What Is Operational Intelligence?

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What Is Operational Intelligence?

Operational intelligence (OI) involves continuously monitoring systems, collecting data from multiple sources, and analysing it to provide actionable insights. In many cases, these actionable insights will trigger the improvements automatically. In building management, these systems include data from HVAC systems, lighting, energy meters, sensors, and IoT devices.

These actionable insights bring value, they save time, energy, and resources. By identifying patterns, anomalies, and inefficiencies, operational intelligence helps building managers make decisions that are both immediate and impactful. These decisions lead to more sustainable, healthier and more valuable assets for owners and occupiers.

Why Adopt Operational Intelligence for Buildings

  1. Real-Time Insights for Efficiency

Traditional building management systems rely on static schedules or manual interventions, often resulting in inefficiencies. Operational intelligence transforms this approach by enabling real-time decision-making. Whether it’s adjusting heating and cooling based on occupancy patterns or dimming lights in unoccupied areas, OI ensures resources are used where and when they’re needed. By capturing more sensing and information inputs, we have the data to make better decisions on how we control a property.

  1. Proactive Maintenance

Maintenance has historically been reactive—problems are fixed after they occur. Ask yourself, how often have you had the same piece of equipment checked routinely over and over when there is no problem with it, just in case the equipment has started to fail without you knowing? With OI, building systems can be monitored for early signs of wear or failure. Predictive analytics can notify teams of potential issues before they cause downtime, reducing costs and enhancing system reliability.

  1. Sustainability and Energy Management

Buildings are major contributors to global energy consumption. Operational intelligence enables smarter energy management by tracking usage in real-time and pinpointing wasteful practices. Through the adoption of Machine Learning and AI, we can provide optimised control of a building’s HVAC system, ensuring it maintains the perfect temperature while utilising the optimal amount of energy.

  1. Enhanced Occupant Experience

A building isn’t just a structure; it’s a space where people live, work, and interact. OI-driven systems can adjust temperature, lighting, and air quality to enhance comfort and productivity. Tailored to the needs of occupants in real-time, the space can become healthier and more comfortable.

  1. Data-Driven Decision Making

With operational intelligence, building managers gain access to a wealth of data presented through visual dashboards and detailed analytics. This data empowers decision-makers to allocate resources effectively, justify investments, and continuously improve building performance. These dashboards are often created and customised to the building’s needs. Data is nothing without context, and having the right domain insight when developing these user interfaces is where added value is created.

Use Cases of Operational Intelligence in Buildings

  • Smart HVAC Systems: Adjust heating and cooling based on room occupancy or outdoor weather conditions, saving energy and improving comfort.
  • Lighting Automation: Use motion sensors and daylight tracking to control lighting, ensuring no energy is wasted.
  • Water Management: Monitor water usage and detect leaks in real-time, reducing waste and ensuring sustainability.
  • Security Enhancements: Integrate OI with building access systems to track movement and enhance security protocols.
  • Integration with Building Management Systems (BMS): Combine OI with existing systems for a seamless, automated experience.

The Road Ahead

Sometimes making a start is the hardest part. We all want the smartest and most sustainable buildings; however, it’s not always practical to upgrade our buildings instantly from day one. Through developing a detailed roadmap and identifying a pathway to achieve your property goals, this cutting-edge OI approach can be adopted by any building.

By starting small and scaling incrementally, operational intelligence can begin delivering the performance of a smart and sustainable building while utilizing a low-risk approach. The journey to smarter, more efficient buildings is not about perfection from day one but about taking thoughtful, meaningful steps toward a brighter future.

Ready to Embrace Operational Intelligence?

Discover how operational intelligence can transform your building into a smart, efficient, and sustainable space. Get in touch to learn more about the tools and technologies driving the future of building management.

Disclaimer: The content within is the opinion of the author and engineering team of Operational Intelligence.

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What Can an Integration Platform Do for Your Building?

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What Is Master System Integration in the Healthcare Sector?

Over the past five years, you may have noticed that property technology in healthcare is evolving at an increasing rate.

Modern buildings now come equipped with comprehensive ICT networks for building services, public Wi-Fi infrastructure, a high density of devices, advanced sensing, control systems and cloud applications. However, this technological proliferation introduces challenges, particularly regarding system compatibility, connectivity and cohesive project completion.

