Upgrading facilities to incorporate more smart technologies has numerous benefits.
By Gina Tron
As the world becomes increasingly connected, the demand for the synchronicity of smart buildings has grown, promising increased efficiency, sustainability and enhanced user experience. A smart building integrates various systems like HVAC, lighting, occupancy sensors and more, allowing facilities managers to make informed and proactive decisions in real time.
For Basant Singhatwadia, Director of Customer Success & Strategy at Facilio, the true definition of a smart building is when all these elements (Sensors, Building Management System controller and Software solutions that solves for Facility Management needs including Work order management, Energy Management, remote monitoring, Space Management, Compliance Management and others) are seamlessly and “tightly integrated” to maximize the benefits. For example, by integrating occupancy sensors and work order management systems, a building can automatically determine which areas were used during the day and only clean those spaces, leading to cost savings and operational efficiency.
Direct Benefits
Smart buildings provide significant advantages in facilities management, making it easier to monitor, manage and optimize building operations.
Enhanced Operational Insights
Smart sensors provide real-time data, such as occupancy and room usage, allowing facilities managers to make informed decisions. For example, occupancy sensors can help avoid double-booking conference rooms and ensure that only occupied desks are cleaned, improving operational efficiency.
User Comfort and Engagement
Smart buildings can monitor environmental factors such as noise levels, temperature, and CO2 levels. This data not only improves user comfort by allowing for adjustments based on real-time feedback but also drives user engagement by making operators feel informed and in control of their environment.
Smarter Maintenance
Facilities managers can optimize maintenance processes with smart sensors. For example, when a space isn’t clean or there’s a temperature issue, a simple request via an app can notify the maintenance team to resolve the problem quickly.
Energy Savings
Occupancy sensors help conserve energy by adjusting heating, cooling and lighting based on actual usage. For example, if a space is unoccupied, the system can automatically raise the temperature set point, saving energy costs. Singhatwadia noted that energy savings are particularly attractive when proposing smart upgrades to internal stakeholders.
Compliance and Safety
Smart buildings can track environmental compliance, such as CO2 levels, and ensure spaces are safe for occupancy. If certain areas exceed safe limits, the system can alert facilities managers to take action, ensuring compliance with regulations and enhancing overall safety.
Proactive Care
Jordan Howe, Manager of National Services at KinderCare Education LLC, said sensors can predict a potential future issue. “That reporting gives us a proactive approach, rather than reacting,” he said.
Implementing the Technology
These benefits are only fully realized when facility management systems are not operating in silos. So, how do facilities managers ensure that happens?
According to Singhatwadia, stakeholder involvement is crucial for the success of smart building projects. "It’s a people management project in itself," he emphasized. For a pilot program to succeed, facilities managers must align the expectations of all the involved parties, from maintenance teams and compliance officers to end-users. "You need everybody's help to make the pilot successful, which in turn will get that investment that you need."
This collaborative effort requires clear communication and planning to ensure that every department understands how their role contributes to the overall success of the smart building project. Howe said he prioritizes fostering professional relationships and being transparent. He suggested initiating the communication and partner process with all individuals involved as early as possible, particularly with IT.
Another significant challenge is overcoming the infrastructure barriers many older buildings present. Retrofitting a building to make it "smart" involves more than just installing sensors; it requires integrating new technologies into existing systems that are often siloed and not designed to work together. This lack of integration between systems can hinder the effectiveness of smart solutions, even if the infrastructure has been upgraded. “They need to be tied into different solutions to get the sensors’ values, and then you write workflows around it to make the changes based on the solutions,” Singhatwadia said, adding that sense needs to be made for each sensor implementation.
Both Howe and Singhatwadia treat each building differently based on each location's limitations and rules. “Each facility requires a different approach,” Howe said, adding that some spaces he has been transitioning into smart buildings are converted houses and others are commercial locations as big as 30,000 square feet. “There is no standard model” for implementing the technology, Singhatwadia emphasized, adding that some buildings have unique regulations that must be followed. A customized approach is critical for success.
While the journey toward implementing smart buildings can be complex, the rewards in terms of efficiency, cost savings, and improved user experience are well worth the effort. As Singhatwadia pointed out, "The benefits are humongous once the systems are fully integrated and working together." By addressing both stakeholder engagement and overcoming infrastructure challenges, facilities managers can unlock the full potential of smart building technology so all benefits can be explored.
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