At the heart of zencontrol’s approach is an automated emergency test manager, a cloud portal and DALI-based emergency devices that together schedule, execute and record tests across your entire portfolio.
The result is more than just triggering tests. zencontrol delivers a managed, documented test process that tracks every emergency device location, test, change and user action – so you can demonstrate compliance whenever required.
Owners and asset managers: prove systems were tested and maintained.
Facility managers: see live status and reports by building, floor or tenancy.
Tenants: access test results for areas they occupy – and only those areas.
Contractors: work within defined scopes, with a full record of what was changed.
Test manager
zencontrol uses a dedicated test manager to run and track emergency tests. The test manager coordinates:
Tests, repairs and re-tests are grouped into a single test window, so every action related to a given test is linked and recorded together. The reported result for a test reflects the whole story – including failed attempts, repairs and successful re-tests.
The test process implemented in the zencontrol DALI-2 application controller is compliant with IEC 62034, the benchmark standard for automatic test systems for battery-powered emergency escape lighting, and has been independently tested and approved by TÜV.
Device locations
Emergency compliance is about protecting locations in a building, not individual fittings. Over time, fittings fail, are replaced or upgraded – but the obligation to provide compliant emergency lighting at that location does not change.
zencontrol models this explicitly:
By tracking test history, failures, replacements and settings against the device location rather than just the current device, zencontrol maintains a continuous compliance history even as hardware is swapped out.
This makes it possible to answer questions such as:
The test manager treats each device location as the primary object of the test, so every test, repair and re-test is tied back to the location that must remain compliant over the life of the building.
User access & tenancies
In multi-tenant and complex buildings, people only need to see and manage the areas they are responsible for. zencontrol’s cloud platform provides flexible user access control, tenancy control and grouping:
Tenancies and groups
Emergency reports, dashboards and plan views can all be filtered by site, tenancy and group, so:
Certified test process
Automatic test systems for emergency lighting are governed internationally by IEC 62034, which defines how tests must be scheduled, executed and recorded. The standard covers not only how to trigger tests but also the correct operation and proper recording of emergency tests and records.
zencontrol’s implementation of IEC 62034 has been independently tested and approved by TÜV, giving confidence that the test process and reporting are based on a recognised, audited standard rather than proprietary behaviour.
Reports that cannot be changed
In the zencontrol cloud portal:
This combination of standard-compliant testing and immutable reporting supports a robust, defensible emergency testing regime.
Backups & resilience
Traditional emergency and lighting systems often rely on a single on-site PC holding all project files and test records. If that machine is lost, stolen or corrupted, years of compliance history can disappear overnight and rebuilding the system can take weeks.
With the zencontrol cloud:
For sites that prefer local management, the optional zencontrol Onsite software stores configuration on the application controllers themselves and can also produce emergency tests and reports. The cloud enhances resilience with centralised backups and portfolio-wide access, but the day-to-day emergency test logic continues to run on the controllers, ensuring the system keeps operating even if the internet connection is unavailable.
Traceability
Beyond test results, zencontrol records the configuration and change history for your system. A detailed field history view allows you to see:
Applied to emergency systems, each device location can have a full audit trail of:
If someone removes a device from a test, changes a test schedule, or reassigns a device to a different group, the history identifies who did it and when. This level of traceability is critical when questions arise about why a particular device was not included in a test, or why a location did not have coverage at a given time.
It also helps clarify where liability may sit – for example, whether a building owner, facility manager or maintenance contractor had the responsibility to restore a device to service or to its correct test group.
DALI emergency
zencontrol is built on DALI and DALI-2 emergency standards, not vendor-specific shortcuts. DALI emergency control gear must implement both:
DALI emergency devices store their test results and status flags, including pass/fail information and details of failures. The zencontrol test manager uses these flags and timings rather than just reading a final duration number.
This ensures that:
For Australian sites, the system can verify that the first duration test for a new device exceeds the required multiple of the rated duration, aligning with AS 2293 expectations.
The outcome is a fully compliant DALI emergency testing methodology – not a partial implementation that only reads duration or basic status fields.
Multi-site & multi-tenant
For large portfolios, zencontrol’s cloud architecture, tenancy model and grouping allow:
This supports compliance regimes that require both building-level and tenant-level reporting and reduces the risk that devices “fall through the cracks” between different stakeholders.
Together, these capabilities make zencontrol a comprehensive emergency test manager: standards-aligned, cloud-driven and built for full traceability from each device location to every user action.
Device locations
Emergency tests are tracked against fixed device locations, not just the current hardware. This maintains a continuous compliance history even as fittings are replaced over time.
Test manager
A dedicated test manager controls tests, repairs, re-tests and compliant recording within defined test windows, making every test fully traceable from start to finish.
