Automated Continuous Commissioning Unlocks $200K+ At A Specialized Dementia Care Facility

From manual commissioning to automated continuous commissioning that cuts wrap-up liability and delivers six-figure annual savings.

Automated Continuous Commissioning Unlocks $200K+ At A Specialized Dementia Care Facility

From manual commissioning to automated continuous commissioning that cuts wrap-up liability and delivers six-figure annual savings.

Solution Provider: Novem Digital | Customer: A specialized dementia and long-term care facility in Western Canada | Location: Western Canada | Asset: 4-storey, purpose-built dementia and long-term care facility with underground parking

BACKGROUND: High-Acuity Care Requires Reliable, Efficient Buildings

A specialized dementia and long-term care facility provides care for more than 200 residents in a 4-storey building above a large underground parkade. The completed construction cost was approximately $53M, with complex mechanical and electrical systems needed to support vulnerable residents.

Leadership needed to ensure the building performed as designed, both to protect residents and to prove financial performance to owners and insurers.

THE CHALLENGE: Traditional Commissioning Leaves Value On The Table

Standard commissioning practices often leave issues undetected until after handover, when they become more expensive to fix and harder to quantify. For this facility, any underperformance would affect comfort, energy use, and ultimately Total Cost of Risk Ownership.

Key risks included:

• Mechanical equipment not running as specified
• Air handling issues affecting pressurization and comfort
• Undetected control problems driving up energy use and wear

The owner needed a way to validate performance in real time, document issues for insurance and construction teams, and avoid paying for hidden inefficiencies.

THE SOLUTION: Automated Continuous Commissioning On The Digital Risk Platform

Novem Digital deployed its Automated Continuous Commissioning (ACC) solution, enabled by the Digital Risk Platform, across key building systems.

Analytics On Air Handling And Pressurization

Analytics monitored fan drives in air handling units and flagged units that were not operational. Investigation revealed drives that had not been properly commissioned and could not run. Correcting these issues ensured proper pressurization and prevented cold air from infiltrating resident spaces.

ACC also identified rooftop units that were not responding correctly to heating calls. With digital forensics, contractors resolved the control issues, allowing equipment to function as intended.

Energy Waste And Filter Management

Analytics flagged air filter pressure drops indicating dirty filters. In response, technicians replaced filters before fans ran at higher speeds to compensate, reducing wasted energy and stress on equipment.

Heat Exchanger And Critical Equipment Monitoring

Heat exchanger analytics revealed supply temperatures below expected levels. Further investigation found manual isolation valves closed and circulation pumps overridden off at the local panel. Once corrected, heating performance returned to specifications.

Laundry dryer monitoring identified false run status signals and issues with lint traps and door switches. Continuous monitoring ensured this critical support equipment remained functional and compliant with vendor specifications.

BY THE NUMBERS: The Impact

• $93K reduction in costs during the handover process, demonstrating a reduction in wrap-up liability premiums
• $109,326 in annual operating savings enabled by Novem’s Digital Risk Platform and ACC

WHAT THE NUMBERS MEAN

Implementing Automated Continuous Commissioning proved that commissioning can be both a risk control and a financial lever. The $93K handover saving reduced wrap-up liability costs and provided evidence that performance issues were detected and resolved before they turned into claims or chronic operating inefficiencies.

Annual operating savings above $100K strengthen cash flow and support reinvestment in resident programs, staffing, and reserves. Leadership can now quantify how improved building performance supports both care quality and financial resilience.

In practice, the facility is monetizing data. Commissioning and performance data now translate directly into lower risk-related costs, reduced insurance exposure, and higher operating efficiency, turning what used to be a cost of doing business into a recurring financial return.

THE TRANSFORMATION: From Hidden Issues To Measured Performance

For owners and insurers: The facility now has data that validates performance for insurance, owners, and construction teams, demonstrating that risk is actively managed rather than assumed.

For operators and facilities teams: Staff rely on continuous analytics to catch issues early, schedule corrective work efficiently, and keep critical systems operating within specification.

For residents and families: While they may never see the analytics directly, residents benefit from more stable temperatures, more reliable systems, and fewer disruptions, all in a facility that runs closer to its intended performance.

LOOKING FORWARD: Scaling ACC As Standard Practice

The success at this facility positions Automated Continuous Commissioning as a standard for future projects and retrofits in the operator’s portfolio. By treating commissioning as a continuous process rather than a one-time event, organizations can protect cash flow, reduce Total Cost of Risk Ownership, and provide better environments for high-acuity residents.

CONFIDENTIALITY AND NDA

This case study is anonymized to protect customer confidentiality. Under NDA, Novem Digital can share full customer identity, underwriting evidence, and detailed financial and technical results with qualified insurers, lenders, and strategic partners.

ABOUT NOVEM DIGITAL

Novem Digital is an AI powered digital risk platform that transforms operational data from real estate into measurable financial returns. Novem predicts and prevents equipment failures before they happen so leaders can reduce Total Cost of Risk Ownership, protect cash flow, and manage risk-related costs with confidence.