Historically, each product supplier handles integration and networking independently, often leading to siloed systems and outcomes. Today, the systems’ increasing complexity and interconnectedness necessitate a coordinated approach. This is where the role of a Master System Integrator (MSI) can become critical. 

An MSI is an expert in both operational technology (OT) and information technology (IT), ensuring seamless integration and networking across various systems.

Operational Intelligence (OI), an Australian Master System Integrator (MSI) with experience in complex integrated precincts internationally shares insight in regards to Best In Class practices to ensure clients’ systems are integrated and functioning seamlessly and for cohesive delivery. 

Procurement Review

While experts in their field, the supply chain may not always have the big picture necessary to understand what is critical outside the siloed product. An MSI ensures that all procured technology products comply with design documentation and other project technology requirements. This critical step guarantees that each product is supplied with the correct parts and firmware necessary for project connectivity.

Detailed Design Coordination

The MSI takes an owner and operator perspective about outcomes and from that position incorporates requirements into the design of the engineering ICT network. MSIs assist design teams by organising network addressing, VLANs, cyber rules, and network compatibility. For example, the determination of the number of data ports needed by the Building Management System (BMS) and the exploration of secure and cost-effective methods to connect to the ICT network.

Bench and Factory Acceptance Testing

Before installation, MSIs facilitate offsite testing to ensure different technologies can communicate effectively. For example, testing the interaction between security access and lift systems allows the project team to resolve issues before commissioning. For example, sometimes custom integrations or firmware updates will need to be applied. By applying a factory testing procedure these bugs can be ironed out well in advance of the installation and commissioning of various technologies.

Commissioning and Witness Testing

MSIs provide the oversight and management of the commissioning process to ensure the technology functions as per design intent. When thousands of devices are involved, a comprehensive process for validation and recording the location and operation of these devices is crucial for a facility’s ongoing, effective operations. This can incorporate resolving issues not traditionally found in construction such as firmware lockout dates, the latest technology deployment and change management planning for post deployment support.

Change Management and System Maintenance

Post-handover, MSIs manage firmware updates, network monitoring, cyber protection, and change management. MSIs ensure that ICT technologies remain secure, structured, and reliably documented throughout the property’s operational life.

MSI expertise can assist stakeholders in healthcare facilities navigate the complexities of modern technology to ensuring robust, secure and efficient operations.

Contact us to transform your building into a smart building

Operational Intelligence is a global leader in technology strategy and innovative design with over three decades of trusted experience. Having enabled over 3,700 smart solutions worldwide, we are the go-to experts for taking your building into the future with the most advanced smart building technology and solutions.

Contact our team for more information on how you can optimise your building utilising the most advanced smart building technology and solutions.

Benefits of Smart Buildings

Disclaimer: The content within is the opinion of the author and engineering team of Operational Intelligence.

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How Can Security in Smart Buildings Be Improved in the Australian Market?

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How Can Security in Smart Buildings Be Improved in the Australian Market?

As Australia's buildings grow smarter, the need to protect them from digital threats is becoming more urgent.

This article provides a strategic blueprint for building owners, focusing on the integration of comprehensive cybersecurity and physical security strategies. By drawing on the Australian Signals Directorate’s (ASD) Essential Eight mitigation strategies and beyond, we aim to fortify the digital and physical assets of smart buildings against the evolving landscape of cyber threats, ensuring their operations are resilient, efficient, and secure.

The Need for Advanced Security in Smart Buildings

Smart buildings represent a convergence of technology and infrastructure, designed to improve efficiency, sustainability, and convenience. However, this integration of digital technologies also introduces new vulnerabilities, making comprehensive security measures indispensable. In Australia, the rise in smart building developments comes with an increased risk of cyber-attacks and physical security breaches, necessitating a multi-faceted approach to security.

Cybersecurity: The Digital Shield

With the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) reporting a significant rise in cyber-attacks against Australian entities, the need for robust cybersecurity measures is clear. Cybersecurity in smart buildings encompasses a range of strategies, from securing network infrastructures to implementing stringent access controls and encryption protocols. These measures are designed to protect sensitive data and prevent unauthorised access to building management systems.

