Tandem Connect Classroom: A Foundation Series – Data Integration Planning

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Hello everyone, 

For the next part of our Tandem Connect Classroom series, I'm happy to share a great workflow which we've used to help customers gather information about the systems powering their digital twins in Tandem using Tandem Connect. Getting started can be challenging due to the unique terminology and quirks of the wide world of building management and operational systems. This workflow simplifies the process of making connections both to the teams who run those and the systems themselves.  

It’s common for these building and operational systems to be siloed within organizations and knowing the questions to ask upfront can help break down the barriers to getting your real-world data streamed into your digital twin. 

Building systems can vary from simple setups to complex, multi-system configurations. Some systems are located on-site, while others are cloud-based, and many are a combination of both. Additionally, different administrators may be responsible for various systems, adding another layer of complexity.  

Gathering Data  

By systematically collecting data, you can: 

• Better understand your building’s infrastructure 

• Identify potential issues and roadblocks early on 

• Streamline management processes. 

• Understand and articulate your organizations data governance in a practical way. 

To aid this process, we are sharing a template designed to help you organize the necessary data. While not every field in the template will be relevant to every situation, knowing the right questions to ask can provide valuable insights. Understanding the systems in place, recognizing potential roadblocks, and unlocking the full value of your assets are all benefits of thorough data collection. 

Here's a brief overview of the headers included in the template, along with examples and why they are valuable: 

IoT/Sensor Device: Understanding the specific IoT or sensor devices being used is crucial for understanding compatibility and integration with Autodesk Tandem. 

• Examples: 'AHU' or 'Room & desk reservation system' 

Maker/Supplier: Knowing the manufacturer or supplier helps in identifying the device's capabilities and support options available. 

• Examples: 'Mitsubishi' or 'Robin' 

BMS/BOM System: Identifying the specific Building Management System helps supports understanding detailed capabilities. Please also mention any modules, sub modules, addons or specific products or versions in use, if known.  

• Examples: 'Honeywell BMS' or 'Robin Room Scheduling application' 

Purpose: Understanding the purpose of each device ensures that the data collected aligns with the required use cases in the digital twin. 

• Examples: 'Monitor indoor temperature and humidity ' or 'provides past, current and future room and desk booking information. ' 

Quantity: The quantity of each device helps in planning the scale of integration and data handling. 

• Examples: '20 AHUs' or '10 meeting rooms and 37 desks Bookable inventory items' 

What Does It Monitor: Identifying what each device monitors ensures that the relevant data points are captured for the digital twin. This supports the team assessing if or when a connection would be required during implementation.  

• Examples: 'Temperature, Relative Humidity, airflow rate, fan speed' or 'Reservations for meeting rooms and desks' 

Host Asset: Knowing the host asset (in your BIM model, in Tandem or in the real world are all good answers here!) That each device is associated with helps in mapping the data to the correct asset in Autodesk Tandem, and assess if or where a connection would be required during implementation.  

• Examples: 'AHU assets modelled in BIM' or 'Room/space objects or the Robin asset if modelled in BIM' 

Device / System Owner: Help the team identify the owner of the system and data are.  

• Examples: 'Customer Name, Operator Name, 3rd party Contractor Name' or 'My Company' 

Device / System Administrator: Help the team identify the administrator of the system and data are.  

• Examples: 'Customer Name, Operator Name, 3rd party Contractor Name' or 'Work place Management team [email protected]' 

Maintenance (In-house or Contracted Service): Knowing the maintenance approach helps in planning support and troubleshooting strategies.  

• Examples: 'In-house maintenance team, contracted service with Honeywell, etc.' or 'In house, owned by EMEA Facilities team, enabled by Local IT and FM teams in each region. ' 

Protocol: Understanding the communication protocols used by the devices is essential for planning integrations with Autodesk Tandem & Tandem Connect. 

• Examples: 'BACnet' or 'Rest API ' 

Support for REST API: Ensuring support for REST API is important for seamless data integration with Autodesk Tandem. 

• Examples: 'Supports REST API' or 'Supports REST API' 

Authentication: Knowing how to authenticate to the system is important for establishing successful communication. 

• Examples: 'Basic' or 'Bear Token' 

Support for Webhooks: Webhooks enable real-time data push to Autodesk Tandem, which is crucial for timely updates. 

• Examples: 'No' or 'No support for posting to webhooks' 

Data Storage Location: Knowing where the data is stored helps in understanding data access, security, and compliance considerations. 

• Examples: 'On-prem storage in local servers' or 'Cloud storage' 

You may find that not every header is relevant or answerable right away, that’s to be expected as no two facilities or systems are the same. Likewise, you might only have one or two systems to connect to, or you may have dozens.  

We hope that using this template will assist you in asking the right questions to help you on your journey. 

If there’s any topics you think we’re missing here which can help us get ahead of problems and access issues, please post them below and we’ll add them to this resource.