FMJ.CO.UK DIGITAL WORKPLACE FOCUS
FEBRUARY 2022 43
where you have the highest potential
concentration of viruses and bacteria;
including desk spaces (particularly where
there is “hot desking”, with diž erent
people using each desk), keyboards, and
doorknobs. As a result, FMs are turning to
digital solutions like desk sensors, space
counters to count the number of people
passing through a desk and cleaning
it a¢ er a certain number, and cleaning
requests buttons (either physical
buttons on desks or via apps).
There has been an
increase in the use
of cleaning robots,
especially in big
spaces like airports
or hotel lobbies.
In confined
spaces, typical
of the hybrid
workplace, the
trend is towards
“superteams” of
human cleaning staž
aided with technologies
that are driven by AI and
big data.
Intelligent maintenance management
platforms, energy management
systems and digital twins
Utilising accessible technology, along
with available data, makes it easier
to automate and optimise the entire
operational and maintenance workflow.
The latest FMTech solutions in operations
and maintenance enhance the user
experience with solutions that are
as attractive and easy to use for the
technicians doing the job on-site as the
FM director who reports directly to the
Board.
The technology is particularly useful
when maintaining operations within a
facilities portfolio, where service requests
come in via multiple communication
channels. This technology is a gamechanger
in streamlining and automating
information flows and providing an
amazing bird’s-eye overview of the status
of requests and the ež iciency of the
maintenance teams.
For energy consumption and
management, AI-based so¢ ware solutions
for energy ež iciency delivers personalised
predictions on energy demand, and the
so¢ ware enables HVAC installations to be
set up for optimal use.
The metaverse made headlines in
the last quarter of 2021 but in FM, a
similar version has already been in use
for several years. This is where FMTech
enables the creation of digital twins of
a building. Digital twins, ready-made
for operational use, and thus diž erent
from static BIM models that are usually
employed by architects, give facility
managers a workable copy of the building,
made accessible in the cloud. These can
be instantly updated, on any changes in
the building or the assets within them, via
photos and drawn indications.
More than virtual reality, it’s augmented
reality that is becoming more widely
available. Images (or digital twins) can
be enriched with data on the assets, via
documents that are digitally “attached”
to the asset. Manuals, maintenances
schedules and updates can then
be visualised via a tablet screen,
or through augmented reality
glasses, which we predict will
become more popular this year.
Innovations in food and
beverage access and supply
Facilities managers are turning
more and more to online “corporate
catering marketplaces” to ensure
not only quality but more importantly
the availability of food and beverages,
especially in a hybrid workplace. These
digital platforms, where all kinds of
local catering companies ož er food and
beverage packages to the corporations in
their city, allow FMs to ož er building users
the flexibility of ordering the F&B via an
app on their phone at the hour that suits
them best, and all with the convenience of
receiving one centralised invoice. FMs do
not have to worry about curating individual
caterers, can guarantee diversity in food
supply according to anyone’s taste and at
the same time can avail themselves of an
account management team to assist them
with a quick and easy set-up.
CONCLUSION
The new demands wrought by the
pandemic may have accelerated the
adoption of disruptive innovative solutions
in the FM industry but here at The Global
Alliance of Facility Management Innovators,
we believe that they are long overdue.
With a significant projected growth and
market size trajectory of $1 TN in 2019 to
$2 TN in 2026 (Global Market Insights, 2019)
warranting the attention of the FM industry,
FM innovation and technology are surefire
ways to propel the industry towards the
future.
www.fminnovators.org
Access control, workplace management
and analytics
The need to observe and comply with
health protocols has made it convenient to
use digital solutions like contactless access
controls at building entrances. Aligned
to this, there is also a need to monitor
the number of people – both visitors
and regular occupants – onsite. And as
workplaces go hybrid, employees are no
longer being assigned a fixed desk as ož ices
may have diž erent sets of employees
depending on their working schedule.
All of these situations can be managed
with a range of digital solutions, including
common area access control, visitor
express check-ins, configurable visitor
workflows, seamless meeting scheduling
and simplified room booking. Without this
technology, it would not be possible to
enable employees to view desk availability,
map occupancy levels and reserve desks
instantly or in advance, via mobile or
web. If you add in touchless check-ins,
thermal scanning, contact tracing, and
heath declarations, FMs can ensure returnreadiness
at all times.
Workplace Management Solutions is the
collective denomination for solutions that
are helping facilities managers implement
hybrid working safely and ež iciently. These
are open, online digital platforms to which,
when required, more and more data-driven
functionalities can be added, modelling the
system to the need of every building and
organisation. Users install an app on their
smartphone to access its functionalities,
and the FM department is equipped with
a central dashboard for monitoring and
control. The availability of quality IoT
devices, mostly sensors, is the enabler of
these solutions.
FMTech solutions are not limited to
ož ice buildings but work as well for huge
workspaces and built environments like
shopping malls, hospitals, concert venues
and airports where indoor positioning
and wayfinding technologies not only
help employees navigate and follow social
distancing protocols but more importantly
allow for people to find their way around.
Data-driven, dynamic cleaning as
opposed to static fixed cleaning routes
Data-driven cleaning was already gaining
recognition due to the increasing popularity
of co working spaces. In traditional
workplaces however, static fixed cleaning
routes tended to take place a¢ er working
hours or at night, not during peak hours.
This is no longer the case. The rise of the
hybrid environment not only necessitates
extra cleaning but also dynamic, just-intime
cleaning throughout the day. Cleaning
becomes on-demand, especially in areas
For energy consumption and
management, AI-based software
soOXtions Ior enerJ\ eƝ cienc\ GeOiYers
personalised predictions on energy
demand, and the software enables
HVAC installations to be set up
for optimal use.”
/www.fminnovators.org
