TECHNOLO


LOGY, AI & ROBOTICS


AN INNOVATIVE FUTURE


The current direction of innovation is heavily influenced by environmental social governance (ESG), social mobility, and customer experience, says John Norris, Head of Innovation for Samsic UK, as he discusses the future of the technology in the FM sector.


No matter the industry, any successful business must be prepared to innovate if it is to succeed rather than stagnate. Innovation is often the foundation of positive change, and positive change is invaluable to a business, whether it focuses on products, services, or company culture.


But what does the future of innovation look like in the facilities management sector? To which areas should businesses apply their focus, and how do we ensure that we’re implementing any innovations effectively, efficiently and safely?


The current direction of innovation is heavily influenced by environmental social governance (ESG), social mobility, and customer experience.


Customers are paying close attention to ESG performance, asking how organisations are working - or planning to work - sustainably and responsibly in the coming years. The emergence of enzyme, probiotic and next generation cleaning, which is designed to reduce or remove the presence of chemicals in cleaning operations, is a prime example of innovations centred around positive changes in sustainability.


While this is only an emerging technology at the moment, it can reduce a business’s impact on the environment and protect the health and safety of our staff at work, so we’re watching its development with interest.


Productivity and efficiency are naturally priorities for customers. Whilst this has always been the case, the way in which we aim to make our operations more efficient is changing quickly. When it comes to productivity, there are numerous innovations that are already making an impact in our industry. Cobotics and sensor technology sit high at the top of the list.


26 | TOMORROW’S FM


Cobotics - or collaborative robots - work closely with our people to help improve efficiency and minimise health and safety risks. The automated floor cleaning of the ICE Phantas cobot, with its dual functionality of a vacuum and scrubber drier, is amongst my favourite recent innovations, primarily because it frees up cleaning staff to concentrate on other more productive activities which require a human touch.


Proximity technology is another way we can help staff to optimise their time. By installing these sensors in areas like restrooms, we can use data to schedule on-demand cleaning. This kind of forward-thinking optimisation can allow a business to focus on more pressing matters, reduce wasted effort (and therefore client spend), or dedicate more time to developing other services and skillsets.


The really exciting part is that we’ve only scratched the surface of what cobotics and sensor technology can do. They’re evolving day-by-day, to incorporate other areas and activities. For example, technology now allows us to provide a digital twin of a customer building, which enables us to simulate activities in a digital environment. Optimised route and activity planning are just two possibilities that this enables. It’s clearer than ever that these technologies will be a key tool for the facilities management sector.


There’s also the vast potential of AI. While it is far from a flawless system at the moment, as it develops it will bring about a variety of possibilities and opportunities for our industry. Currently, we are investigating the ways that artificial intelligence can help our recruitment processes, from advertising new roles to shortlisting and interviewing candidates. Used sensibly, AI can yield significant benefits for organisational efficiency and efficacy.


twitter.com/TomorrowsFM


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