Building automation is a networked control system for mechanical (and sometimes electrical) equipment. Sensors measure temperature, humidity, pressure, and status. Controllers run logic. A supervisory interface shows graphics, trends, and alarms.
It is not a consumer thermostat. It is not automatically “smart building” software. It is the operating system of the HVAC plant, and it only works if someone writes the sequences.
Sequences are the design
A sequence of operation says what the system should do in occupied mode, unoccupied mode, high humidity, and equipment failure. Without that document, the installer applies defaults. Defaults in a 2A climate often fail to dehumidify.
What owners should ask for
Points lists, written sequences, trending, alarm priorities, and training. A glossy front end that staff ignore is not automation. A modest system that holds humidity and outdoor-air setpoints is.