Physical Security Technologies: Beyond the Lock and Key

Modern physical security technologies offer far more than traditional lock-and-key mechanisms. Integrated surveillance systems, access control technologies, and environmental monitoring tools together provide an overview of physical security status in real time. These technologies not only deter unauthorised access but also enhance the ability to respond swiftly to potential breaches.

The Role of Digital Protection and Building Management Systems

Digital protection focuses on safeguarding the integrity of the software and networks that underpin smart building operations. This includes ensuring that communication between devices and the central building management system is secure and resilient against cyber threats. The building management system (BMS) requires rigorous security protocols to prevent tampering or unauthorised access, which could compromise building operations.

What is the Essential Eight? 

The Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) has developed prioritised mitigation strategies, known as the Strategies to Mitigate Cyber Security Incidents, aimed at assisting organisations in protecting themselves against a variety of cyber threats. Among these strategies, the Essential Eight emerges as the most productive.

These strategies offer foundational cybersecurity measures that include:

  1. Patch Applications: Regularly update applications to rectify security vulnerabilities.
  2. Patch Operating Systems: Ensure operating systems are up-to-date with the latest security patches.
  3. Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Implement MFA to add an additional layer of security beyond just passwords.
  4. Restrict Administrative Privileges: Limit administrative rights to those who truly need them to reduce the risk of malicious software installation or data manipulation.
  5. Application Control: Control which applications are allowed to execute, preventing the execution of unapproved or malicious programs.
  6. Restrict Microsoft Office Macros: Only enable macros from trusted sources to prevent macro-based malware.
  7. User Application Hardening: Configure web browsers and other applications to reduce vulnerability.
  8. Regular Backups: Ensure data is backed up regularly, enabling recovery in the event of data loss or ransomware.

Implementing these strategies in the Essential Eight Maturity Model is crucial for enhancing cyber resilience. The Essential Eight Assessment Process Guide offers a framework for evaluating implementations of these strategies, ensuring a robust defence against cyber threats

Strategic Considerations for Australian Enterprises

In navigating the complexities of smart building security, Australian businesses must consider several key strategic directions: Comprehensive Risk Assessments, Regulatory Compliance, Stakeholder Education and Awareness, and Investment in Integrated Security Solutions. Deploying integrated security solutions that encompass both cybersecurity and physical security technologies provides a unified defence mechanism against a range of threats.

Conclusion

As Australia continues to evolve with the proliferation of smart buildings, the integration of comprehensive security strategies becomes increasingly important. By addressing both digital and physical vulnerabilities with a holistic approach, organisations can protect their assets and ensure the resilience and sustainability of their operations. 

Engage with Operational Intelligence today to navigate the complexities of smart building technology and secure a future where your building operations are optimised for success. Discover more about their services and how they can elevate your project by getting in touch today.

 

Contact us to transform your building into a smart building

Operational Intelligence are leaders in technology strategy and innovative design, trusted around the world and backed by over 30 years of experience. We have enabled three Smart Cities, seven 6-Star NABERS rated precincts, sixty-seven 5-Star NABERS rated precincts and over 3,700 smart solutions worldwide. 

Contact our team for more information on how you can optimise your building utilising the most advanced smart building technology and solutions.

Benefits of Smart Buildings

Disclaimer: The content within is the opinion of the author and engineering team of Operational Intelligence.

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3 Key Benefits of Utilising a Smart Workflow

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3 Key Benefits of Utilising a Smart Workflow

Although many businesses understand the value of smart building technology, they might find their productivity and efficiency has not increased to their desired levels after they adopt it. Reviewing the processes of building stakeholders with the goal of enhancing their daily workflows, reducing bottlenecks and maximising infrastructure is the key to achieving optimised building and end-user operations. 

Previously we covered the growing pressure for building owners to enhance their digital stakeholder experience, providing insight into the need for employing a smart workflow to leverage an infrastructure’s value. In this article, we will analyse the main benefits in more detail.  Below are some key examples of the advantages of employing a smart workflow.

1. Enhanced Occupant Experience

By implementing workflows connecting occupants with the building systems, the occupants become embedded with the property, becoming more efficient in the workplace and loyal to their tenancy.

An example of increased end-user interoperability is a patient who wants to make a booking at their hospital. Using a smart workflow, the patient can make a booking online, which will trigger a visit request via an integration platform at the building, it can then send the patient an email asking ‘do you need parking?’ if the answer is yes, the system can reserve a park and provide secure access via the patient’s licence plate.

