The FM sector has struggled for a long time with digitalizing the operations. Meanwhile, other sectors have seen it necessary to digitalize and implement different technologies such as Internet of Things and Big Data Analysis to streamline growth and innovation, which is required to stay competitive.
Over the years, the usage of data has been significantly expanded in various dimensions. In parallel with this data explosion, the Big Data Analytics (BDA) concept gained momentum in the early 2000s. Big Data Analytics describes a new generation of technologies and architectures designed to economically extract value from voluminous data, by enabling high-velocity capture (streaming data), discovery, and/or analysis. Having the right data at the right time and analysing the same can help in minimizing the risk of asset failure, thus saving cost and time. Facilities managers may use and analyse the information to improve visibility, make data-backed decisions, and plan strategic initiatives. The objective is to turn data into insights, which can be valuable for the facility. The concept is simple, but the value and volume of the data go beyond the capabilities of typical database software tool. This is where big data analytics come in.
Big data can generate numerous opportunities in terms of understanding energy usage, optimum customer service satisfaction, thus adding business value in any facility. Hence, BDA is recommended as a solution to numerous problems in Facilities Management. The use of data analytics can help in a meaningful forecast to fix power outages and failures, which can be achieved with the help of integrated systems within the facility. The systems enhance interoperability so that data can be more readily shared across different parts of the facility and can be used to fix the problem.
With BDA, benchmarking of facilities can be done for comparison of energy consumption patterns and waste. Facilities can achieve greater efficiency through data comparisons. For instance, BDA can give FMs better ways to identify and neutralize waste and weaknesses, while maximizing opportunities to manage facilities better. This is in stark contrast to maintenance reports and repair histories of the past. Now FMs can gather, sort, and analyse data on energy use, repair frequency, technician productivity, and inventory costs, among others.
In green building practices and design, the focus is primarily on reducing energy costs and cutting down greenhouse gas emissions. Automated fault detection, diagnostics for forecasting energy, and cost savings are key elements of a building’s data analytics approach. Instead of having to rely primarily on monthly check-ups to track performance, comfort levels and energy and maintenance data, building analytics automatically analyse the data on defined intervals. This information enables proactive building maintenance and ensures persistent energy efficiency.
Building management not only uses data analytics to identify energy-saving opportunities, but they can also lower the costs of energy audits. BDA can help in making low-cost operational changes through virtual audits and to double energy efficiency in buildings.
Leveraging big data will aid in developing intelligent buildings and understand energy trends and investments. The world of big data is growing and exponentially expanding. By learning from historical data and using contemporary technological capabilities, facilities can gain meaningful information to derive opportunities and make informed decisions that will have a long-lasting impact on the FM industry.
