FMJ Facilities Management magazine providing industry-specific intelligence to FM and property professionals
James Massey, Managing Director of FM, Energy and Retail Intelligence at MRI Software explains why data-driven innovations are transforming the built environment
The facilities management industry is undergoing a technology-driven renaissance. As facilities teams integrate a range of innovative new technologies into their operations, they’re able to deliver elevated performance across a broad range of metrics, boosting operational performance along with occupant experience.
While the benefits available are wide-ranging, the technological foundations are largely unchanging; to drive the performance improvements they’re looking for, facilities teams must first invest in comprehensive data collection, as well as robust software with which to centralise and analyse that data.
PUTTING DATA TO WORK
Internet of Things (IoT) sensors are giving FMs more comprehensive views of building and occupant activity. With millions of data points fed into a CAFM or energy management system, it’s possible to build a picture of building usage right down to an asset level.
With this highly granular view, teams can not only optimise their operations to suit the unique features of a particular building but can also benchmark across multiple sites to identify outliers and spot opportunities to make savings.
Once a strong foundation is in place, artificial intelligence can revolutionise the process of data analysis, spotting trends that are invisible to the human eye and automatically flagging anomalies or recommending adjustments in real time, fixing potential issues before they affect operations.
REVOLUTIONISING ASSET MANAGEMENT
With a stream of performance data enabling a real-time view of asset usage and condition, end-to-end asset management is easier than ever before. With IoT sensors it’s possible to view the status of all assets within a CAFM system in real time, without the need for in-person inspections.
With a comprehensive view of asset usage over time, it’s straightforward for teams to schedule maintenance when required and understand when assets are nearing the end of their lives, allowing for strategic management of repairs and replacements.
Automated booking systems reduce the need for teams to manage the scheduling, issuing and return of portable items. Sensors can track the location of equipment automatically, raising alerts if bookings overrun or if items are removed from a building.
Office space and equipment usage patterns can be used to inform layout and space usage strategies, optimising buildings for how they’re being used and increasing efficiency.
STREAMLINING OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE
Powerful data insights and real-time metrics give FM teams the ability to move from traditional maintenance approaches to reactive maintenance that’s based on actual need rather than a predefined schedule.
Sensors on waste bins or soap dispensers can automatically trigger an alarm which schedules a maintenance visit when they hit a defined capacity. Air temperature and quality can be monitored, and HVAC equipment automatically adjusted to maintain a comfortable environment, while occupancy monitoring can automatically shut off lighting and temperature control devices when buildings are empty.
Teams can monitor the performance of equipment to spot the early signs of degradation, reducing the risk of equipment failure with proactive maintenance, while reducing the costs associated with unnecessary servicing.
ENHANCING OCCUPANT EXPERIENCE
PropTech also offers a wide variety of connected experiences that further benefit tenants and building users. Online portals simplify repair or maintenance requests, with customised forms and triage processes that ensure that the right support is dispatched first time. Booking platforms can leverage footfall and access pass data to give a real-time view of how busy a building is, or a data-driven prediction of how busy it is likely to be, allowing flexible workers to plan their time as effectively as possible. These systems can also be used to offer a range of value-added services, from meeting room facilities to car valet services, with requests scheduled automatically via integration with a CAFM system, offering not only an elevated experience for users but potential new revenue streams too.
LEADING THE PUSH TO NET ZERO
A real-time view of energy, water and waste usage, empowers facilities teams to identify the crucial changes that will fuel their progress towards net zero and other ESG targets.
Combining meter, submeter and IoT sensor data into a specialised energy management platform, breaks down energy usage to accurately measure the carbon footprint, identify points of wastage, and offer opportunities to make savings, by upgrading equipment or optimising usage schedules.
With all relevant data stored in a fully integrated system, the resource demands of meeting regulatory reporting demands are lessened. Transparent reporting and live dashboards make it easy to communicate ESG figures with the wider business too, demonstrating progress to stakeholders and providing the “nudge” required to drive behavioural change within buildings.
PREPARED FOR THE FUTURE
By providing a dizzying array of data points and the analytical tools to understand the underlying trends hidden within them, modern PropTech gives FM teams the tools needed to develop innovative new approaches to everything from maintenance schedules to carbon reduction.
As the industry continues to evolve, the revolutionary changes we’re seeing right now will shift from the cutting-edge to accepted best practice. However, with the same strong data strategy and integrated software tools to analyse and manage it, facilities teams will have all they need to identify and capture the next generation of performance improvements.
