Centralised command centre

INTEGRATED FACILITY MANAGEMENT IS TO BUILDINGS WHAT NERVOUS SYSTEM IS TO THE HUMAN BODY - A CENTRALISED COMMAND CENTRE

- SANGEETHA B,

The facilities management (FM) industry is now the epicentre of two defining of our time: characteristics digitalisation and sustainability. While these aspects encompass every industry, they are foregrounded in FM operations, especially in innovation-driven, future-ready economies. In recent years, Emirates has doubled down on real estate-centric investments and initiatives as part of the larger economic diversification agenda. The efforts have borne fruit, with Dubai now featuring among the world's top smart cities, ahead of sprawling urban centres like Paris and Seoul. Following the pandemic outbreak, however, there has been a visible paradigm shift in FM operations, with stakeholders increasingly integrating existing building systems through loT solutions. The shift transcends run-of-the mill digitalisation and sustainability measures; it is more structural, decisive, and informed. While the pandemic-related effects change in occupant expectations, shrunk margins, low productivity, supply-chain disruptions, and reduced labour - did play a role, the adoption of loT and Al technologies for integrated FM is being driven by the stark reality of the real estate sector's footprint: About 30% of total global final energy consumption and 27% of total emissions.

Integrated FM: Positioned at the intersection of technology and sustainability