For years Facilities Managers (FMs) have had to rely on the relationship with their contractors to know what their assets are doing and whether they are performing effectively. It was often a case of ‘no news is good news’ and if an asset didn’t fail, then that in itself was a measure of success.
As equipment becomes more intelligent and is connected to such technologies as energy monitoring and building management systems, it is becoming more and more essential that FMs have the data they need to effectively manage equipment performance.
Big data
On a practical basis, most FMs are faced with a paucity of data about their estates and the assets within. Asset lists and real-time data are luxuries few have at their fingertips. Over time and with the growth of the ‘Internet of Things’ (a world of web-connected devices), the problem of an acute lack of data transparency will render the many advantages of smart data useless, inevitably putting performance under threat and driving up cost.
An acute lack of data also introduces risk to the business, leading to an over-reliance on contractors to know what is going on day-to-day. Ultimately though, any potential risk rests with the business itself and, when that can range from non-compliance to asset failure, you begin to understand why having that data accessible internally is so important. Whilst offsetting the risk to the contractor provides some comfort – they can help when things go wrong – downtime and compliance remain a major challenge for all FMs.
Technological advances
Soon, ‘smart’ equipment will be able to self-monitor and measure its own performance. When properly integrated into other systems, it will improve efficiencies, enhance service quality and reduce operational costs.
An obvious benefit of these technological advances is seen in, for example, condition based maintenance. Here, by self-monitoring its own performance, such a strategy becomes a manageable, low-risk option. These techniques, though currently deployed in some quarters, do not enjoy universal support because they are difficult to manage. The good news is these barriers will become a thing of the past.
A further significant benefit will be optimising equipment energy performance through the integration of a number of systems to minimise consumption. For example, FMs could adjust the operating times of equipment when demand is lower than normal.
But unless presented effectively, big data has the ability to get in the way of making the right decisions. The right technologies can make this manageable and, with the increasing deployment of mobile technology, FM is available everywhere and at any time. This can make asset management virtually instantaneous and reduce the impact of failures and downtime to the business.
Decision making
Having the right supply partners who can support these concepts is now crucial to a client who is seeking to optimise asset performance.
Improving up-time and creating innovation whilst driving down costs sounds like Utopia, but having the right data, the right measures and transparency of information at your fingertips will help to achieve these objectives.
So it’s clear that when selecting a supply partner and service delivery model, it is important not just to consider today’s standard FM requirements, but also how your business will develop over time in the future.
Maintenance and asset optimisation need to be considered over the longer term. FM budgets are always tight; it is for precisely this reason that procuring FM services should be managed responsibly. It’s vital to take into account the bigger picture; don’t just focus on the technical delivery, but on all aspects of effective ongoing asset management.
Article by: Ian Morrison