The benchmarks datafile

This is maintained in FileMaker Pro and Aabel, a statistical and graphics program which gives us the required balance of simplicity and sophistication.

Client requirements differ appreciably so we use a 'highest common factor' approach which covers the hardest case as well as the simplest. One client might require results in a simple format ('All I want to know is whether our building is better than theirs'). The next wants statistical tests ('I need to run this past the statisticians in market research') . Others want fine detail ('Is the glare worse on the second or first floors?').

Aabel allows us to carry out most type of statistical tests quickly. It has the virtues of :

• well-defined graphics (e.g. scatter plots with regression) which can be quickly pasted into reports;
• it can be learned easily so that the user does not forget how to run the program between sessions.

Aabel is employed for any operations on the benchmark dataset (not individual building studies). We input the results from the building surveys into the benchmark file.

The 'slider' graphics used in Appendix A show how well a study building performs against the benchmarks are created to our own specification automatically by AppleScript using data from the FileMaker Pro database. The plots use Intaglio graphics.

Why go to all this trouble? Basically, to meet the hardest case we encounter without then having to carry out major rework (which raises costs substantially).