Earlier this month, the inaugural NexusCon event brought together a small yet diverse group of industry stakeholders to a remote resort in Colorado. As a partner of NexusLabs, InSite attended to share our perspective on the decarbonization puzzle and learn from our peers in an open and understanding environment. Â
In a departure from common conference themes, NexusCon invited vendors to discuss failures as transparently as successes. A resounding struggle discussed with the group was the difficulty of transitioning small pilot efforts into larger organizational change. The central issue here is change management – it isn’t often accounted for but it is so critical to success. Â
My fellow attendees understood the value of the various programs offered by the myriad software and services vendors on display. But they spoke candidly about their own difficulties with getting buy-in further up their internal chain of command.
Keys to success
While there was no silver bullet solution for the change management problem, several sessions focused on it as a key component of any decarbonization effort. We discussed a few key strategies to help remove bottlenecks:Â
- Start with an advanced, singular network architecture to facilitate connectivity and data transfer. If everyone can see the data that impacts their part of the puzzle, it might facilitate buy-in faster.Â
- Ensure the decarbonization of smart buildings program fits into the customer’s existing business model (e.g. optimize occupant experience). Connect to a strategy that is already approved!Â
- Share success throughout the pilot stage. Bring key stakeholders in earlier into the conversation who may not be actively involved in the pilot.Â
Digitization in the built environment is not an easy task. Decarbonization at scale is a massive effort for any organization. But with the help of industry groups like Nexus Labs, we are collectively getting better at articulating its value and overcoming key barriers. Â
