer’s guide for MSI services, sparked energetic discussions among panelists and the audience, whilst highlighting the crucial role MSIs play in integrating diverse operational technology systems to meet the evolving needs of building owners and occupiers.

Often compared to conductors of a symphony orchestra, MSIs orchestrate various layers of technology and vendors to deliver on client digital building initiatives. An MSIs expertise is varied and can include everything from Digital Building strategy development to design to program management, engineering and operations, all of which can be essential in implementing a cohesive suite of use cases that deliver on client aspirations.

During the webinar, James Atkins shared insights into how FPC’s services are positioned within the Digital Buildings marketplace and have been created to support our clients throughout their Digital Building journey from Strategy through to Operations.

Whatsmore, having supported clients in the procurement of MSI services for over 6 years, James also set out what our team of experts believe to be the top 3 key considerations when procuring an MSI:

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1. Set out aspirations and clearly define success 
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   • Know and communicate expected outcomes when engaging an MSI and make sure it’s central to their deliverables.
     
     
2. Understand MSI capabilities and their partners
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   • The MSI landscape is complex with many disciplines. Assessing an MSI’s in-house capabilities and supplementary partnerships against your scope requirements is important.
     
     
3. Project and Program Management is Key!
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   • Digital Building initiatives involve A LOT of stakeholders, technical project management and stakeholder engagement capabilities are often overlooked, this can make all the difference.

The session concluded with a lively Q&A, where the audience challenged the panelists on the true needs of building owners in this rapidly evolving field. For those interested in the webinar, we’d highly recommend checking out the webinar, particularly the discussion at the 45-minute mark.

For us the webinar underscored the importance of selecting the right MSI to navigate the complexities of Digital Buildings, with a focus on collaboration, expertise, and effective project management.

A huge thanks to the Nexus Labs team for having us and hosting a great session!

If you’d like to learn more about FPC Global or to pick up on some of the topics we touched on, reach out to us!