What is the Internet of Things (IoT)?
“The Internet of Things (IoT) is the
network of devices that can collect and share data, as well as talk to each
other”.
IoT can be
defined as the network of physical devices and objects embedded with
electronics, software, sensors and network connectivity which enable these
objects to collect and exchange data. Therefore, IoT is essentially a system of
machines or objects that can collect data and communicate with one another. The
machine-to-machine (M2M) data that is generated has a wide range of uses but is
commonly seen as a way to determine the health and status of things.
The Internet of Things can be viewed
as being made up of four distinct layers:
• The physical layer comprises hardware
such as sensors and gateways that collect and send data; and the remote devices
such as smartphones, tablets, laptops and smart watches which enable people to
connect with and control IoT devices using a dashboard such as an app, web
portal or dedicated IoT software platform. The physical layer also includes
servers and databases for storage and processing of data collected, which are
either company owned or held by a provider.
• The network layer is made up of the
networks that transmit the data collected by the physical layer. This layer
includes the internet communication that enables the entity to communicate with
their device and for devices to communicate with each other.
• The application layer is the layer that
contains the protocols and interfaces that devices use to communicate with each
other. The dashboards of these interfaces are used to display and report
information about the IoT ecosystem and enables control of IoT.
• The cloud layer can be in the form of
either private, public or hybrid cloud. The cloud is internet based computing
and acts as a passageway for services to be delivered to and from an entity’s
device. IoT software for data management, integration and analytics can be
hosted in the cloud along with some data storage.
For Facility
Management (FM), IoT offers the possibility to understand in real-time
what is happening throughout every aspect and component of a building and its
operation, and can provide valuable contextualized data for analytics.
The ‘golden
egg’ for facility management is the attainment of predictive instead of
reactive maintenance to reduce downtime of assets and aid efficient labour
management, amongst other benefits. Not only can IoT provide the possibility to
ensure predictive maintenance of assets but IoT can also be used to improve
space management and gain an improved understanding of how a facility is being
used and interacted with by its occupiers.
This allows a
facility management professional to identify and make informed decisions on how
to ensure their facilities are operated and maintained to optimal efficiency.
Acting on the knowledge gathered and analyzed through IoT can help encourage a
reduction in operational and maintenance costs, lower energy use leading to
lower greenhouse emissions, promote building user well-being and stimulate
demand for further IoT technological advancements.
The Internet
of things is changing businesses and will lead to a digital disruption and data
explosion. The opportunity that technology presents to change the way FM works
is huge, but it will have to be leveraged by skilled and knowledgeable
professionals who understand how best to facilitate the convergence of people,
place and process for business. The potential technology can transform the FM
function and advancements such as the Internet of Things (IoT), Building Information
Modelling and robotics are already contributing to improving business
performance.
Implementation in FM
There are a
huge number of applications of IoT technology within the field of facility management.
Once the data has been generated by the array of sensors, beacons and other
integrated technologies inside the “things”, then there is a wide range of
applications that can utilize this data whether it be to produce real-time
information, historical analysis or future predictions.
In the tables
below we have attempted to outline some applications of IoT being used in FM
today as well as providing a flavour of the possible future applications. This
list is not meant to be exhaustive as the technology is evolving exponentially
and each industry, organization, estate and company will come up with their own
requirements and use for IoT. For FM professionals, the key is to understand
the potential applications and what benefits these could provide.
The
table below outlines some examples of where IoT is predicted to be applied in
the future. These applications are either in their early stages of development
or are not yet in common use. Some of the applications below may already be in
use but are not yet commercially viable, or socially acceptable for widespread
adoption. The idea of this table is to show the art of the possible rather than
to suggest which ideas should be adopted.
Benefits of IoT
Cost reductions
One of the greatest areas to benefit from
the use of IoT is cost management. IoT enables data to be gathered regarding
how and when every space in a building is used thereby facilitating evidence-
based decisions regarding space usage. By providing better space management the
FM professional can identify opportunities to release space or avoid allocating
additional space where it is not needed. Energy consumption can be regulated
based on occupancy and provide real- time usage and efficiencies. The
monitoring of occupancy also extends to better asset and facilities management.
By knowing which areas have seen increased usage we can better schedule
cleaning and maintenance activities.
The success of maintenance, predictive
maintenance, can only be achieved by using IoT. By monitoring the condition of
the assets and allowing them to self-monitor, we will know when an asset is due
to fail and act before a failure. Furthermore, by communicating with each
other, assets in a system can warn other assets that they are going to fail and
stop the process before it extends to the entire system. These measures will
lead to increased asset performance and life through optimised asset operation.
Improved well-being
Organisations have started paying more
attention to the well-being of their most valuable assets, their employees. The
use of sensors and smart building systems allows us to improve the well- being
of the occupants by monitoring and adjusting the indoor environment in
real-time to better meet their needs. The environment can be easily adapted to
the preferences of the occupants by continuously monitoring the temperature and
humidity of the space. Instead of having constant disputes about the
temperature being too high or too low, clustered areas can be created that fit
the requirements of the occupants. Air quality can be monitored and altered to
ensure the health and well-being of the employees and circadian lighting can
help avoid strain and stress. All this can be further enhanced by providing the
occupants with suggestions on how to improve their health and well-being by
monitoring their habits, such as how many hours they are active and how long they
have been sitting at their desk.
Enhanced organisational profile.
The workplace has become a major
differentiator in the attraction, development, and retention of talent2. IoT
can assist in alleviating daily frustrations from the work environment and even
improve the experience of customers and visitors by streamlining visitor
registration and wayfinding to colleagues and meetings. In addition, the use of
a mobile application can provide accurate information and allow occupants to
create a social network and community for the specific building.
Reduction of risk
From security cameras and sensors to
implanted tags, physical security of a building is improved and augmented using
IoT. The building can now see if there is a threat to its occupants or its
fabric. The systems in place can stop intrusions, notify the authorities, and
assist the occupants in evacuating the building using the safest and fastest
route. Paired with technologies like drones and robotics, security can be
further improved, and risks lowered.
Enhancement of compliance
Compliance can be further enhanced using
IoT. Using unique identifiers, an employee or contractor can prove that they
have the right permits and training to perform work on a facility. These checks
can be conducted instantly using beacons and smart tags. Another area where IoT
can enhance compliance is in assisting with the evacuation of buildings.
Sensors can identify if there are any occupants still in the building, guide
authorities to them and help them find their way to the nearest emergency exit.
IoT gives us the opportunity to
enhance the daily lives of the operators and transform the end user experience
of our facilities.
credit: Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management (Internet of Things for Facilities Management)
