We’re excited to introduce our new “Scenarios” feature in eTool which enables running scenarios both concurrently and in parallel (branching). This enables more accurate comparison between competing design options (and introduces a number of other advantages).
The Scenarios feature allows branching of design improvements. It gives the use the ability to define the starting point for the scenario and explore different routes for project changes. For example, understanding the difference between the two different types of energy monitoring systems.
The benefit of this feature is the flexibility to model design strategies in parallel from different starting points, instead of a linear sequential order where an improvement is fully dependent on all previous changes. As the design progresses, the model can be adjusted with the appropriate starting point scenarios and the subsequent strategies can be considered, instead of having to remodel all recommendations again from the baseline design.
Jump to the following sections in this post:
- Video tutorial
- Notes on Using Scenarios
- How to Define the final Proposed / Improved / Final Design
- Streamlined Certification Process
- Using Scenarios for BREEAM Optioneering
- Related posts
Video Tutorial
The demo video below outlines the feature quickly:
NOTE: As of 2023, the Recommendations feature has been archived and will no longer be available except in Designs that have been certified. The Target Setting report has also been retired from our list of available automated reports.
Notes on Using Scenarios
1) Navigating your Scenarios
The design purpose label is indicated by the blue circles (BAU, Proposed, Improved, Final). The active/selected scenario is denoted with the red arrow icon and inactive scenarios are shown with the grey arrow icon. Users can branch various scenarios from an earlier scenario.
Note that you can’t branch from branches (you can only branch from the main branch) due to the complications this would create to generate the tree in the software, particularly in reports.
2) You no longer need to clone your Business As Usual/Reference Design to start modeling your improvement strategy
This is because the software now automatically clones it for you every time you ‘link’ a new scenario to the tree/chain.
3) Disconnect Scenarios from the chain by hitting the ‘Delete’ button
If you wish to remove a Scenario, you can do that by clicking on the red ‘Delete’ button at the right side of the Scenario. Note that this will detach the Scenario from the tree/chain, however the design will remain in the Structure of your project instead of deleting it. If you wish to tidy up the Structure level, we recommend archiving the redundant scenario Designs that are no longer connected to any scenario tree/chain. You can also remove a Scenario mid-chain/tree however please be aware for how it will impact the consecutive Scenarios (see note 4 below).
4) Each scenario design is independent and not linked each other once you’ve connected it to the Scenario Tree/Chain
What this means is that if you delete a scenario OR if you edit/update a scenario design at the top of the chain/tree where there are other scenarios below, all other following scenario designs below that scenario design will NOT reflect the changes you’ve made in that design. So you will need to jump into each of the following scenario designs to make the relevant edits/updates so that they are consistent with the changes made earlier in the chain/tree.
How to Define the final Proposed / Improved / Final Design
Once you’ve modeled all your scenarios, note that all scenarios moving down the chain are the accumulation of all previous scenarios.
Please refer to this support post on What Do the Different Design Purposes Mean.
To ‘finalise’ your Proposed/Improved/Final Design, you won’t need to create another scenario as the software will do this for you by following the steps below:
After you click on ‘Save’ the Scenario tree will automatically update with the final ‘Proposed Design’.
Streamlined Certification Process
With the new Scenarios Feature, we have also streamlined the quality check list to help speed up the review process for the Improved/Proposed/Final Design.
The reasoning behind this is that once the BAU/Reference Design has been certified and locked, assuming that only then do you start modeling your Scenarios, all the reviewer has to do is to compare and comment on the difference/changes made between the Scenarios and the previously certified design. Items that have not changed will not need to be reviewed again.
Note: Only the Proposed, Improved or Final Design should be submitted for certification. When the Improved/Proposed/Final Design is being reviewed, all the preceding Scenario Designs will be reviewed to check that they have been modeled correctly since the Proposed/Improved/Final Design is defined by a collection of Scenarios as illustrated by the image below.
Using Scenarios for BREEAM Optioneering
For users modeling design options for BREEAM 2018, please refer to this support post for more guidance.
Related Posts:
Certification Process
Modeling Option Designs for BREEAM 2018
