Facilities analytics provide immeasurable insights into the efficacy of assets and what’s needed to do more with less by looking at data trends. As explained by Buildings.com, “The more data you have access to, the greater the insights you will yield. Using a networked control system with your building’s systems, you can begin harvesting data.” Facilities managers need to know what they should be monitoring and what that means for future productivity and facility improvements.
HVAC Facilities Analytics That Show Real Age and Asset Needs
HVAC servicing remains an integral part of any facility management strategy. However, it’s too laborious to assume that HVAC units must run until they break. Instead, facility managers can use predictive analytics to review overall HVAC unit performance, recognize when it begins to show signs of premature wear and tear, and avoid excess costs by staying in the know. Even the older HVAC units, which were not designed with the Internet of Things (IoT) in mind, can be recommissioned with sensors to track energy consumption, air supply delta, airflow resistance, and more.
Another critical concern surrounds the HVAC system. Since it is responsible for keeping occupants comfortable, sensors and analytics may be useful in isolating problem heat flows, excess heat gain from windows, and reducing total energy consumption by guests.
Share Analytics-Driven Insights With All Team Members and Field Service Vendors
The value of analytics lies within streamlining workflows. Faster and more productive workflows derive from informed interactions with field service vendors and tracking all maintenance needs within a computerized maintenance management system (CMMS). In a sense, all analytics have a common thread. As explained by FacilitiesNet, “Analytics act as funnels to increase the granularity of the data - as the data becomes more granular, it may become more relevant to different roles within the facility management organization. For example, facility management executives may be most interested in high level metrics, while technicians may be more interested in the energy consumption of a specific system or sub-system.” Even in this scenario, managers of technicians may be interested in both forms of analytics. It all depends on the facility’s unique needs, who’s viewing the insights, and their intent.
Facilities Analytics Enable Better Budgeting Decisions
Analytics can be applied within existing systems or software to provide more controlled management strategies.
For example, does your facility need to consider replacing the lighting system?
Let facilities analytics answer the question with a cost comparison of how existing lighting will measure up compared to a complete renovation.
Does the facility need door seals replaced, or can they wait until next quarter?
Use analytics to understand the costs of the replacement, how it will affect current facility maintenance budgets, and avoid unnecessarily depleting all maintenance reserves for a given duration. These insights further give rise to repair or replace decisions within the asset maintenance playbook and allow facilities managers to maintain control over multi-site portfolios better.
Start Tracking the Data by Deploying Advanced Facilities Analytics
While endless lists of best practices in applying facilities analytics exist, it’s essential to realize that they continuously evolve. Advanced facilities analytics are not only limited by insights into what’s happening. Analytics tell a complete story from the past (descriptive analytics), what’s likely to happen (predictive analytics) and what needs to happen to achieve the best outcome (prescriptive analytics). It’s all rooted in finding more trends within facilities and using that knowledge to stay miles ahead of reactive maintenance and management strategies. It’s time for facilities managers to evolve their strategies and implement a connected CMMS that marries the power of analytics with real-time data sharing.