Compliance with standards
The emergency testing process aligns with IEC 62034 and relevant DALI emergency standards and is independently verified by TÜV, supporting Australian AS 2293 requirements.
User access & traceability
Fine-grained user access control, tenancy control and detailed field history provide full traceability of who did what, where and when – including configuration and test changes.
Tenancies and groups
Buildings can be divided into tenancies and logical groups, ensuring occupants, tenants, facility managers and owners see the tests and reports that apply to their areas.
Backups & resilience
Centralised, cloud-managed backups, rapid restoration tools and resilient controller architecture help protect emergency testing data and configuration against hardware failure, cyber incidents and human error.
Area / feature | Typical others | zencontrol |
Backups of tests and configuration | Local PC or server usually holds the only copy of settings and test records. Backups depend on site IT or manual exports, with a risk of losing years of data. | Configuration, device locations and emergency test results stored centrally in the cloud. Backups and retention managed by zencontrol, with tools to restore sites and roll back unwanted changes. |
Resilience and recovery | Rebuilding after corruption or loss can require reprogramming from scratch; downtime measured in days or weeks. | Cloud-stored configuration and controller-based storage allow rapid restoration, often in hours. Controllers continue to operate locally even if the internet is unavailable. |
User access control (UAC) | Single shared logins or basic roles. Limited control over who can see or change what. | Fine-grained roles and permissions. Users are assigned to specific sites and tenancies with view, maintenance or admin rights as required. |
Tenancy and area control | Hard to separate base building from tenant areas; reports are “all or nothing”. | Built-in tenancy and grouping model. Each tenant or department can see only their devices, tests and reports, while owners and FMs see the entire portfolio. |
Test manager vs simple test trigger | System sends a test command and reads a result. Repairs and re-tests are poorly linked or not tracked at all. | A true test manager: schedules tests, tracks execution, manages repairs and re-tests within a defined test window, and links all activity to that test cycle. |
Device locations vs devices | History is tied to the current fitting. When a luminaire is replaced, its test history is effectively reset. | Tests and compliance linked to fixed device locations (required emergency points), maintaining a continuous history even as fittings are replaced over the life of the building. |
Full traceability / audit trail | Change logs are basic or missing. Difficult to know who changed settings or removed devices from tests. | Detailed field-level audit trail: time, previous value, new value, result and the named user or system action. Every configuration change is recorded. |
Liability clarity | When something goes wrong, it is hard to prove whether a contractor, tenant or owner changed or disabled the system. | User-specific logging supports investigations and clarifies operational responsibility for missed tests or configuration changes. |
Test reports | Reports may be editable or regenerated in ways that overwrite previous results; spreadsheets are common. | Emergency test outcomes stored as immutable records. New reports can be created, but past results cannot be altered. |
Standards-based testing | May implement only parts of DALI or local standards, or rely on proprietary behaviour. | Test process built around IEC 62034 and DALI emergency standards, with independent testing (e.g. TÜV) of the test engine and support for AS 2293 requirements. |
DALI testing methodology | Often just reads duration or a basic status flag, ignoring many DALI emergency features. | Performs proper DALI function and duration tests, uses full DALI status and test flags, enforces time windows and fails incomplete tests. |
Change control during tests | Devices may be removed from groups or disabled without clear visibility; they simply stop appearing in reports. | Removing devices from tests, changing groups or editing schedules is logged and surfaced by the test manager, making gaps in coverage visible. |
Portfolio and multi-site support | Each building tends to be a separate island, with cross-site reporting done manually. | Cloud platform aggregates many sites, providing portfolio dashboards, filters by region or owner, and central policy control for tests and alerts. |
Security and access | Basic passwords and on-premise security; patching and hardening depend on each site. | Modern security practices, role-based access, encrypted connections and continuous platform updates delivered centrally. |
Onsite vs cloud operation | Either purely local (no remote access) or cloud-only, where loss of connectivity can halt visibility or control. | Hybrid design: DALI-2 application controllers run local logic and tests; the cloud adds backups, analytics and portfolio management without being a single point of failure. |
Maintenance workflow | Faults and test failures are loosely connected; follow-up relies on manual work orders. | Faults, repairs and re-tests are linked to the relevant device location and test window, making outstanding work and proof of rectification easy to see. |
Vendor and device flexibility | Often tied to a proprietary ecosystem and limited device options. | Based on open DALI / DALI-2 standards, allowing compliant multi-vendor emergency devices within the same system. |
Scalability | Larger networks require separate servers and duplicated configuration; upgrades can be disruptive. | Designed to scale from single buildings to large portfolios, with cloud services handling growth and updates with minimal disruption. |
Reporting for stakeholders | One-size-fits-all reports that do not reflect how buildings are managed. | Reports tailored by site, tenancy, floor, zone or portfolio so owners, tenants, FMs and contractors each get the view they need. |
