In modern building management, innovation and transformative leadership are essential for driving industry evolution. As technology continues to redefine the boundaries of efficiency and sustainability, pioneering individuals are reshaping the way we approach building automation and energy management. Amidst this backdrop of change, one visionary stands out for his relentless pursuit of excellence and commitment to driving sustainable innovation.
With a keen eye for opportunity and a passion for transformative solutions, Nicolas Sautter, Founder and CEO of a groundbreaking company, beez- fm, has emerged as a leading force in revolutionizing the building management sector.
From a young age, Nicolas was acutely aware that his generation, Generation Y, might be the first unable to promise a better life for their children—a stark contrast to the assurances our parents and grandparents could make. This realization stemmed from witnessing the rapid pace at which humans were depleting our planet's resources, pushing our environment to the brink of being uninhabitable.
But Nicolas has always held a firm belief in the intrinsic goodness of humanity, yet recognized a collective uncertainty about how to rectify our course. His expertise in the Building Management System (BMS) market, coupled with his IT background, where he observed the shift from owning costly printers to a more economical leasing OPEX model, revealed a potential parallel in the BMS industry. The prevalent practice of selling BMS to main contractors—who had no stake in the energy consumption—resulted in wasteful and inefficient building operations.
Witnessing the green growth economy's evolution and the stark reality of CO2 emissions worldwide, it became clear that mere product sales would not foster genuine sustainable development. It was then that Nicolas realized "a fundamental change was imperative"—not just in our business models, but in our entire economic principles, which had been too narrowly focused on Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
With this in mind, he founded beez-fm, a company that revolutionizes the building management sector by selling not products but results and outcomes. They introduced a groundbreaking BaaS model, transforming traditional BMS into a fully cloud-based Building IoT solution, integrating Machine Learning and AI to optimize building efficiency and sustainability. beez-fm does not just aim to meet the current standards; beez-fm strives to set new ones, ensuring that their clients can achieve their sustainability goals while enhancing operational efficiency .
As beez-fm continues to forge ahead, their vision is clear: to lead the change in redefining the industry, to turn the tide on environmental degradation, and to guarantee that the legacy we leave for our children is one of hope, health, and harmony with the planet we all call home. beez-fm is not just dreaming of a better future; they are actively constructing it, one building at a time.
Discovering Boundless Potential
Nicolas's venture into the Building Management Systems (BMS) sector had a fortuitous beginning. Initially employed as an IT engineer at the Swiss BMS provider SAUTER, he found himself unexpectedly thrust into the spotlight when a critical SCADA system malfunctioned, causing a halt in production. Despite lacking prior experience in BMS, production, or SCADA systems, Nicolas relied on his problem-solving skills to diagnose and resolve the fault, successfully restoring the production line within an hour.
This swift resolution garnered attention, leading to an intriguing proposition from the SCADA product manager: to assume the role of product manager for the upcoming generation of SAUTER's SCADA systems. Despite his unfamiliarity with the position, Nicolas was drawn to the challenge, particularly after his mentor, Alexandre Amatori, described the product manager position as being the worldwide utmost expert of his product. Motivated by this prospect, Nicolas embarked on a rigorous self- education journey, immersing himself in the intricacies of the software to prepare for training seasoned professionals.
During this intensive learning process, Nicolas discovered the immense potential of BMS to enhance building efficiency . This realization resonated deeply with his long-held belief that his generation could do better and reverse the trend of the pace at which we are destroying the planet to finally be able to guarantee a better future for our children. The myriad opportunities within the BMS realm to contribute to this vision captivated Nicolas, cementing his dedication to the field.
Transforming Building Management
Systems
Nicolas embarked on his journey with Building Management Systems (BMS) through a year of intensive learning, immersing himself in the software's intricacies, technical support, and real projects. Leveraging his IT degree and profound understanding of software, he navigated successfully, providing support to individuals with 15 years of BMS experience despite his limited experience of only three months. Recognizing his dedication, SAUTER invested in his potential by sponsoring a marketing degree, fostering his professional growth. Balancing work commitments during weekdays and academic pursuits during evenings and weekends, Nicolas gained a unique perspective, combining technical expertise with marketing insights to address the diverse needs of clients, customers, and end-users.
By 2012, Nicolas recognized the need for transformation within the BMS industry. The conventional approach of selling energy-saving solutions to design consultants and main contractors, who were detached from the energy bills and building occupancy, appeared inherently fiawed. He observed numerous negotiations over valves and drives conducted by individuals lacking technical expertise, realizing that building owners sought optimal indoor climates with minimal energy consumption and maintenance. This realization inspired the conception of beez-fm, initially named "Bees." Drawing inspiration from leasing models that revolutionized the printer and automotive industries, Nicolas envisioned a service that eradicated capital expenditure (CAPEX) for companies. Instead, they would subscribe to a comprehensive package encompassing hardware, software, and technical support tailored to the project's requirements.
