COVER STORY
However, while being less human at the centre, Uber actually offers customers an experience that is much more personal.
This same dynamic exists in the energy industry, which is currently mounting a titanic effort to roll out smart meters. By removing the need for a person reading the meter, both supplier and customer can benefit from the efficiency dividend of more accurate billing and more suitable tariffs. And, with more intelligence built into the system, it is becoming increasingly possible to make the grid itself smarter – allowing for the integration of renewable energy sources.
TOWARDS AN INTERNET
OF THINGS The evolution of the energy industry is being enabled by smarter, internet- connected technologies that allow the nodes on the network to behave with greater agility and autonomy i.e. the Internet of Things.
“EVEN THE MOST TRIVIAL-SEEMING
APPLICATIONS HAVE PROVED TO DELIVER SURPRISING REAL WORLD VALUE.”
The idea of connecting dumb devices to the internet can appear to be technology for technology’s sake, but even the most trivial-seeming applications have proved to deliver surprising real world value. For example, in home automation, connected appliances and energy systems are being designed to talk together, so appliances like washing machines can be automatically powered to take advantage of peak times for solar power; a simple idea that saves serious money. Similarly, home security is being transformed by the ubiquity of Wi-Fi and smartphones to provide incredibly sophisticated surveillance at a fraction of the price. All these things are possible when autonomous, connected systems come together – and when the human operator takes a step back.
www.tomorrowsfm.com BRINGING THESE LESSONS
TO THE FM WORLD Building a service around data together with smart devices is a proving a game changer and these same forces are set to transform facilities management.
A recent study by MTW Research predicts that, despite customers facing increasing cost pressures, the UK’s facilities management industry is set to see a £200m boost in profitability in 2016, driven significantly by the adoption of leaner operating models and the deployment of technology. The study argues that market forces will drive demand for technology that enhances productivity, including ‘IoT-connected devices, automated monitoring and reporting, robotic cleaning equipment and remote servicing’ – all key areas of opportunity for FM providers.
Hyper-connected office spaces monitored by a nervous system of sensors and patrolled by robot cleaners might seem fanciful. However, a data driven approach quickly becomes a more serious proposition when you consider the efficiency and cost benefits. And the scope of opportunity is significant. After all, facilities management is still a relatively low-tech industry, driven by manual processes and human expertise. The question for today’s FM providers is whether they are willing to adapt to become the ‘Uber’ of tomorrow.
EVOLUTION IN WINTER
MAINTENANCE GRITIT is clear on the direction of travel and has moved to place digitisation at the heart of our next generation of service offering, and digital technology is already transforming how we work.
Our in-house technology team has spent the past three years developing an exciting new technology that will power our next generation service – GRITIT Sensors. These inexpensive, robust sensors deliver a real-time, live feed of actual road surface temperature and precipitation conditions on a client’s site to our
NIMBUS reporting system. This ensures that a gritting service can be delivered whenever and wherever needed, on a just-in-time basis. Through this combination of software, data and smart hardware, we are providing a greater accuracy of service and enhanced protection for high-risk areas. By gritting only when required by actual conditions, we also avoid over-servicing – a leaner approach that reduces waste and cost to the client over the course of a winter.
These sensors are opening up a range of powerful capabilities – all of which arise from following that simple principal of getting out of the way and letting technology do what it does best. We are now also rolling out a system of digital signage that provides drivers and pedestrians with real-time alerts when temperatures fall – with data enabling alerts by SMS or email.
Like all digital revolutions, the ability to flexibly combine capabilities and services is proving the key to generating and adding value. Uber wasn’t just an app for summoning a cab, it also built in payments and way to rate providers. The advent of smart sensors has added even more value to GRITIT’s smartphone app by giving clients a precise, real-time view of conditions across a site or portfolio of sites, as well as putting them in touch with the teams on the ground; a transparent and timely service, all in the palm of your hand. Can you imagine doing things any differently?
www.gritit.com
TOMORROW’S FM | 19
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