Introduction

Green Globes is GBI's science-based, 3-in-1, whole building certification that evaluates the environmental sustainability, health and wellness, and resilience of all types of commercial real estate. Our first work with GBI involved designing a next generation platform to help them deliver the many Green Globes assessment tools.

GBI had many goals they wished to hit with a new assessment platform. They wanted a unified platform that would allow them to quickly test and launch new assessment products without requiring lengthy back and forth between a development team. They needed a tool that was powerful enough to support GBIs complex scoring and data processing needs. They wanted a simpler way of exchanging data back and forth between clients and Green Globes Assessors, the expert reviewers that would help clients meet their sustainability goals.

Over the course of our design phase, we developed a solid understanding of the building assessment process, meeting with members of the organization and assessors to understand the needs of current and future assessments as well as ways technology could be used to simplify the assesment process from creation through to certification.

Since its launch in 2017, GBI's assessment platform has helped certify thousands of buildings and now serves as the underlying tool behind 40 assessment products across several regions and three languages.

Empathy Works is dedicated to developing tailored solutions that meet our clients' unique needs. One of our recent projects involved working with a client who specializes in building assessments for environmental efficiency. This client measures building performance, identifies areas for improvement, and certifies buildings that meet exceptional standards. They offer a range of assessment products for different phases, including design, existing buildings, and tenant-occupied spaces.

The Green Building Initiative (GBI) is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the build environment's impact on climate and society. Empathy has a long history working with the GBI, starting with the creation of their next generation Green Globes assessment tool back in 2017. Over the years, we've worked with the GBI to help them launch their powerful assessment tools quicker, improve their customer experience, offer rich training and education experiences, and understand their business data more effectively.

The Challenge

Our client faced several challenges with their existing system:

Fragmented Tools and Manual Processes The client had to build custom tools for each assessment product or rely on manual processes involving Excel spreadsheets, which were time-consuming and error-prone.
Complex Assessments The assessments often spanned hundreds of questions and required collaboration from multiple users over several days.
Revision Tracking and Communication They needed a system to keep track of revisions and changes over the course of the assessment, allowing for clear communication between clients and expert assessors.
Powerful Scoring and Recommendations The client needed a robust system to automatically assign scores and generate recommendations based on the assessment data.
Streamlined Report Generation They required a tool to simplify and automate the process of building high-quality reports from the collected data and expert feedback.
Portfolio-Wide Analysis Users needed the ability to perform high-level analysis and comparisons across multiple buildings within their portfolio to prioritize improvements effectively.

The Solution

Empathy Works developed a comprehensive assessment tool that addressed these challenges by:

Unified Assessment Platform: We created a standardized tool that could handle all assessment products, reducing the need for custom tools and manual processes.
Robust Assessment Management: The platform supported large, complex assessments, allowing users to complete them over a period of time and collaborate seamlessly.
Revision Tracking and Communication: We implemented a system to track revisions and changes, facilitating clear communication between clients and expert assessors throughout the assessment process.
Advanced Permission Management: We implemented a comprehensive permission management system, ensuring that multiple users could interact with the system securely and efficiently.
Expert Review and Recommendations: The tool included features for experts to review assessments, provide feedback, and generate recommendations within the platform.
Powerful Scoring System: We developed a robust scoring system that automatically assigned scores at various levels, from high-level overviews to detailed breakdowns of specific assessment elements. This system delivered advanced scoring needs, producing detailed and actionable reports.
Automated Report Generation: The platform streamlined the report generation process, automatically compiling feedback and assessment data into high-quality reports.
Portfolio-Wide Analysis: We added a feature for portfolio-wide analysis, allowing users to compare and analyze multiple buildings to understand overall performance and prioritize improvements effectively.

A better building certification

Over the course of our design phase, we developed a solid understanding of the building assessment process, meeting with members of the organization and assessors to understand the needs of current and future assessments as well as ways technology could be used to simplify the assessment process from creation through to certification.

The Outcome

The implementation of the new assessment tool resulted in significant improvements:

Increased Efficiency The unified platform reduced the time and effort required to manage assessments, allowing the client to focus on delivering high-quality evaluations and recommendations.
Improved Collaboration The robust assessment management system facilitated seamless collaboration among multiple users, enhancing the overall assessment process.
Enhanced Accuracy and Security The advanced permission management and revision tracking systems ensured accurate and secure data handling.
Streamlined Reporting The automated report generation feature produced comprehensive, high-quality reports quickly and efficiently, improving the client’s ability to deliver timely feedback to building owners.
Holistic Portfolio Management The portfolio-wide analysis feature provided users with valuable insights into the performance of their entire building portfolio, enabling more strategic and effective decision-making.

Conclusion