Together with a team of like-minded colleagues from SAUTER, Nicolas initiated the development of the first business plan. However, their initial enthusiasm was tempered by the realization that the prevailing technology was not sufficiently advanced to implement their vision profitably. Despite a sound concept, the practical application remained just beyond reach.
Leveraging IoT Technology for Facility Management
With the dawn of new IoT technological capabilities in 2019, Nicolas was inspired to launch beez- fm. The mission was to address key challenges:
beez-fm emerges as a solution to these systemic challenges, heralding a new era of BMS that prioritizes the end- user experience and sustainable growth.
Driving Sustainable Innovation
At beez-fm, the Vision and Mission are as follows:
· Mission: beez-fm aims to lead as the green building leader, offering BMS as a Service, an innovative building ecosystem optimizing energy and management for all stakeholders. The mission is to disrupt the building industry by providing essential solutions without upfront costs, thereby reducing energy expenses, cutting CO2 emissions, enhancing comfort and well-being, and transforming buildings into agents of positive change. beez-fm operates on a results-based payment model, receiving a share of the achieved energy savings.
· Vision: beez-fm pioneers the green revolution, presenting a comprehensive and innovative ecosystem for building efficiency. The vision is to spearhead an economic paradigm shift, exemplifying a new business model that removes barriers to a truly sustainable future where social and economic growth align with environmental protection. beez- fm: Building an Eco-friendly Earth with Zeal!
Driven by three core values, represented by three colors:
Navigating Innovation: Nicolas, the Founder and CEO of beez- fm, believes that several leadership qualities are essential for driving innovation and growth within the company:
· Passion and Motivation: A leader must be deeply passionate about the company's mission and vision. Passion fuels creativity, determination, and resilience. When leaders are genuinely enthusiastic about their work, it inspires the entire team to push boundaries and explore new possibilities. Passion and motivation are contagious.
· Forward-Thinking Vision: Nicolas appreciates the sentiment echoed by Henry Ford: "If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses." In today's rapidly evolving technological landscape, leaders need to see opportunities where others see challenges. A forward- thinking mindset allows them to anticipate industry trends, adapt to changing landscapes, and stay ahead of the curve.
· Adaptability with Strategic Focus: Dynamic industries evolve rapidly. Leaders who can adapt to new technologies, market shifts, and customer preferences thrive. They embrace change, encourage flexibility, and empower their teams to learn and grow alongside the industry. However, it's crucial to maintain a strategic focus and avoid changing direction too often, as it can demotivate the team.
· Resilience: Innovation often faces setbacks and obstacles. Resilient leaders bounce back from failures, learn from them, and persevere. They instill a sense of determination in their teams, emphasizing that setbacks are stepping stones toward progress. A positive mindset towards learning from mistakes is vital for continuous improvement.
Enjoying the Process: Lastly, leaders should enjoy the journey of innovation and growth. Embracing the challenges and victories along the way contributes to a positive work environment and inspires the team.
In summary, a successful leader in a dynamic industry combines passion, confidence, vision, adaptability, effective communication, resilience, environmental and social awareness, an understanding of the team, and a commitment to enjoying the process. By embodying these qualities, leaders can drive innovation, foster growth, and navigate the ever-changing landscape successfully.
The BMS Market Paradigm Shift
Nicolas foresees a
transformative shift in the building automation industry. Utilizing
cutting-edge technologies, tailored financial solutions for investors and end
users are poised to revolutionize the market. Traditional controllers and
on-site devices will soon be rendered obsolete
as IoT devices seamlessly connect to the cloud. These intelligent devices will
autonomously regulate themselves while receiving enhanced control algorithms
from cloud-based data analytics, thus optimizing their efficiency. The entire
concept of data points and control panels will disappear.
In today’s dynamic market
landscape, the concept of categories is constantly evolving. Just as we see in supermarkets
and restaurants, where food categories adapt over time, the same principle
applies to business and marketing. Leading this evolution is beez-fm, a company
at the forefront of creating new categories to address previously unmet needs.
Companies like Uber and
Airbnb have pioneered new categories, transforming the taxi and hospitality
industries, respectively. Uber didn’t just replace taxis; it created a new
category of ride- sharing. Similarly, Airbnb revolutionized the hospitality
sector by offering a unique alternative to traditional hotels.
At the helm of beez-fm are
four visionary co-founders: Nicolas Sautter, Martial Wilbert, Paulo Iasbech,
and Didier Pedreno, whose innovative thinking has led to the creation of a new
category called Outcome-Based Models (OBM). Instead of selling products, this
startup focuses on delivering outcomes to its customers, primarily in the
building industry—an industry that has long relied on outdated practices. For
centuries, the systems and practices within this sector have remained largely
unchanged. However, as everything around us advances at an unprecedented pace,
it’s clear that the building industry must also evolve and become more adaptive.
