FMJ Facilities Management magazine providing industry-specific intelligence to FM and property professionals
DIGITAL TWINS
With the sensors in place and integrated with the BIM information, you can create a digital twin – this is an exact replica of a building, its physical attributes and live operational data. The benefits of a digital twin include:
- Scenario planning: Model ‘what if’ scenarios on real operational data to understand the impact of a change without committing to it.
- Increased efficiency and reduced costs: By monitoring the performance of a digital twin in real-time, it is possible to identify and fix problems quickly, which can lead to increased efficiency and reduced costs.
- Predictive maintenance: Using the data from the digital twin, organisations can have better understanding of their assets and its condition, allowing them to schedule maintenance before failure occurs. This reduces unnecessary trips for maintenance staff, who can also view the dimensions of access points in advance to be sure that they will be able to fit machinery into a space.
- With these elements in place, a building is ready for enhanced operational efficiency, which is where FM comes into the picture.
THE BENEFITS OF DIGITALISATION FOR FM
FMs can implement their own operational systems with a BIM model and sensor technology to help drive operational efficiency. Of course, it’s vital that all systems are able to integrate and “talk” to each other, so make that a key point of consideration before any new software outlay.
I said that it helps to think of BIM as information management and sharing, and this is where FM can truly show its value to a business. FMs and the teams they manage are the eyes and ears of a building, and best placed to provide recommendations on how to improve operational efficiency.
One example is smarter cleaning processes. Room occupancy data can be shared with FMs so that instead of set rotas for cleaning teams, they can employ a flexible approach and only clean where and when required. Sensors can be used to notify cleaners when a bin needs to be emptied or toilet roll needs to be replenished, so they are not wasting time on tasks that are not necessary.
I mentioned predictive maintenance as another area that can be supported by digitalisation. The longer that BIM information is being gathered and stored, the greater insight that FMs will have into their assets. Take lift maintenance, for example. In places such as airports and hospitals, lifts are essential, and any downtime can have immediate consequences.
A fully operational data system can store maintenance history, as well as collect real-time data showing when a lift is in use. Warranties and manuals can also be stored in the system so technicians have all they need at their fingertips. Planned maintenance can be scheduled during times of low usage so that any impact is minimal.
Energy costs, sustainability, operational efficiency – there are too many reasons to not be gathering and sharing building data. Other regions that we work in, such as Scandinavia, have made great strides in adopting smart buildings and I undoubtedly expect to see this trend continue to grow in the UK.
