The 21st century has already proven to be the century of smart technology. Smart phones came first. Then smart homes. But what will be next?
Well, we think it's going to be Smart offices.
Why? Because the workplace stands to gain an incredible amount from the integration of smart technology across all its processes. There are new efficiencies and opportunities to be identified and fostered. Meanwhile, issues that have long gone unnoticed can be identified and remedied.
And there's a cherry on top as big as the entire sundae... smart building technology also improves the workplace experience for users, tenants, and landlords alike.
The future is already here
At Equiem, we've seen this trend coming for a while. That's why we made the decision to start offering integrated Smart sensors as an optional add-on for our platform. By installing these sensors around your building, you gain access to unprecedented levels of data through your Equiem Smart dashboards.
These unintrusive sensors give you a real-time, on-the-ground look at issues as varied as occupancy, air quality, and building traffic. And it works at scale – so you can find data about individual floors, whole buildings, or even your entire portfolio.
Improve efficiency and identify opportunities
By analysing building occupancy and traffic through common areas such as lobbies and elevators, you can find potential areas of improvement.
For instance, you might find that long elevator wait times are resulting in congested lobbies. That's a problem that could go unnoticed, simply being chalked up to peak hour woes. But with Smart sensors installed and working in tandem with your elevator software, you'll be able to crunch the numbers to find out if your elevators' schedule is to blame.
A simple tweak to the elevator algorithm could drastically reduce wait times. And before you know it, your lobby will be transformed from crowded and chaotic into the serene mood-setter it was always supposed to be.
And this is only one example. When you have a wealth of information about building/floor occupancy and traffic, you can manage your space with reasoning based on accurate data. Devise ways to encourage people to use underutilized entrances or exits. Take advantage of areas with dense foot traffic with advertisements for on-site retail and services. Identify underutilized common areas and convert them into revenue-generating flex space.
The possibilities are endless. And the results will be noticed by your users.
Smart tech increases user satisfaction
The end result of smart building technology is a more satisfying user experience.
Think about it. Smart building tech gives landlords and building managers a holistic understanding of how people interact with their buildings. And that information can then be used to cater to preferences or reduce pain points around overutilization.
The end result is a user experience that has been shaped by the way people actually use the building.
Let's say that part again because it's important: The building can adapt to the way people use it.
Rather than the stodgy old offices of yesteryear that made demands of workers, you now have a workplace that might as well be made of memory foam. It is capable of shifting and growing around the needs and desires of its users. And as we know from our Global Office Tenant Report, satisfaction with the workplace experience is one of the key factors for workers deciding to spend time at the office.
Smart building technology gives you a new way to ensure your users feel catered to. And at the moment, that's more important than it's ever been.
Boost your sustainability initiatives
Smart building technology doesn't just help people. It can also offer a boost to your environmental and sustainability initiatives.
You might be wondering how that works. It's simple. The beauty of data is that it can be used in all sorts of ways. You're really only limited by your imagination. For instance, you could use air quality sensors to gauge air quality throughout your building, ensuring that there are no problem areas or sources of pollution that could be improved.
Another idea: By monitoring temperature and traffic in different sections of the building, you can automate your air conditioning system so that it devotes less power to a particular room or floor during periods when it experiences lower levels of use.
Scale these initiatives up across an entire portfolio for a year, and suddenly you'll be making significant strides towards your sustainability goals.
Smart building technology is a holistic solution
Boiled right down to the most basic elements, smart building technology is simply a way to collect more data and analyse it in greater detail. Combining unintrusive environmental sensors and our robust analytics dashboard, you can use real-world data to find opportunities and areas of improvement across an entire building or even your whole portfolio.
And when you think about it that way, it really is simple. It's just a clearer look at your assets, and a more obvious path forward.
Is it time to reap the benefits that smart building technology can offer? Book a free demo of Equiem today and discover what our forward-looking tech can do in your building.
