Internet of Things & Facility Management

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)