Operational monitoring & Project Management Assistance (AMO)

Operational monitoring and project management assistance (AMO) encompass all the actions that help the owner/manager to manage their buildings over the long term and make informed decisions. AMO does not carry out the work (that's the role of the project manager): it advises, guides, and oversees. Operational monitoring, on the other hand, transforms field data (meter readings, building management systems, interventions) into corrective actions to improve comfort, energy efficiency, indoor air quality, and costs. The goal is to achieve predictable, high-performing buildings that are easy for property managers, asset managers, and operators to understand.

Operational monitoring & project management assistance: operational definition

In concrete terms, the mission combines a strategic framework and recurring operations:

- Project management assistance framework: translation of objectives (energy, carbon, comfort, budget) into requirements and indicators; preparation of operating contracts (HVAC, BMS, multi-technical), definition of SLAs/penalties, assistance in choosing service providers.

- Instrumentation & measurement: sub-metering (heat/cold/electric/DHW), remote reading, data normalization, dashboards (kWh, DH of discomfort, CO₂, equipment availability).

- Manage operations: monthly/quarterly reviews with the operator, optimization of BMS instructions (water law, schedules, ΔT), maintenance plan (preventive/conditional), alarm management.

- Energy performance: M&V plan (IPMVP type), possible CPE monitoring, no/low cost actions (balancing, adjustments, night ventilation, schedules), then CAPEX roadmap (insulation, heat pump, PV…).

- Compliance & risks: ECS legionella, SSI/gas checks, F-Gas compliance, authorizations, continuity plan (breakdowns, heat waves, cold waves).

- Reporting & decision: readable reports for the union council/executive committee (gaps vs target, ROI, risks), OPEX/CAPEX arbitrations, phasing of work on an occupied site.

Advantages, limitations and points of attention of operational monitoring & project management assistance

Interests

• Clarity of governance: who does what, with what indicators and what commitments.
• Quick savings through adjustments and piloting (before making a heavy investment).
• Comfort & continuity: fewer complaints, fewer hazards, better IAQ.
• Informed decisions: reliable data to prioritize CAPEX vs OPEX.
• Controlled compliance: health, safety, regulatory (audits, registers).

Boundaries

• Recurring cost (AMO + metering) to be justified by measured gains.
• Requires data discipline (BMS quality, sensors, readings).
• Effectiveness depends on the responsiveness of service providers (operations/maintenance).
• The scope must be clear: the AMO is not the operator nor the MOE.

Points to consider

• Contracts: service levels, on-call duty, intervention times, penalties.
• KPI: choose actionable indicators (kWh/m², DH, CO₂, equipment availability).
• Data: interoperable architecture (BMS, API, formats), rights management.
• M&V: IPMVP method or equivalent to prove savings.
• Multi-year plan: link “quick wins” actions and investments (3-5 year horizon).
• Communication: making reports understandable (graphics, summaries) to trustees, developers and architects.

Anecdote — “The dashboard that calmed the Canebière”

In Marseille, an office complex was seeing its energy bills skyrocket and complaints about comfort mount. The project management consultant began by cleaning up the building management system (BMS) data, deploying submetering, and establishing a monthly meeting with the building manager. Three "invisible" adjustments were all it took: softened water temperature, schedules closer to actual usage, and nighttime ventilation on warm nights. The result in nine months: a 14% reduction in electricity consumption, an 11% reduction in heating costs, and complaints cut in half. The building manager summed it up with a smile: "We didn't change the boiler room, we changed the operator."