How Internet of Things Is Helping Facility Management

Today more and more companies are progressively considering the use of IoT in Facility management to reduce costs, enhance value-added services, and expand the scope of services.

Facility managers have the responsibility to ensure the maintenance and security of work facilities. Ensuring maintenance of basic features like heaters and water, supervising the work of personnel, and managing efficiency of energy usage are some of the day-to-day tasks of facility managers.

Though these may seem like totally human-driven roles, the Internet of Things (IoT) has emerged as the most important innovation in FM (Facility Management). IoT devices collect data in real-time, which helps facility managers gain insights into the workplace’s requirements. For instance, sensors can monitor the flow of water. When water flow is disrupted, the sensors can instantly notify managers to take action. Thus, exploiting IoT for FM has the power to maintain hardware, monitor usage, and enhance worker productivity.

IoT devices like embedded beacons, cameras, sensors, etc. make the tiresome FM tasks more efficient and help relieve the burden on managers.

Energy is an important element in running a facility, and wastage of energy can cause much loss. IoT devices can monitor energy usage. For instance, sensors in ACs can help auto-switch off when the temperature reaches a set level. Thus, managers can switch off all energy-consuming equipment when they are not needed.

Constructing automation systems creates much amount of data. When such data is accessed and scrutinized, managers can make smarter decisions. For instance, property managers can monitor goings-on in their buildings and take evidence-based decisions. IoT management solutions help to make better decisions.

IoT technology can help maximize worker comfort and satisfaction, which translates into greater productivity. Advanced infrastructure making use of technology for asset tracking with data in real-time can help better manage HVAC systems to ensure the comfort of workers.

All organizations face a shortage of workspace at some point in time. Facility managers often get complaints of congestion in the workspace. Empowering workspace using IoT sensors may help gain opportunities for optimal use of workspace. For example, they can monitor periods of busy hours or lax hours of workspace usage. Such data can help managers make decisions on shifts of workers to reduce pressure in peak hours.

Devices powered by IoT can use RFID (Radio-Frequency Identification) to keep track of stocks and their usage for efficient inventory management. Additionally, data collected by IoT can help in the predictive analysis regarding inventory. For instance, change in weather may increase or decrease air-conditioning needs, which can be predicted by IoT devices.

Buildings equipped with IoT can substantially reduce risks of unauthorized entry, which might compromise the building’s security. Cameras and sensors can detect suspicious behavior of those entering the building. The AI system can send alerts to Facility managers so they can take suitable action.

Proper functioning of equipment, machinery, and hardware is critical for a facility. For smooth interaction between the company and its customers, it is important to detect faults in such tools, early enough. Any equipment failure can spell disaster for the business. Facility managers can use IoT devices to implement preventive maintenance of equipment in place of pro-active maintenance.

In sum, the use of IoT devices has become inevitable in modern firms. Facility managers must seek modes to exploit this technology for day to day tasks. Data generated by these devices must be used to gain actionable insights.