The workflow has mapped the entire user journey to create a seamless experience. This process can be tailored to any industry.  Other examples that improve the tenant experience:

Improved Amenities – Workflows give better interoperability for occupants to point out faulty amenities to be fixed faster. 

Smart lighting systems –  When tenants swipe their cards to enter the building, that can trigger the lift to take them to their floor, eliminating the need to manually enter the floor number. If that tenant is the first person in the building, the card swipe at the entrance can also trigger the lighting and air-conditioning on their floor, reducing power when the floor isn’t occupied and reducing the labour of manually setting up the lights.

2. Reduced Operational and Maintenance Costs

Workflows provide toolkits for facility managers to monitor a building’s energy consumption. An effective workflow delivers visualisation for various building functionalities and reporting capabilities for operators to identify and implement fine-tuning strategies. This advanced visualisation is mapped out via an integration platform with constant back-and-forth data transferred between building assets for real-time results.

Providing tenants with the ability to access the building’s network and notify operators of faulty equipment also means any issues with the building’s assets can be fixed before they become too expensive.

3. Reduced Labour Resources

Say an organisation has hired a new employee, traditionally, one of the employee representatives would have to send an email to management with the new employee’s details, then the manager would have to pass the details onto security, and security would have to manually enter the details and notify the manager until it comes full circle back to the employee. 

With an effective workflow in place, the new employee can use the integration platform from the building to enter their details and automatically sync them into the building’s security systems and database. If the new employee is starting at a global company, they can do a bulk upload onto all the building systems around the world. 

This reduces the need for multiple handling of information and saves time for security and management to focus on other tasks. The same workflow can work in reverse when staff leave a business. This way there are no forgotten or active access cards remaining for staff no longer working in a property.

Contact us to transform your building into a smart building

Operational Intelligence are leaders in technology strategy and innovative design, trusted around the world and backed by over 30 years of experience. We have enabled three Smart Cities, seven 6-Star NABERS rated precincts, sixty-seven 5-Star NABERS rated precincts and over 3,700 smart solutions worldwide. 

Contact our team for more information on how you can optimise your building utilising the most advanced smart building technology and solutions.

Benefits of Smart Buildings

Disclaimer: The content within is the opinion of the author and engineering team of Operational Intelligence.

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Leverage your Smart Building with Digital Workflows

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Leverage your Smart Building with Digital Workflows

In the modern-day property industry, smart building technology has fast become a means for building owners and developers to gain an advantage in attracting and retaining quality tenants. 

This comes with the growing desire to accumulate more data for an accommodating and frictionless operating experience. Now smart technology is the number one priority for building owners to enhance their portfolios and remain competitive in a rapidly evolving world.

A CAMUNDA survey in 2020 found that 67% of organisations in the US and Europe alone are implementing business automation processes across different systems and technologies for end-to-end visibility. This rapid digital acceleration is generating pressure for organisations to deliver a more engaging digital experience to tenants. 

Now more than ever, tenants are becoming more interconnected with the digital world and with that, they expect greater convenience and engagement. For building owners, to enhance their portfolios and ensure a return on investment, the most effective way to remain competitive is to leverage their building utilising smart technology and employing effective workflows to increase stakeholder engagement. Let’s analyse what these two solutions mean.

What is Smart Building Technology?

Smart building technology unifies and automates the various operations of a building like HVAC, lighting, electricity and security to create a more energy-efficient and comfortable environment for its occupants. For more information on the features and benefits of utilising smart building solutions, click here.

For building owners looking to adopt this technology, the number one question they would need to analyse is, ‘how is the smart building technology going to meet the needs of my building’s stakeholders?’

While integrating smart technology into a building’s architecture will certainly boost the value of the building, using the technology without first assessing how it will meet the unique requirements of both the infrastructure and the stakeholders will result in masses of underutilised and wasted data.

Utilising smart technology data to improve the operations of tenants, facility managers, and visitors by providing increased interoperability is where the true value of smart technology lies. The most effective way to increase stakeholder connectivity is by visualising the end-user experience and employing an effective smart workflow.

What is a Workflow?

A workflow provides a pathway and solution for specific user groups like visitors, tenants, facility operators, etc. The concept behind digital workflows is to utilise the already connected technology to trigger a sequence of events from the moment the user begins to interact with the building.

