Developing FM
| Technology in FM - what is the future? |
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| Written by Mick Dalton, July 2006 | |
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Advances are occurring daily in information and communication technologies, each with a wide range of business implications. The pressure is on facilities managers to keep up with the pace of change. Understanding the relationships between IT and FM is increasingly important. In FM today we see technology taking a bigger role in the ongoing support of services to people and the workplace.
Of special interest are the implications for changes in the workplace as new technologies develop to support networked organisations with an increasingly mobile workforce. Many of these emerging technologies will soon be mainstream, bringing a string of benefits, including greater convenience in time and travel; faster, smarter decision-making; lower costs; and more efficient, effective and productive workplaces. Most facilities managers already use technology in various forms to run their sites, whether it is a computer-aided FM system, building management, access control or simply a database of first aiders. Looking over the horizonSo what does the near future hold? We can easily imagine a 'dream building' using state-of-the-art technology - though it won't be long before that dream comes true for most facilities managers. Assume the building is wireless, has a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) phone system, and you are using a proximity card based on smart radio frequency identification (RFID) technology.Let's start with the car park. This is likely to have some form of security control, perhaps activated by an access card, either proximity or swipe. If it utilises an RFID tag, this could be inside the vehicle and as you drive up, the system will recognise the tag and open the barrier. Most organisations today have some form of access control, usually a swipe card, that governs access to the building, too. The more progressive companies will have a global solution in place so staff only need to carry one card, regardless of the number of buildings. Imagine now the car park and front door are both on the same card. Let's assume it's an RFID proximity card. Of course, when you have walked up to the entrance the proximity reader has identified you and opened the door. If you are a visitor, a camera at the entrance will use face recognition technology to determine if you have been in the building before. If so, the system will identify you and when you arrive at the reception desk you will be addressed personally. They know when you were last here, what the weather was like, if you had any special requirements, say, for a taxi to the airport. The company's customer relationship management (CRM) system will make the experience similar to what you would expect if you were a regular visitor to a good hotel. In the reception area you will find a client 'hotspot' where you can access the Internet, do some last-minute preparations, download email and so on. The office is wherever you areWorkers increasingly have portable wireless enabled devices that allow them to work 'anywhere'. In reception, for example, you would expect to find installed a standalone 'wireless visitor network'. Typically, this might also cover conference and meeting areas and the café or restaurant, but it can be extended to cover the entire workplace. The user is issued with a timed pass that contains a unique user name and password. As well as providing clients with access to the Internet, a branded portal allows companies to post key information such as links to their website, press releases, product launches and events. The portal can also allow clients to connect to printers and projectors/plasma screens, and to book rooms and catering facilities.Once a wireless visitor network is in place, it can be used to provide other useful applications, including WiFi location-based services. This allows people and equipment to be located for security and information purposes. It is a software-based system that makes use of existing WiFi access points and users' WiFi-enabled devices. If users do not have a WiFi-enabled device, they can be issued with a temporary device. As well as ensuring visitors have authorised access to the premises, it is also possible to provide clients with information specific to their location. A 'smart phone' or 'one phone' can also be added to this system, eliminating the duplication of mobile and office desk phone systems. But back to FM and the assumption that you are an employee, not a visitor. The network knows you are based on the third floor, but today you will be hot-desking in an office on the fourth floor. The lift is waiting to take you to the fourth floor - since it is, of course, connected to the security and CRM systems. You leave the lift and the office lights come on as you approach. The air conditioning has already been adjusted by the building management system, which knows your personal settings, your likes and dislikes in terms of environmental control. The whole building benefits from a single IP network, enabling all the building services to operate off the same network. This saved many thousands of pounds at the construction stage and has opened up lots of opportunities to innovate in the workplace. As you enter your office, your secretary brings you your favourite cup of coffee, as the CRM system alerted her that you were on the way up. Your phone, which is a mobile while out of the building, has joined the internal VoIP network. Every call you make now is on the internal system. Your PC has already come on, logged you into the company network and is on standby. As you sit down, the proximity card opens up your mail system. In your inbox are your emails, voice mails and faxes all in one convenient place for you to action. Your mobile phone is also a mobile ATM, allowing you to check your bank account, make payments, buy lottery tickets or do any financial transaction necessary. Your PDA can link straight to your desk phone and update your telephone directory, as well as transfer calendar entries between your online calendar and your mobile device. The mobile phone comes complete with near field communication (NFC) capability. This means it can read electronic tags on other devices and execute actions. You only have to accept the execution, for example, opening a Web page, calling a favourite number, or sending an SMS. Similarly, by touching an enabled device, such as a television, the mobile can send a picture to it. This NFC capability brings the following benefits:
Skype is connected and your friends and colleagues can see when you are online. Colleagues know now that you are in and have scheduled a video conference at 10.00am. Your integrated desktop allows you to make or participate in a global audio, Web and video conferences without leaving your desk. Of course, the wireless network in the building allows you to work anywhere so if you fancy sitting in the restaurant or a soft seating area you can and still be connected at the same time. The wireless also system allows all of your FM team to have a VoIP roaming phone. No need for pagers or two-way radios. By 11.00am you are feeling hungry. The conference call has ended and the minutes were in your inbox instantly, sent while you were wrapping up the call. You log on to the FM intranet and place money onto your proximity card, then wander down to the restaurant. You buy coffee and a cake. The cost is deducted from your card by the cashless system. On the way back to your office, you stop to buy another drink. You can do this and deduct the cost from the cash on your card. Back at your desk, a supplier calls you. As you answer the phone your PC screen opens up a 'scorecard' giving you the following data:
Managing the service responseSuddenly your PDA alarm goes off. The chiller supporting the boardroom has failed and at 3.00pm the board is due to meet. The alarm tells you that an engineer is on his way and will be onsite in 15 minutes. The BMS has automatically alerted the helpdesk and a job number has been created. Details have been passed instantly to all those who need to know.The engineer's PDA gives him satellite navigation guidance to the job. He also has full information about the problem, asset details, condition report, the history of events here, a health and safety risk assessment, and a method statement. While the engineer works on the chiller you are kept abreast of progress. At some stage your phone rings and it is the chairman's PA. She has been to the boardroom and noticed it is a little warm. You can advise her that by the time the board meets at 3.00pm the fault will be resolved and the room will be at the right temperature. The Web portal on your PC shows you the details of what the engineer found and you can see the work has been completed in accordance with the service level agreement between you and your contractor. You can, of course, check the extranet at any time to get real-time information on how the service company is performing overall. Later, a message pops up on your screen from another facilities manager in your locality, asking if you have any information on space benchmarks. You have a report and some figures so you can share the relevant information quickly. The day is coming to an end now, but of course as a facilities manager you are on call tonight. No problem - your broadband connection at home allows you to use your work soft phone and receive calls without any call charges. Nevertheless, let's hope it's a quiet night. Of course, a technologically advanced building such as this has a cost attached to it - but from the FM point of view that cost is definitely outweighed by the benefits, especially in improvements in service and communications. Systems like these are already in place at some of the most forward-thinking organisations - and just around the corner for the rest of us. About the author Mick Dalton is Chairman of the British Institute of Facilities Management. Please visit www.bifm.org.uk |
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