INTEGRATING BMS and PCS Systems in the GxP Environment

There are many ways to integrate building management and process control systems. One size does not fit all.

Multi-use, hybrid facilities are becoming the standard in the life sciences industry rather than the exception. Most facilities are designed to serve more than one purpose. While housing a manufacturing area may be a building's most important function, it may include a group of labs or warehousing space. These multi-purpose facilities create an interesting challenge. This article examines these challenges and potential solutions.

As an example, consider a facility with process and packaging lines, offices, a warehouse, some common spaces, and a cafeteria. The owner's challenge is to simultaneously manufacture the product, access and store the data, provide a comfortable environment, and comply with GxP regulations.

 In theory, a single system can be used to accomplish these goals. Otherwise, the building management system (BMS) and the process control system (PCS) must be integrated. We will discuss the single-system scenario as well as five schemes for integrating BMS and PCS systems.

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