Regular IoT audits maintain system performance, security, and adherence to regulatory requirements; optimize operations while reducing risks.Regular IoT audits maintain system performance, security, and adherence to regulatory requirements; optimize operations while reducing risks. Read More iot
Facilities management is experiencing a digital transformation, as the industry works to ensure the functionality, efficiency, safety, and comfort of buildings and infrastructure. As technology continues to offer new insights and streamline capabilities, facilities managers are grappling with how to integrate their current tech stack, particularly Internet of Things (IoT) systems, with new offerings to enhance operations and ultimately, improve customer experience and satisfaction.
For a fully integrated approach to facility operations, facility management must start by auditing their IoT systems to understand current capabilities, inbound data and more. Typically, only a fraction of IoT data is being analyzed and interpreted, leaving gaps in insights and capabilities. In addition, this analysis is often delayed, rendering the insights useless to the facilities management team. While this has often been an ongoing struggle for facility managers, new advancements in IoT and AI are presenting potential solutions. For example, facilities management teams are beginning to explore IoT capabilities by implementing IoT sensors that allow remote monitoring and management of a facility, generating alerts for corrective actions where necessary.
Beyond alerting to active issues, an integrated IoT system can also help streamline overall operations by automating workflows, providing advanced reporting on both operational performance and compliance, improving energy efficiency, and prioritizing maintenance schedules. Such technology ultimately results in productivity gains, cost savings and continuous compliance.
IoT can include several components, such as sensors and devices, connectivity, data processing, and more to provide real-time monitoring and control. Such applications in facilities management might include HVAC systems, lighting, and security. For example, sensors located at bathroom entrances can help determine whether the area has experienced enough traffic to require custodial attention, or IoT sensors can help monitor conditions including occupancy, weather, and room use to determine the most efficient HVAC operations, such as temperature settings, ventilation schedules, and airflow to help improve overall sustainability and cut utility costs. Coupled with process management software, these operational needs can be automated directly from the data.
In general, audits are crucial for any system to ensure that it is not only functioning properly but also that it is secure, efficient, and compliant. As it relates to facilities management, an IoT audit can help an organization effectively manage their IoT framework while minimizing risks and optimizing performance.
Without conducting regular IoT audits, a facility’s IoT infrastructure can experience data overload, succumbing to data breaches and security vulnerabilities and essentially resulting in inefficiencies and subpar platform performance.
Frequently examining a facility’s IoT configurations can ensure enhanced data accuracy and relevance and improved system performance and security, as well as continued alignment with the latest regulatory standards and organizational goals.
While an IoT audit varies from facility to facility, the primary elements might include a total system inventory to catalog the property’s IoT devices and their functionalities, in addition to mapping device connectivity and data flows. From there, organizers might evaluate the effectiveness of those IoT devices in meeting their objectives — are they gathering the correct data accurately? Are system performance metrics reflecting information the team inherently knows or has observed? Furthermore, the system should be regularly reviewed for both cybersecurity and regulatory compliance standards.
At its core, IoT integration gathers data and analytics, which should be considered during an audit to identify insights and trends and make pivots where necessary based on actionable recommendations gathered from the information.
Performing an IoT audit should be a thoughtful process conducted in multiple phases, such as preliminary evaluation, comprehensive analysis and reporting, with identified objectives and a predetermined scope. Organizations should name an audit team with relevant experience or seek a third-party group to conduct the assessment, many of which would provide access to more robust tools and methodologies.
Based on the findings, organizations should develop an achievable action plan that implements enhancements and monitors progress.
While there are new and evolving IoT technologies joining the landscape on a regular basis, today’s functional IoT systems should maintain several key components including automation, data analysis, remote monitoring, and sustainability.
Automated systems can free up an organization’s staff for more complex issues by handling routine tasks, and detailed data analysis technology provides valuable data to be analyzed in an effort to improve efficiency and diminish costs. Additionally, intelligent sensors and IoT devices allow for remote monitoring of facilities, furthering proactive maintenance. Finally, tech-driven facilities management applications can help foster a more sustainable, environmentally-friendly facility.
Fred Whipp is the Vice President of Business Development at mpro5, the Process Management App and customer-first solution trusted by food service, retail and facilities management. As an experienced business development executive who leads sales conversations with data, Fred is an expert on best practices and digital transformation in facilities management.
