Building management system (BMS)
A building management system (BMS) is either a control system that monitors and automates building equipment such as HVAC, lighting and pumps, or, more loosely, software for running building operations such as requests and maintenance.
Also known as: BMS · building automation system · BAS · building operations software
A building management system (BMS) has two common meanings, and it matters which one someone has in mind.
Meaning 1: building automation
In engineering, a BMS (also called a building automation system, or BAS) is a control system that monitors and automates a building’s mechanical and electrical plant: chillers, boilers, air handling units (AHUs), fans, pumps, lighting and, in some buildings, interfaces to access control and fire alarm panels. Sensors and controllers communicate over protocols such as BACnet, Modbus, KNX or LonWorks, and a central workstation shows live values, trends, alarms and set points.
Example: the BMS sees the supply air temperature on AHU-3 drifting upward and raises a high-temperature alarm on the chief engineer’s screen.
Meaning 2: building operations software
In property management, and in many search results, “building management system” also means software for running the building day to day: logging resident and tenant requests, issuing work orders, tracking maintenance and coordinating the front desk, engineers and cleaners. This is about people and tasks, not set points.
Example: a resident reports a broken light in the lift lobby; the building manager assigns it to a technician and sees when the job is closed.
How it differs from neighbouring terms
An automation BMS controls equipment. A CMMS manages the maintenance work done on that equipment. CAFM covers space, assets and services across a whole facility. The two meanings of BMS meet when an alarm needs a person to go and fix something: the alarm comes from automation, the fix is a work order.
Where TaskLoop fits
TaskLoop is building operations software in the second sense. It does not control HVAC or read BACnet points. It handles the human side: requests come in, are assigned to the right person or department, are completed with optional photo proof and show up in reports. See building management software.