For example, when a visitor arrives at the building, how do they gain access? How do they get to their desired floor? Does the visitor wait for 15-minutes at the concierge and sign in manually? Should the host ride down the elevator to retrieve the guest? A workflow creates multiple possibilities, like providing temporary access to the visitor’s smartphone via a calendar invite, visitor management system or room booking system.

Workflows provide a streamlined channel of communication for building management and occupants, improving efficiency by automating tasks that would otherwise require manual labour to complete. A Deloitte survey found that businesses can reduce their general processing costs by 30% with an effective workflow automation process.

By adding an intelligent workflow to the smart building infrastructure, businesses can transform their building into a technological ecosystem that drives its own productivity and provides unmatched end-user interoperability and comfort.

Conclusion

The post-pandemic challenge of bringing tenants back into the building can be solved by matching tenants’ growing desire for greater connectivity. Tenants want a space that can meet their demands, reduce any constrictions and provide greater comfort. With a focus on valuable workflows for all building stakeholders, building owners can create unmatched convenience and ease that optimises satisfaction to maximise tenant retention and increase the value of their buildings. Keep reading to view the key benefits of employing a smart workflow.

Contact us to transform your building into a smart building

Operational Intelligence are leaders in technology strategy and innovative design, trusted around the world and backed by over 30 years of experience. We have enabled three Smart Cities, seven 6-Star NABERS rated precincts, sixty-seven 5-Star NABERS rated precincts and over 3,700 smart solutions worldwide. 

Contact our team for more information on how you can optimise your building utilising the most advanced smart building technology and solutions.

Benefits of Smart Buildings

Disclaimer: The content within is the opinion of the author and engineering team of Operational Intelligence.

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What Can an Integration Platform Do for Your Building?

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What Can an Integration Platform Do for Your Building?

Traditionally connected building systems, like HVAC, lighting, and security, are now expanding to integrate other functionalities at an unprecedented rate, in response to the swift advancement of intelligent automation technology. Such technology promises to enhance occupant wellbeing and augment building sustainability.

Increasingly, building owners seek to harvest more data to craft a comfortable and engaging experience for tenants and staff. The surge in data-driven approaches is a testament to technology’s role in unlocking a myriad of possibilities for heightened convenience and comfort.

With smart technology, owners can now engage with virtually every facet of their facilities beyond the standard functions connected via a conventional Building Management System (BMS). From workflows, energy management systems, room booking, smart parking to coffee ordering, the user experience within buildings is becoming more seamless and efficient.

 

At the core of this transformative user experience is the intelligent integration platform. But what exactly is it?

An integration platform is a centralised building systems interface accessible through phones, tablets, or laptops, presenting various building operations at your fingertips. While offering data that empowers operators to enhance efficiency, sustainability, and reduce energy costs, it also significantly improves usability for occupants.

By employing advanced logic, intelligent integration platforms elevate the end-user experience, making it more comfortable, interactive, and personalised. For instance, while a traditional BMS allows basic control over lighting and HVAC, an intelligent BMS, coupled with an integration platform, can auto-adjust these elements to suit your personal preferences.

Below, we have outlined five key benefits of adopting an advanced integration platform integrated with an intelligent BMS:

Benefit 1: Unified Data for More Effective Results

Buildings often house multiple data silos, which hinder communication and underutilise valuable data. Integration systems dissolve these silos, promoting clearer communication and more effective data use, leading to quicker, more efficient problem-solving and optimised building management. Driving up good decisions through better data driven insights promotes driving down operational and utility costs.

Benefit 2: Increased  Operational Savings

An advanced integration platform provides detailed visibility of every connected system within the building. With unified data reports and visualisations, building owners can create more informed, data-driven insights, drastically lowering operational costs. One of the costs is energy usage, which can be better monitored and managed with dashboards that track energy usage and identify where waste can be reduced.

Also, with a detailed digital map of the building, identifying mechanical issues becomes quick and easy as managers can detect, isolate and resolve the issue before it becomes too costly. An integration platform means maintenance expenses are kept to a minimum.

Benefit 3: Improved Satisfaction of Occupants

Advanced integration platforms create a connected and convenient environment, increasing occupant contentment and control over their spaces. This leads to higher retention rates and enhances the long-term value of the building.

