Internet of Things: Gain a Singular View of Facilities for Global Companies

Every day, people are becoming more aware of the Internet of Things (IoT).

Whether they’re remotely securing their homes or adjusting the cooking temperature of the barbecue grill, the IoT is placing functionality at our fingertips more and more.

In business, the IoT is bringing a greater level of interconnectedness than ever seen before. And with this ability to connect comes the capability to have a level of transparency that organizations have long desired.

The IoT is comprised of a variety of technologies—embedded sensors, monitoring devices, robotics, and manufacturing equipment—connect to a network and share data about internal and external conditions of and around the device. According to Gartner, a global leader in information technology research, the IoT will grow to 26 billion installed units by 2020.

Embedded sensors, monitoring devices, robotics, and manufacturing equipment comprise the IoT

Consider Airbus, the leading European aircraft manufacturer. Airbus operates manufacturing facilities in four countries; imagine trying to get a handle on all of the energy usage, operating costs, space optimization, facility condition and maintenance-related data across a network of that size and scope. When Airbus needed a comprehensive view of the data across the company’s operations, it found a solution in IBM software.

The IBM solution allowed Airbus to consolidate its facilities management and real estate (FMRE) application environment. Prior to implementation of the IBM solution, Airbus used 60 different FMRE tools to capture data from 17 sites in Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain and France. It sometimes took months to reconcile and validate data used in making decisions about the company’s buildings and land. Now, Airbus executives have a single source for accessing decision-making data across the enterprise.

What does the IoT mean for facilities maintenance as a whole?

It means having the ability to align feedback on everything from temperature and humidity to usage and downtime.
In addition to improving consolidation of the data by 45 percent—allowing for more simplified and accelerated decision-making—the solution is also scalable, allowing for support of site-specific processes.

What does the IoT mean for facilities maintenance as a whole? It means having the ability to align feedback on everything from temperature and humidity to usage and downtime. Being able to see what’s going on in your facilities through a single, easy-to-understand dashboard allows you to view essential, real-time information on your organization’s physical components. You’ll have better insights into your equipment, work orders, repair schedules, capital budgets, and more, all in one location. IBM solutions also allow you to sync up your data with smartphones or tablets, giving you greater flexibility in managing operations.

Making complex and disparate systems manageable—that’s the ultimate benefit of the IoT.