What multi-site organisations get wrong about Building Management Systems – and how to make this right

Written by Nick King, Divisional Head of Sales and Account Management at Ignite Energy.

If you manage a multi-site estate, you’ll almost certainly have a Building Management System (BMS) somewhere across your portfolio.

But here’s the thing, having a BMS and getting real value from it are two different things. Although your BMS might be working just fine, it might not be working as hard as it should.

We make that statement with confidence, because Ignite Energy has been helping organisations get more from their BMS for over 15 years from rollout and integration through to ongoing optimisation across large estates.

With this in mind, let’s talk about why we tell our clients that the gap between “it’s working” and “it’s working well” is often where the biggest opportunities lie.

Owning a BMS and optimising one are very different things

A BMS is meant to sit at the heart of a building – managing HVAC, lighting and key services, ideally giving you a clear view of how everything is performing.

However, things drift over time. Settings get overridden, schedules stop reflecting reality, buildings change yet controls don’t – all the while no one joins the dots across multiple sites.

It’s not unusual to see buildings waste a bulk of their energy simply because the controls aren’t configured correctly. At multi-site scale, this inefficiency compounds fast.

Minor problems create major expense

Across a multisite portfolio, you’re typically dealing with different BMS platforms, ways of running sites, operating hours, and levels of engagement from on-site teams.

None of this is unusual on its own, but creates inconsistency when put together – and that’s where cost creeps in.

Within this operational reality lies an opportunity. At
Ignite, we’ve seen organisations unlock six-figure savings simply by getting a consistent approach in place and reconnecting systems that were operating in isolation.

A few recent examples we’ve seen:

• A UK government estate saved over £75,000 just by improving control and optimisation across sites.
• A commercial office reduced energy use by 28%, saving £171,000 in under a year.
• Another portfolio found £100,000+ per year simply by sorting out configuration and visibility issues.

None of the above required major plant upgrades – just better use of what was already there.

A system is nothing without people

BMS is usually seen as a technical fix, but the results this solution creates depend on behaviour.
Even the best setup won’t deliver if:

• Someone overrides it because the space “feels a bit cold.”
• Systems are left running out of habit.
• No one really owns performance across the estate.
• Or energy just isn’t something people think about day to day.

The organisations getting the best results tend to keep things simple: Clear ownership and standards, consistent ways of working and making energy visible enough for people to engage with.

Although seemingly obvious, this makes a big difference. When people understand what the system is doing and why, the system tends to work a lot better.

The easy wins often hide in plain sight

Most inefficiencies aren’t dramatic, just easy to miss. Heating kicks in long before anyone arrives, heating and cooling run at the same time, equipment runs overnight or at weekends, sensors drifting over time, “temporary” overrides that never got switched back.

None of these issues stands out on their own, but together they can easily run into tens of thousands of pounds per site.

Even in relatively well-managed buildings, there’s often a decent chunk of savings to be made without any capital spend required – just better tuning, schedules and visibility.

What about the blind spots?

Another chasm often lies right outside the core system. It’s common to come across the same issues across multi-site estates: standalone AC units, lighting on separate timers, refrigeration or specialist kit running independently, new installs that were never integrated.

All this uses energy but is not always managed the same way – which creates blind spots.

Sometimes the biggest step you can take forward isn’t adding new tech, but pulling everything together so you can really see – and control – what’s going on.

Consistency is key

Energy spend, sustainability obligations and operational efficiency are three challenges every multisite organisation is trying to solve simultaneously.

It’s tempting to look at new technology for answers, but significant gains are often already within reach in your existing setup. A well-run, joined-up BMS estate can make a bigger difference than most people expect – in control and long-term performance along with cost.

Clear, repeatable approach across sites sets high-performing estates apart from the rest. Even well-performing individual sites drift over time without consistency, but once in place, gains tend to compound and last.

For us, consistency means:

• Aligned control strategies.
• Standard setpoints and schedules.
• Clear visibility of performance.
• Defined ownership.

But the real question is whether your current setup is doing everything it could be.

Want to know more?

Our upcoming Talking Point webinar examines how an integrated BMS can give multi-site organisations greater visibility and control over their energy use.

On 17 June 2026 at 11am, Kate Hughes and Craig Needham will join me in discussing BMS design and configuration basics, standardisation and what to connect to get the most value. Join us by registering your free place here.