Providing superb customer value with Visual BACnet

The ATS companies guide customers into the age of IP and connectivity

Background

With over 30 years serving building management as a systems integrator, ATS could see the change coming. It was clear that although MS/TP had long been the standard for building systems, IP was the way of the future.

This exciting change would revolutionize buildings. With IP, buildings could be more connected, more data-driven, and by extension, smarter. However, this would also result in more network complexity and new integration challenges. With MS/TP and IP both running at customer sites, ATS had to be able to support an array of network needs.

ATS wanted to guide their customers, and provide extraordinary support to stand out as a trusted resource. They wanted to improve and maintain the network health on their clients’ sites, to ensure systems were performing at their best.

Challenges

ATS began by working with WiresharkTM, to analyze network issues and validate their work. While Wireshark is a great tool for experts, it can be difficult to decipher without a good foundation of BACnet knowledge. ATS had some technicians who could work with Wireshark, and some who were learning to use it. The learning curve was very steep, though. With a limited number of Wireshark experts, there was a bottleneck on completing work. Wireshark’s complex data also did not easily translate into sharing updates with customers.

The next-level support ATS envisioned would provide tremendous value for their customers. They just needed a platform that would allow them to scale up service and provide clear reports for customers.

Solution

ATS found the answer with Visual BACnetTM. Visual BACnet is a powerful BACnet diagnostics platform, designed to quickly uncover network problems. This means technicians can save time looking for issues, and instead focus on resolving them.

With 28 Diagnostic Checks for IP and MS/TP, Visual BACnet catches common problems that could easily be missed in Wireshark. Even better, because Visual BACnet provides a list of potential causes and fixes, staff who struggled with Wireshark were able to understand results and find solutions. This removed the bottleneck, allowing ATS to respond to customers even faster.

ATS also wanted to update customers after service. They needed a way to clearly communicate the results of their work. Again, Visual BACnet had precisely what they were looking for, with PDF Maintenance Reports. These reports are excellent for breaking down and sharing key information with clients. They bring all stakeholders together, to better support the building system.

With Visual BACnet, ATS has taken on the role of trusted advisor, providing streamlined support and incredible value for their customers.

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