| | October 20149CIOReviewOnce an organization has the right data in the right hands, it can enter a new era where managers learn things about buildings that we couldn't see beforedata analysis. Except when planning a new data center or requesting electrical upgrades, CIOs seldom interact with building managers. The computerization of building management typically involves local area networks and isolated systems. Not surprisingly, they are provided by device manufacturers and can't be integrated into an enterprise system of systems. The real opportunity for smarter facilities management comes from seeing and using data in new ways.Once an organization has the right data in the right hands, it can enter a new era where managers learn things about buildings that we couldn't see before. Only CIOs have the skills to lead data-driven initiatives and illustrate how that valuable data can be used to create higher value for the enterprise.Every building is different, based on its purpose, when it was built, what generation of furnace is in the basement and what air conditioner is on the roof. This variability leads to different levels of operating efficiency. Moreover, facility operations are as variable as buildings are. In one building, the team may have the expertise to maintain and repair most systems. In another the work may be outsourced. No one analyzes variables across the portfolio of buildings and teams to figure out what best practices are, except by anecdotal evidence.CIOs have figured out how to standardize sales reporting and human resources data across national boundaries and around the world. They need to do the same thing with facilities management data that comes out of smart machines in the buildings. Even though there is lots of data coming out of building systems, it isn't easy to use it. My company, IBM, is working with the U.S. General Services Administration to help the Public Buildings Service, which manages 8,600 facilities housing over 1 million workers. The Service has a mission to be a leader in sustainable design and a proving ground of innovative building management. They have dozens of different building management systems. To harvest intelligence and new value from these varied sources, the data has to be aggregated and analyzed.In many buildings, rooms are equipped with motion sensors that switch the lights off when they are unoccupied. Motion-sensor information can be analyzed to find many conference rooms are always empty, permitting the space to be used for something else or even subleased. Traffic monitoring on elevators or hallways can reveal patterns to discover underutilized space. Finding ways to do the same work with a smaller footprint is one of the best ways to cut facilities' costs. Collecting and standardizing data provides other opportunities. Comparing repair records of ventilation fans or chillers across many buildings may reveal which manufacturer produces the most reliable units. Looking at outside contractors employed for each building is likely to reveal wide disparity in costs and performance and indicate areas for improvement. When data is used effectively, it is easier to develop quantified best practices to share across an enterprise.We know this because we've used these techniques in our own buildings. When we designed a new data center in Ehningen, Germany, we optimized it for energy conservation and building efficiency. The building is equipped throughout with sensors, so if employees leave the blinds open in a sunny room, building managers can send someone to close them or do this remotely with advanced systems. The facility was designed to conserve space by letting field workers, like sales people and consultants who often work off site, use temporarily assigned desks and workstations when they check into the office. This can allow building operators to condition space floor-by-floor as the building is occupied. We calculate that steps like these have resulted in a building that uses 35 percent less energy than a traditional design would have. Stories like that illustrate the potential for using the data and how to manage buildings more smartly. It can make a significant difference to the enterprise and to the environment. We need to seize the opportunity not just to get the data, but to really use it.
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