Traditionally, building
owners have purchased products like sensors, valves and controllers without
fully understanding their purpose or benefits. These decisions are often made by
main contractors who do not bear the long-term costs, such as energy bills. As
a result, building owners end up with suboptimal solutions that do not meet
their needs for comfort and energy efficiency
Once the building is
constructed, another challenge arises. Building users are often approached by
green tech companies selling energy savings products. These companies as well
are incentivized by the volume of products sold, not by the actual energy efficiency achieved. Furthermore, they rarely train the facilities management
(FM) team, leading to products being unused after a few months or years,
especially in Southeast Asia. This results in significant waste, as products are
bought twice—first by the main contractor and then by the building user—each
time generating CO2 for production and transportation.
beez-fm’s approach is different. Recognizing that building owners ultimately seek two key outcomes—comfort and reduced energy consumption—the company has stopped selling products and instead offers these outcomes directly. They take full responsibility for ensuring that buildings are comfortable and energy-efficient. Customers pay based on the achievement of these outcomes, not the products used to achieve them.
Efficiency in Action
Nicolas recounts a notable
case involving an energy-intensive hotel. Despite having a Building Management
System (BMS) in place, the energy consumption remained unchecked due to its
ineffective utilization by the customer. Furthermore, numerous mechanical
products were either improperly configured or installed in reverse. Prior to
implementing their energy- saving solution, a comprehensive review of the
entire installation was imperative. Although this process exceeded the initial
time estimates, the results were remarkable. Within a few months, they achieved
over 40% savings compared to the calculated energy baseline, particularly
crucial during the intense heat of Southeast Asia. Without their intervention,
the customer would have incurred exorbitant energy costs during these periods.
Moreover, these savings correspond to a significant reduction in CO2 emissions. In Southeast Asia, heightened cooling demands during hot months often necessitate additional power generation, primarily from coal sources. This underscores the importance of enhancing efficiency to mitigate the acceleration of global warming.
Revolutionizing Building Management
Nicolas reveals an upcoming
innovation called RizaOne, a building ecosystem driven by AI and ML
technologies. While the initial phase has been successfully implemented, the
company is now focusing on enhancing its capabilities to cater to all building
stakeholders. The name "RizaOne" derives from the Greek word
"Riza," meaning "root," symbolizing its role as the central
hub for all buildings and stakeholders.
RizaOne will offer access, cross-data analytics, and groundbreaking automated control features, marking a significant advancement in building management solutions.
Navigating Entrepreneurship
Founder and CEO like Nicolas of beez- fm, brings immense rewards alongside significant challenges. Success hinges upon a robust business plan and a well- defined go-to-market strategy. Additionally, securing adequate capital is crucial; settling for the minimum may hinder scalability when demand surpasses capacity.. Managing rapid growth while simultaneously seeking additional funding presents formidable challenges. However, overcoming such obstacles, while pressurizing, signifies progress. Above all, maintaining pride in one’s endeavors remains paramount amidst the intricacies of entrepreneurship.
Navigating Ecosystems & Remote Work
Nicolas acknowledges the significance of the startup ecosystem, particularly in locations like Singapore and various other countries. He emphasizes the importance for entrepreneurs to familiarize themselves with resources such as incubators and accelerators, recognizing them as effective avenues for startup growth.
Furthermore, Nicolas reflects on the challenges of remote work. Despite technological advancements and the post-COVID era, he highlights the complexities beyond mere tools and communication channels. Building connections and fostering relationships among employees across different locations and countries prove to be more challenging than anticipated. Nicolas underscores the importance of considering these factors from the outset, emphasizing their significance despite initial perceptions.
Revolutionizing the Building Industry with “OBM,” the new business category by beez-fm
At the helm of beez-fm are four visionary co-founders: Nicolas Sautter,
Martial Wil bert, Paulo Iasbech, and Didier Pedreno, whose innovative thinking
has led to the creation of a new category cal led Outcome-Based Models (OBM).
This model shifts the focus from sel ling individual components to delivering
holistic solutions that truly meet the needs of building owners. By embracing
OBM, beez-fm is not just fil ling a gap in the market; they are creating a new
space that offers unparal leled value and convenience while reducing the CO2
footprint of the industry.
Nicolas, Martial, Paulo and Didier created beez-fm driven by a desire to
make the planet a better place for future generations. They recognized that the
building industry is a perfect example of waste driven by stakeholders’ self-interest, who are
not incentivized by the final outcomes required in buildings. This motivation
led Nicolas to create OBM, aiming to reduce waste and improve efficiency in the
building industry.
By introducing their
innovative solution, beez-fm aims to redefine the market and establish a new
category that wil l set the standard for the future.
