The big question... - Interserve

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Big data is the big buzzword in business circles at the moment. All forward- thinking businesses are capturing data in s
Big Data

BIG DATA

have rolled out a smart monitoring solution from EP&T Global that uses the ‘internet of things’ to collect data from a variety of sources to help reduce energy usage. Once collected, the data is passed through an algorithm to identify operational inefficiencies, which are then fed back to the centre’s management via the cloud so that they can tackle the issue. Collaborative workspace provider WeWork has gone one step further and uses data on things like space utilisation and traffic patterns that it collects from its existing locations to better inform the design and fit out of future WeWork office space. To this end the company recently acquired a building consultancy firm called CASE, which focuses on Building Information Modelling (BIM) to create more efficient workspace. Big data is also something that Interserve is utilising on behalf of its clients in a number of different scenarios. The most obvious use is smart cleaning technology, but Interserve is also exploring more cutting edge uses such as the monitoring of plant rooms.

Cognitive approach

The big question... What does the future hold for big data in the real estate industry?

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ig data is the big buzzword in business circles at the moment. All forwardthinking businesses are capturing data in some form or other, but the problem is that data is like oil – it’s only useful when it’s been refined. So the challenge with big data is not necessarily how much data you can capture or even what sort of

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data you capture; it’s who is reading and analysing that data and what they are then going to do with it. Although the property industry has in the past been accused of being a bit of a luddite in terms of its willingness to adopt new technologies, when it comes to big data it’s one of the sectors that’s led the charge. So how is

big data currently being used by the industry and how might it be better used in the future? A number of landlords and occupiers are currently capturing and monitoring data in a host of different environments. For instance, in the retail space Manchester Arndale Centre owners Intu and M&G Real Estate

The company looks after hundreds of plant rooms and the key thing that the majority of clients want from their plant rooms is for them to be as reliable as possible for the lowest possible cost. “We’re looking at cognitive plant rooms to address this problem,” explains Pete Derry, innovations director at Interserve. “We’re deploying microphones in plant rooms that are listening to what the plant room sounds like and then we’re relaying this sound to some of our best engineers. They can remotely listen to the plant room and say ‘something doesn’t sound quite right here; let’s take

“Big data will crash down on the property industry like a tsunami” a look’. We’re also teaching an artificial intelligence engine what ‘good’ sounds like so that we can be responsive or even predictive because we know something is about to break.” While this all sounds very sci-fi, Philip Tidd, principal and head of consulting, EMEA, at Gensler, is concerned about why the real estate industry is rapidly harnessing data. “Data seems to be being used to squeeze even more efficiencies out of the building and promote better, more intelligent and real-time facilities management strategies,” he says. “This is all well intentioned, but can create an environment of mistrust among employees who feel they are being covertly monitored in ways they are not comfortable with.” He cites the example of journalists at The Telegraph who expressed outrage after it was revealed that motion sensors had been fitted to their desks in what the company claimed was part of a wider effort to improve energy efficiency in the office.

The journalists felt the sensors could also be used to monitor how long they spent at their desks and therefore their productivity levels. As a result of employee protests, the newspaper’s owners removed the monitors, but examples like this only serve to underline the opinion of people like Tim Oldman, chief executive at Leesman, who thinks occupiers and landlords alike haven’t really got to grips with data. “Big data will crash down on the property industry like a tsunami,” warns Oldman. “It has no idea what big data is yet. There will be a mass of data that floods organisations; once they embrace it, the next task is to interpret and use this information wisely. When businesses are able to unleash its potential, big data will help people design better spaces.” But the industry needs to get its head around this challenge sooner rather than later because big data is here to stay. The industry also needs to understand that, rather than purely using data as a lens of a building’s efficiency, there is an enormous untapped opportunity to harness big data and use it to create working environments that make for a happy and productive workforce. “By looking at employee wellbeing and considering what makes them feel energised in a given space at any given time, we can drive higher levels of engagement and productivity,” says Tidd. “By utilising big data in line with social sciences such as psychology, we can create environments that are not only efficient in terms of space, but also for employees. The real estate industry still needs to understand and grasp that.” And only when it masters this trick will the big data oil rush begin.

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