# Mandatory Base

## What Is the Mandatory Base?

The Mandatory Base is the foundation of every ABB Ability™ BuildingPro Suites deployment. It is always included and provides the essential capabilities required to configure, operate, and scale the system.

Without the Mandatory Base, none of the higher-level BuildingPro Suites capabilities can run. It ensures that data is connected, structured, governed, and made available consistently across the platform.

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## What the Mandatory Base Provides

The Mandatory Base brings together the core capabilities that every deployment needs:

* **Connectivity and ingestion** to connect building systems, devices, and external data sources
* **Asset modeling and data structure** so buildings, devices, and data points are organized consistently
* **Workspace and identity management** for users, roles, and access control
* **Governance and monitoring** to maintain security, traceability, and reliable operation

These capabilities create the common foundation that all other parts of BuildingPro Suites build on.

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## Why It Matters

The Mandatory Base ensures that every additional capability uses the same underlying data model and governance framework. This makes the system easier to scale, easier to manage, and more consistent across buildings, sites, and portfolios.

It also reduces implementation effort over time, because new Suites, Modules, and Platform capabilities can be added without redesigning the foundation.

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## Mandatory Base and Everything Built on Top

Once the Mandatory Base is in place, you can extend BuildingPro Suites in two ways:

* Add **Suites and Modules** to activate outcome-focused capabilities in areas such as energy, occupant experience, and analytics
* Add **Platform** to unlock the full toolbox for customization, automation, dashboards, analytics, integrations, and digital building applications

The Mandatory Base is therefore not a standalone product. It is the required starting point for everything else.