IoT for FM

How to cope with the new normal using IoT? Matt Smith, associate head of school, School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society at Heriot-Watt University Dubai, finds out

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A great deal has been spoken about COVID-19 and its consequences on our lives. How we live, work and play from now on has inevitably forced the Facilities Management (FM) industry to rethink how they can cope with the newest new normal whilst ensuring the highest levels of efficiency. The broader question is how FM teams can make their operations more efficient, compliant, and cost-effective in the current situation. The answer lies with the Internet of Things – better known as IoT – that have the power to realise economies of scale desired in FM. In the context of FM, IoT is any system of devices and software that helps make a building and its various features smarter and more efficient.

The exponential growth of IoT is already introducing a cohort of smart buildings that range from homes and office blocks to factories and parking lots. Research by International Data Corporation – better known as IDC – revealed that IoT spending in the world is projected to reach USD 1.4 trillion by 2021 and $2.7bn in Middle East and Africa by 2022 as organisations gradually invest towards digitising various facets of their properties.

Matthew Smith, Associate Head of the School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society (EGIS) at Heriot-Watt University Dubai, discusses how the FM industry can leverage IoT and see this as an opportunity to step up and meet their core objectives during these pressing times.

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