By David Cocchiara
Smart buildings connected with the Internet of Things (IoT) are changing the office experience and helping real estate companies and facility managers improve building automation and increase energy efficiency.
“Smart devices” have grown into indispensable household items, from a coffee maker that automatically pours a cup of joe in the kitchen to a car that automatically charts the best route to the office.
Smart buildings – which the Smart Building Institute defines as having ‘intelligent control systems and smart and interconnected devices beyond the traditional building structure and function’ – operate using the same principles on a larger scale.
They are a complete ecosystem of integrated smart technology designed to improve building operations and energy use. They touch every aspect of a building, from telecommunications to safety systems to lighting.
The office is indispensable, and as the world returns to the workplace – even on a part-time or hybrid basis – workers will expect it to serve their needs better. Engraining technology throughout a facility is the best way to make this happen and improve the worker experience.
Data is the foundation of the smart building.
Smart buildings need data to understand how users engage with a facility and how to improve the building or office space. Once they have this data, facility managers can use it to improve the tenant experience, streamline operations, and reduce costs.
IoT technology is central to achieving this level of intelligent control and interconnectedness.
IoT edge devices are often connected to a facility’s building automation system (BAS), sometimes referred to as a building management system (BMS). This is what brings a wide variety of building functions – including HVAC systems, lighting, emergency systems, and access control – to a shared network.
A good BAS can compile building data to help with predictive maintenance and improved energy management, resulting in a more efficient space.
However, users must recognize the potential security risks by incorporating the IoT into BAS, as it is potentially less secure than a typical corporate network. This is especially true for so-called IoT ‘edge devices,’ including routers and other devices that connect to the network.
When these devices aren’t adequately secured, they can provide an easy entry point for hackers unless facility managers take the necessary security precautions.
Building automation
IoT is often connected to building automation, and can provide additional insights based on specific connected devices like sensors.
New IoT solutions bring cutting-edge solutions to owner-operators of all-sized buildings, including small and medium-sized buildings. Today, virtually every real estate manager can convert their properties into intelligent buildings, dramatically reducing costs and carbon footprints while keeping tenants satisfied and safe.
Motion sensors can help building owners improve energy consumption, leading to cost savings and more environmentally friendly spaces.
But the benefits don’t end there, especially considering these solutions are increasingly affordable and accessible.
First and foremost, the analytics provided by smart building IoT sensors are more robust than information commercial real estate (CRE) professionals have had previously. CRE professionals can use real-time data to develop sustainable cost-saving initiatives based on occupancy rates and space utilization.
For example, real estate managers can tap into data from building badges to track how and when occupants use a space. Using this data, managers can adjust when and where systems, such as lights, are active. These insights and improvements benefit both tenants and facility managers.
Tenants will appreciate the lower energy bills resulting from improved energy efficiency. At the same time, facility managers can use IoT to generate more revenue by providing insights into customer flow and foot traffic.
IoT data provides insights to make better decisions.
Ultimately, accurate, actionable data helps CRE professionals and facility managers make better decisions, benefiting everyone who uses a space. This is particularly true when retail real estate providers offer the ability to use mobile phones and beacons to understand customer behavior.
Given the health and safety demands of the post-COVID-19 landscape, this information can be used to help tenants keep their customers and employees safe.
The benefits extend to multifamily and industrial facility managers.
Multifamily real estate professionals can use data from smart buildings to understand tenant demands and facilitate preemptive maintenance. Meanwhile, industrial units can use the data to streamline manufacturing and warehouse operations based on customer demands.
Every building and tenant benefits from the enhanced security options that smart and real-time monitoring and notifications provide.
For example, many companies are creating a free address workplace, a flexible seating approach that allows employees to sit in any available workstation. This often benefits both the hybrid work and agile working environments and can be improved with workplace sensors and badges tracking which desks are used and when.
This information can be funneled into other hybrid workplace technology to provide more visibility to employees and amass critical space utilization data that facility managers can use to make informed decisions.
Using data is the natural next step in the technology-enabled workplace. As workers return to the office, they will interact with the space differently. They want a safer, more efficient, and innovative office space that tailors the work experience to their needs and allows them to focus on what is most important: their work.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
David Cocchiara is CEO of OfficeSpace Software, the creator of better hybrid workplaces helping companies navigate workplace disruptions and manage workspace dynamics. He was previously the chief operating officer and chief financial officer of Lancope, a network security software company, where he built the finance and operational functions and a customer-first culture.