Benefit 4: Open System 

Sophisticated platforms operate on open systems, allowing integration of top technologies from various vendors without the need for complete overhauls, ensuring cost-effectiveness and flexibility.

Benefit 5: Reduced Labour Costs

An integration platform provides greater flexibility and capability with advanced automation tasks like workflows, graphics, and unified data, instead of relying on individual silos that don’t always add up. Integrating and automating the various systems of a building will eliminate human error in interpreting data. It will also reduce the labour cost of obtaining data without knowledge of how to apply it.

The integration platform can provide standard dashboards and tenant portals across all building systems. They are easy to use and informative, eliminating the need for understanding multiple eclectic platforms. This means managers are spending less on training staff to understand and interpret the building’s data.

Contact us to transform your building into a smart building

Operational Intelligence is a global leader in technology strategy and innovative design with over three decades of trusted experience. Having enabled over 3,700 smart solutions worldwide, we are the go-to experts for taking your building into the future with the most advanced smart building technology and solutions.

Contact our team for more information on how you can optimise your building utilising the most advanced smart building technology and solutions.

Benefits of Smart Buildings

Disclaimer: The content within is the opinion of the author and engineering team of Operational Intelligence.

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What is a Smart Building and What are the Key Benefits?

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What is a Smart Building and What are the Key Benefits?

According to a recent report published by Allied Market Research, the smart building industry was valued at USD 69.80 billion in 2021 and is predicted to grow to USD 201.16 billion by 2031. As a result of this fast-growing trend, our industry has and continues to see a large variance in the maturity of technology strategies, coupled with a vast marketplace of vendors pitching themselves as the next big disruptor.

Many commercial property developers are still contemplating the advantages of a building with adaptable and automated technology. Regardless, most property owners have commenced their digital journeys with varying results and differing approaches. Before we get into the benefits, we’ll first answer the question…what is a smart building?

What is a Smart Building?

Simply put, if a building can increase comfort, occupant satisfaction, productivity and output, drive up operational performance and drive down operational cost, energy and wasted time through the uptake of integrated technology and processes then it is a smart building! 

Taking a human-centric design approach – smart buildings are focused on making buildings or spaces work for the people who use them.

Key principles underpin the ability to create a flexible digital environment within any given property. These principles form the four cornerstones for achieving desired outcomes when it comes to planning for a smart building:

  1. Digital Strategy and Master Planning
  2. Open Systems for Specialised Operational Technologies
  3. Integrated Communications Network (ICN)
  4. Integrated Data Platform (IDP)

Cornerstone 1: Digital Strategy and Master Planning

Digital strategy and master planning is the key starting point for every property owner. This includes taking the steps to outline the needs and KPIs of the business both short and long term. Setting a day one strategy helps to make a start on what can seem like a daunting and unachievable task.

From here we look to set a digital roadmap over the following 3, 5 and 10-year periods that strategically align with the ESG and net-zero goals of the organisation. This planning and strategy plan is the first step to setting a business, portfolio or property on the path to achieving its digital goals. Digital strategy and master planning is workshopped and designed by a Digital Strategy Advisor.

Cornerstone 2: Open Systems for Specialised Operational Technologies

These are the day-to-day building technologies that every building has. This includes security, lighting control, HVAC control, and vertical transport to name a few. Each of these systems can expand and connect to the smart building network through open protocols and a structured approach. These products are designed and installed by their relevant sub-system experts (SSE) and it is essential to design and set them up in an open and connectable manner.

 

Cornerstone 3: Integrated Communications Network (ICN)

ICN is not a new concept. ICN is being adopted within a commercial property from tried and tested IT methodology and applied to operational technologies. An ICN allows a building owner to converge all technologies to a central network, resulting in tighter cyber security, better structured and managed network practices and infrastructure for future expansion for the base building or future tenancy. This system would typically be provided by a Network System Integrator (NSI).

Cornerstone 4: Integrated Data Platform (IDP)

Once open building technologies and an ICN are established, this allows data to flow freely within the newly created secure networking environment. By sharing data across the network, smart digital workflows are enabled, resulting in powerful outcomes such as the drive down of cost and drive up of performance. The IDP becomes the fourth pillar in positioning a property as a smart building.Once open building technologies and an integrated communication network is established, this allows data to flow freely within the newly created secure networking environment. By sharing data across the network, smart digital workflows are enabled, resulting in powerful outcomes such as the drive down of cost and drive up of performance. The IDP becomes the fourth pillar in positioning a property as a smart building.

