However, beyond trendy technology alone, let’s consider, for the point of this blog, how a “smart building” has the opportunity to improve facility maintenance, the environment, promote sustainability, reduce the carbon footprint of a business or enterprise, and enhance myriad efficiencies. What’s more, let’s specifically examine the role that Hexagon EAM can play in relation to smart building management.
What is a Smart Building?
Defined by The National Institute of Building Sciences, a smart building is one that “can provide advanced functionality through a computerized, intelligent network of electronic devices designed to monitor and control the mechanical, electrical, lighting, and other systems in a building.” Ultimately, a smart building relies upon advanced technology when enabling “integration automation, and optimization of any building system in support of facilities management and the building’s operation and performance.”
Sounds great for business, right? But what is actually the purpose of making a building smart? Here are just a few points to consider.
A smart building:
- Provides improved efficiencies to the building’s owners and managers.
- Offers consistent safety and comfort to tenants, building workers, and other stakeholders.
- Has the potential of monitoring assets within the structure to detect inefficient performance as well as diagnose and automatically correct problems.
- Alert building management when an issue comes up.
- Better manages energy needs, thereby reducing costs and realizing more environmentally friendly and sustainable energy practices over the long term.
Ultimately, smart buildings can range from skyscrapers and massive hotels to residential apartment buildings or manufacturing plants—and everything in between. Why? Because all buildings face significant energy consumption and all have the opportunity to experience savings while putting forth positive environmental practices through smart building tools. However, in order to do this and make an impact, you must be using the right technology.
How Hexagon EAM Can Help
Connected to convey real-time insights related to equipment and facility maintenance including HVAC systems, plumbing, and electrical platforms. Additionally, there are some other perks of implementing Hexagon EAM, including:
- Energy usage can be monitored and controlled in an effort to meet sustainability endeavors, reduce CO2 emissions, and lower utility expenses.
- Building stakeholders, including facilities managers and ownership, can be connected and access a single source of shared data, improving communication and collaboration.
- On that same point, those stakeholders can glean new insight into how to reduce waste and ensure a sustainable future for the building and all associated assets.
- Break down building areas into submeters to determine which areas of a structure are more or less energy efficient than others, offering the ability to address deficiencies on the granular level and optimize accordingly.
- Be better equipped to adapt business practices and building functions based on seasonal and weather-related changes called “degree days,” eliminating unnecessary wear and tear on building systems and controlling energy costs.
- Engage in improved space planning and ensure the effective utilization of a building’s total space by tenants and occupants.
Facilities Maintenance Management Technology that Makes an Impact
Yes, energy is expensive—but you can get a handle on this through smart building technologies. By implementing Hexagon EAM into a facilities management and smart building strategy, you will be able to establish sustainable energy policies and programs, track and measure performance to eliminate waste and unnecessary expenses, and proactively deploy programs and initiatives that automate and correct issues before they become problems.
We would love to talk to you about this—reach out today and let’s make your building or facility “smart” in 2020 with Hexagon EAM. Contact us now.