By Marcus Myers
Partner and Chief Technology Officer, Streamline Automation (SLA)
Co-Founder and Lead Trainer, BPV Solutions
Follow Marcus on LinkedIn
I’m honored to join AutomatedBuildings.com as a contributing editor.
After years in the construction world, with the opportunity to be involved on every side, from design and build to commissioning, controls, and systems integration, I’ve learned in the field that everything is connected if you know how to see it. You need to harness the Neo in you and embrace The Matrix. If you don’t know what I am talking about, and this makes no sense, your first step is simple: please go watch the movie.
In all seriousness, this takes time to learn, and it takes time to train people to do this work. It does not magically jump into your head like it does in The Matrix through a download, but you never know, we could be moving to that one day soon too. Until then, you can read it in a book, but the lessons learned, the ones that stick, usually come from on-the-job experience. Those are truly invaluable. The meaning and the memories come from being in the battle and having the scars to show it. You have to see it to believe it. What can go wrong in the field usually will. Murphy’s law.
I’m a practicing professional, teacher, and mentor. I don’t just talk the talk; I walk the walk. Commissioning is a process, not a task. We are building faster than ever in mission-critical data centers, semiconductor fabs, laboratories, hyperscale campuses, and AI-driven environments that demand precision, accountability, and teamwork.
The future of commissioning is a much deeper understanding of automation and controls, and we have to become hybrid. That is a loaded sentence, but it is not at the same time. If you don’t know the subtle differences or you don’t speak the protocol language, it can feel difficult and even paralyzing, like being in another country and not knowing what anyone is saying, and that is scary. If you speak even a little, it is manageable and you can navigate it, but you need someone on your team who will champion this, or you will probably be out of a job soon.
That future lives both in the field and in the virtual world inside the logic. It starts in design and must be carried all the way through. It is not automatic, and it does not happen by magic. This is an all-out team event, with the emphasis on finding solutions together without fingerpointing. We all have to understand not only our own defined scopes but each other’s, and how we fit, improvise, and adapt so the building actually performs as intended.
This marks the paradigm shift: a mindset change, hybrid people, integrated processes, and results you can prove. It is why I am joining AutomatedBuildings.com to help bring it together. I am here to advocate, connect, collaborate, and educate. I push a solution-oriented culture: more “yes we can” and less “not my scope” or automatic “no.”
Commissioning works best when everyone shares a clear picture of scope, outcomes, and responsibilities. My focus is education, alignment, and measurable results so trust is built before the work begins. This platform is where I will publish what works on Monday, not someday.
I will show how to turn sequences into uptime from design through startup, PFC, FPT, and IST. I will cover controls and integration that stick, including Division 25, MSI, metadata, trending, fault detection, and how to make it usable for operators. I will map clean handoffs from OPR to BOD to the Commissioning Plan to MBCx, with checklists, gates, and durable documentation. I will share day one drills that prove openness, logic visibility, and trendable performance, and I will close the loop with lessons learned across data centers, labs, semiconductors, higher education, healthcare, and federal projects, with clear fixes.
I will publish real truths from the field. Sometimes the message is tough. I will name the problems and bring solutions, recommendations, and best practices. We will end with what we need to do together. If it sounds a bit Tony Robbins or Simon Sinek at times, that is fine. We should all aspire to be our best selves.
Training works when people trust their trainer. There are no shortcuts. It is step by step until it sticks. The best lessons come from on-the-job experience. I’ll say it again, as a good trainer would: you have to see it to believe it. What can go wrong in the field usually will. Murphy’s Law. So be as prepared as you can through proper training.
This is for owners who want proof, not promises; commissioning providers who live in the field and in the logic; controls contractors who value clarity and quality; designers who want sequences that survive reality; students and new professionals who want to see and understand the whole game.
The goal is to make commissioning understandable, teachable, and repeatable. Bridge field, code, and software so teams see the same picture. Build a culture that catches problems early, trends and collects data effectively, and verifies performance instead of assuming it. The future of Cx is changing, and you will need to be a hybrid. It is not easy, but it is worth it, especially when you help a project cross the finish line and carry the memories of the teammates who got it there. See you on Monday.
Marcus first post