Key Benefits of a Smart Building

The benefits of smart buildings are diverse. Utilising the right smart technology for your assets enables insight for you and your team to make improved strategic facility & operational decisions. This is increasingly important for building owners and property developers looking to deliver enhanced user experiences, reduced operational costs, maintain agile building infrastructure, increase property values, gain valuable space utilisation data, and lead the way to a sustainable future.

Benefit 1: Enhanced User Experience

A human centric design focus is the core of smart buildings. Smart building technology is tailor-made to the individual needs and functions of each building with the overall goal of meeting the needs of its occupants to provide enhanced comfort, wellbeing, engagement & productivity. 

Comfort & Wellbeing
Smart buildings will integrate data analytics with the many and varied HVAC sensors to monitor airflow and keep the staff in each zone in a comfortable condition.

NABERS IEQ and WELL Standard are the two emerging reporting metrics for a comfortable building. Understanding the outcomes of these standards will assist when planning the technology stack to deliver on a comfortable building.

Engagement & Productivity
Tailored smart technology also meets end-user requirements for specific user groups like visitors, tenants, and facility operators to interact with a building and its spaces. They work by integrating multiple protocols into a centralised user-friendly interface, so end-users can optimise their day-to-day activities and movements.

Benefit 2: Reduced Operational Costs

Smart building technology makes it easier for building operators to monitor the building’s energy usage through a centralised control interface that provides accurate and real-time data at all times.

This allows building operators to optimise every inch of space, assessing the areas within the building with the lowest and highest levels of foot traffic. This means they can focus where energy can be reduced, revamped or increased, ensuring no space within the building is wastefully consuming power.

A truly smart building will not only report on energy efficiency but also automatically change the operations of the plant to adapt accordingly in the most efficient manner. Further to this, several automated fault diagnostic tools and automated directed maintenance regimes have entered the market to not only reduce operational costs but also reduce maintenance and repair time too.

Benefit 3: Flexible & Agile Building Infrastructure

Smart technology providers understand that the technology embedded in the infrastructure during the building’s development will eventually be deemed ‘outdated’. This is why we plan a building with the three pillars of Smart Building Infrastructure. This puts smart buildings ahead of the game both now and in the future to ensure your building is never left with outdated technology.

It’s important for a space to be seamlessly maintained and easily adaptable for future changes. When a problem with hardware or software is detected anywhere in the building, the alarm can appear instantly on a centralised control interface, allowing for a quick and efficient fix. Systems with reporting capabilities allow for simpler maintenance and replacement regimes.

Benefit 4: Increased Property Value

With the constant and easy improvement of the building performance, ability to utilise space to its maximum capabilities, lowered costs due to energy output reductions, happy operators, happy tenants and so on, you will see a tremendous amount of productivity and efficiency from a smart building. This will result in improved ratings such as NABERS and therefore lower carbon footprint, and lower outgoings for the owner and tenant which all result in a higher capital value of the asset.

Finding and retaining high quality tenants is pivotal for building owners and tenants are discerning as to what features they will actively seek out. Providing a sustainable building will maximise the appeal of your investment property attracting premium long-term and loyal tenants.

Benefit 5: Insight into Space Utilisation

How many people leave and enter your building each day? Which spaces are getting the most use? How can staff work more productively? Where can energy be reduced and refocused? Where can resources and retailers be better utilised and focussed? Smart building technology allows for all these questions to be answered by providing accurate and measurable space utilisation data. 

Obtaining more data from various building sub-systems allows you to make more informed decisions on improving the quality of your building to provide spaces that improve productivity for those within.

Benefit 6: Lead the Way to a Sustainable Future

Smart buildings aim to extend equipment life while lowering energy consumption. Smart buildings identify the optimal point of operation and where energy can be reduced, which lowers carbon output. Coupled with a strong net-zero strategy, this is setting the new standard of workplace operations to an incredibly high level.

A smart building utilising intelligent technologies enables insights that can help optimise energy and utility use and then measure and verify the results through accurate data and reporting. This will help property owners achieve their net-zero goals and maintain them.

