Revolutionising Facilities Management: A Data-Driven Approach

Data has emerged as the new currency across many industries but has become especially significant in the world of facilities management, with its continued effort to modernise and optimise building management technology. Data holds the key to unlocking efficiency and driving tangible results, with data-driven decision-making in FM practices can be transformed drastically. 

1. Harnessing Current Condition Data

Facilities are more than just physical structures; they are dynamic ecosystems. By collecting accurate asset data—details about equipment, maintenance history, and condition—we can make informed decisions about the asset, such as life remaining, maintenance interventions, and replacements.

One crucial metric is the Facility Condition Index (FCI), defined as the ratio of the current year’s required renewal cost to the current building replacement value. A facility with an FCI score above 10% is considered to be in poor condition. FCIs serve as a health check for assets, providing a holistic view that enables long-term planning and strategic asset management.

2. Decoding Energy Consumption Patterns

Energy costs form a significant portion of FM budgets. With the built environment accounting for 59% of the UK’s electricity consumption, optimising energy usage through data analytics is crucial. Consumption patterns help identify when energy-consuming equipment, such as lighting or HVAC, activate and de-activate, and highlight peaks in energy demand.

This information can guide decisions on how equipment should be controlled, timed, and operated. Additionally, anomalies can be identified and investigated to understand whether energy is being wasted due to defective equipment or faulty control settings.

The use of smart meters, historical consumption patterns, and real-time monitoring empowers FM sites to control their energy consumption effectively. The potential impact? Reduced energy bills and a smaller carbon footprint.

3. The Power of Predictive Maintenance

Waiting for equipment to fail is both costly and disruptive. Predictive maintenance models, fuelled by real-time data, allow for intervention before breakdowns occur. This approach not only optimises asset health and predicts failures, but also extends the useful life of your assets through a strategy that prioritises repairs and replacements. This could decrease costs by 12% and extend the lifespan of an aging asset by 20%.

4. Optimising Space Utilisation Metrics

Space is a precious resource. Analysing occupancy trends, peak hours, and spatial efficiency can guide flexible workspace design and enhance the employee experience. Space utilisation measures what’s actually happening in the office, providing granularity that other occupancy data sources like badge check-ins and employee surveys can’t.

By spending less on utilities in underutilised spaces and only investing in workspaces employees will actually use, costs can be cut. Better office design that aligns with work habits and work style preferences can improve the workplace experience. Furthermore, real estate portfolios can be optimised by making data-driven decisions regarding architectural design, office layout, and resizing.

Conclusion

In the dynamic world of FM, smart data utilisation is the key to unlocking efficiency and driving tangible results. By harnessing the power of data, we can revolutionise FM practices and create a more sustainable, efficient, and productive future.