The BAT is currently designed to collect and store facility, energy, audit, facility,
condition and resilience data, and it is an important tool in the project development
nexus. Built as a Microsoft access application, the BAT can be used by most
Microsoft Office users. The tool is capable of capturing and storing a variety of data at
the building and facility level and has been designed specifically as a walk around data
collection system, eliminating the need for paper checklists which require hand
transcription or scanning to be useful. All the data collected are formatted and
structured for use within the BAT, or it can be exported to use in other systems. Most
importantly, after the initial audit, these data are stored and can simply be updated in
future audits. There will be no need to keep counting the same light bulbs or inventorying
the same doors with each new audit. This will save time, money and allow resources to be
focused on situational or operational changes that offer real energy savings opportunities
or needed condition improvement. While the BAT is not a data analysis
tool, there are plenty of other systems that provide specialty analyses. It will store
analysis results again in standardized formats that are useful for direct exports to
other databases for energy audits. This includes the Dewey Compliance Tracking System
for required federal reporting of energy and water evaluations and the resulting CMS for E
covered facilities for facility condition assessments. This includes standardized
component identifiers, specifically unit format codes and customizable condition
codes. Getting started with the BAT is simple.
Users must be using Windows ten and have a copy of GMs access 2013 or newer installed on
their machine. Assuming these criteria are met, the BAT installation files, quick start
guide, video tutorials and a full user's manual are available on the Bat Support
SharePoint site for download. Once installed, logging into the BAT for initial use is
straightforward and similar to other software that most users should be accustomed with.
Upon first use, the BAT database will be empty. Users will begin by entering some
initial contact information and populate the real property data tables. New buildings can
be added using a manual input form or the batch upload template. Once buildings are
added, they can be assigned to specific field auditors for editing and become available for
data entry. Data entry within the BAT will be familiar to experienced auditors and
assessors. Forms in the BAT are similar to the types of paper checklists that are often
used in audits, and the workflow is consistent with typical procedures, for
example, prior to a field visit. It is typical to collect data about the facility
and individual buildings from past reports and phone interviews with facility staff. In
the BAT, this data collection process is called Pre-Flighting and there is a dedicated
menu for entering these data. The BAT even includes a simple floorplan tool that allows
for consistent naming conventions for spaces within buildings, and a handy photo
processing tool that allows auditors to manage photos within the BAT. During the
actual audit, the BAT uses a series of menus and submenus to help auditors and assessors
collect data in real time. Since the BAT is installed locally on each user's machine, no
internet access is required, so data can be collected even in locations that lack a wi fi
signal. Easy dropdown menus, pick lists and pop up touch friendly keypads are available
on most menus. These features help overcome some of the data entry pitfalls associated
with spreadsheet based systems. Floorplan information, if provided in the preflight
menu, is also available.
The most recent edition of the Bat includes menus, forms and data fields dedicated to the
collection of facility condition assessment information. While energy audits and facility
condition assessments are underpinned by much of the same data, such as building location
and characteristics, Fcas have different scopes and reporting requirements. The BAT
now includes dedicated navigation menus shown in red and input fields that are tailored for
FCA data collection.
There are also reports and data export tools specifically designed for FCAS.
Data collected within the BAT is designed to be easily extracted for use in analysis and
reporting. An extract, transform, load or ETL tool is built into the BAT to map the BAT
data field names to the corresponding data field names of the receiving system. This
will be especially useful for exporting BAT data to third party databases such as the
Builder Sustainable Management System. Energy conservation measure or ACM results can also
be stored and managed from within the BAT. ECM Project Implementation, Measuring and
verification are tracked and managed by building and ECM output.
Reporting is also extensive, with a variety of canned reports that can be filtered,
printed or saved as Excel files. In fact, any of the reports built into the BAT can be
saved in Excel or CSV format.
As noted previously, export template files are available for uploading information to
the compliance tracking system. In summary, the BAT is a straightforward, simple to
understand tool that will help users collect and manage their building energy and facility
assets. Whether you need a digital data collection tool to more efficiently populate
your existing enterprise database system or a standalone all in one solution to capture and
store your building and facility data, the BAT is designed to offer you the flexibility
you need.