Smart buildings will take your offering to a whole new level by delivering the performance insights you need to create more human-centric, eco-friendly & cost-effective spaces.

These are six key benefits of utilising smart building technology, but the advantages are limitless. Smart buildings avoid disengagement and being at the responsive end of the spectrum. They are ahead of the game, driving strategic decisions through insights that optimise building quality and performance, as well as the lives of its occupants, and the value that brings is immeasurable. 

Investing in smart building technology might seem confusing and costly, but the financial and non-financial savings you make in the long run means it pays for itself. Smart buildings that drive insight increases the quality of your building and the lives of the occupants within – and that value is immeasurable.

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Why is Building User Experience Important?

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What is Building User Experience and Why is it Important?

Do you want happy, productive and efficient workers?

Of course you do! All businesses do. At the end of the day, happy workers make the world go round. But how do you make them happy and ensure they stay happy?

Sure you could offer more vacation time or give out raises. However, this is an expensive way to go about this. There is another major factor to consider in making workers happy which has quite often been overlooked in the past, and that is – focusing on the building user experience.

What is Building User Experience?

The term ‘User Experience (UX)’ is often referred to in virtual technology spaces, but what about the significance of users experience in a physical space?

The building user experience refers to how a person interacts with their physical environment and considers factors such as amenity, easy of use, and efficiency. Positively connecting with the space in which we work all day, can have a wonderful influence on our mood while also alleviating the efforts to complete general tasks. These combined results stimulate increased productivity and the speed and accuracy in which work is accomplished.

According to research published by Gensler, “A better working environment would increase employee productivity by 19%, and four out of five professional states that the quality of their working environment is very important to their sense of job satisfaction”.

Why is the building user experience important?

The goal of optimised building user experience is to helping people go about their day with more ease and consideration into how certain actions impact day-to-day activities and how they make them feel. There is no right or wrong with the experience as building user experience is context-dependent, and subjective, the individual user experience is predominantly composed of individual feelings and influenced by the environment in which they are situated.

As we know, each workplace has its locational context and requirements to be considered, such as different types of organisations or professions, regional culture, and surrounding areas. Each unique user presents subjective perceptions and responses in regards to different work environments. Hence, we carefully analyse existing processes and requirements to identify opportunities for efficiencies. Whilst working closely with our clients to determine high-quality, reliable, and bespoke solutions that deliver on user needs.

“User Experience can be viewed as an elaboration of satisfaction component of usability” (Bevan, 2009). The notion of usability has different aspects, such as efficiency, feasibility, and satisfaction. Satisfaction indicates feelings such as joy, trust, and fulfilment. User Experience is an expansion of usability with emotional attributes to any environment or product. Thereby, focusing on the user journey, we will not only support the organisation to retain top talents but also improve on staff productivity, corporate agility, and the entire business performance.

Enhancing the building user experience

Creating an expectational and seamless user experience requires both tangible and intangible components to render a holistic experience for all users in the building.

At Operational Intelligence, we go beyond looking at immediate solutions for financial needs. Our differentiator lies in our ability to deliver smart buildings, offices, and spaces based on user experience.

We care about people’s lives; we want to improve work productivity as well as maintaining the health & wellbeing of your employees or consumers through engaging spaces. Our suite of solutions focuses on integration between people, processes and technology to enhance the entire workplace experience.

Introducing the key character in this OI user journey, Sarah, an employee working in one of the organisations that lease space in the building. Let’s walk through Sarah’s workday journey together and see how Operational Intelligence design and delivered the experience. 

Reference

Gensler. (2005). These four walls: the real British office. These Four Walls: The Real British Office, 1. https://www.gensler.com/research-insight/gensler-research-institute/the-2005-uk-workplace-survey

Haynes, B. P. (2007). An evaluation of office productivity measurement. Journal of Corporate Real Estate, 9(3), 144–155. https://doi.org/10.1108/14630010710845730

Haynes, B. P. (2008). The impact of office layout on productivity. Journal of Facilities Management, 6(3), 189–201. https://doi.org/10.1108/14725960810885961

Zarour, M., & Alharbi, M. (2017). User experience framework that combines aspects, dimensions, and measurement methods. Cogent Engineering, 4(1), 1421006. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311916.2017.1421006

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