Top 5 Steps to Evolve towards Smart Infrastructures or Smart Facilities

How to start transforming your facility or what to consider when designing it according to current times.

We are fully entering the age of digitalization. The abundance of technologies, both hardware and software, that enable it at all levels is transforming all sectors of society. One of the fields where applying technology has found more utility is that of automatic asset control, especially in those points or entire facilities where until now it was not possible. This digitalization has led to a very important paradigm shift. For the first time, a facility can increase its features or functionalities without the need to add equipment or carry out any work. Whether it’s called Smart Infrastructure or Smart Facility is the least of it, the important thing is that there is the possibility of improving the use and understanding to make better decisions about how the facilities are used, how they are designed and how they are maintained. Obviously, between the classic building and a building that allows virtual reality to interact with its BIM model, there are intermediate grays and a great process to go through without haste, but without pauses. This post aims to convey five very simple tips to start transforming your facilities or what to take into account if the building is carried out from scratch.

1.- to Improve, You Have to Measure.

Although highly repeated, it is no less true. If you do not know the facility that you intend to improve, you will not know how. This implies not only at the level of sensors or similar, but that any new system or subsystem that is implemented – automatic doors, presence control, etc. – data must be able to be acquired from it in order to cross it with what is considered appropriate, even if it is not clear whether it will be needed or not. No more isolated or closed systems.

2.- Upload the Information, Download the Intelligence.

An facility manager should not be blinded by the benefits of information in the ‘Cloud’. Obviously, uploading the information to the repositories – in the cloud or not – is necessary to be able to integrate it and exploit it to extract the value, however, that does not imply that the real world only serves to channel the information upstream. To avoid losses of local control, critical points or security problems – among others -, it is always advisable that the automatic intelligence is as close to the field as possible. This entails the use of controllers for infrastructures – called RTUs -, which collect the field information, contextualize it, filter it, concentrate it and communicate it in an optimal way. In this way, control at a low level is ensured. The higher systems what they should do is parameterize the RTUs, that is, indicate action schedules, priorities or manual orders, for example. The decision-making in the usual operation is decided by the programming of the RTU.

3.- Expand your Network of Partners.

New fields of knowledge require new experts. Classic construction companies are not yet used to working in the digital environment, on the contrary, the environment from industrial and infrastructure automation has been carrying out projects of this type for years. There is no supplier that is the greatest expert in the entire necessary value chain – technologies, execution or maintenance -. Even so, unless you want to live with a justified risk, you should always try:

• Differentiate the technology provider from the provider of the execution and/or maintenance service of the project. In this way, you avoid depending on a single company with which, if you want to change it, there would be great exit barriers.
• Can easily interoperate with the rest of the systems of the installation, or in other words, be open and use standards at all levels.
• You have to assess the future risks of the project, this implies not only dangers related to cybersecurity, but also to the scalability or ease of updating the product/solution.
• Avoid custom systems. Although they are very suggestive solutions at first, their very nature implies that any new implementation or new functionality that is intended to be added requires a specific development for it, with the risks and delays that this entails. Having a generalist solution, but with flexibility and adaptation, allows you to avoid this problem without losing personalization of the solution.

4.- Work Teams Must also Evolve.

The evolution of technology has not only made it more powerful, it has also made it more accessible. Currently there are multiple ways to provide field teams with tools that interact with the control or monitoring systems deployed, either through mobile devices or fixed touch screens, for example. This will mean that many manual control functions necessary in the day to day that needed to involve engineering, can also be carried out by maintenance or field operations teams. You should always opt for technology with high capabilities, but with access capacity for the personnel that will be deployed by the facility.

5.- the Criterion is the Great Value

It is evident that the strategic decision-making on what steps to follow requires being up to date, not only in terms of technologies – which do not stop evolving -, but also of work methodologies, new technological paradigms and risks. Having one or more trusted partners helps at this point, but it is the responsibility of each manager to stay updated. Without it, you always run the risk of discarding viable and useful options or, on the contrary, investing money, time and effort in solutions without any value or future. These processes involve a great effort – especially in the first phases -, but the benefits that technology provides in achieving intelligent infrastructures are well worth that effort. Benefits in comfort, energy efficiency, quality of service provided or reduction of security risks, among others, are already possible objectives.

If you are interested in smart facilities, our post about edge architectures will surely also be helpful.