Creating Intelligent Buildings for the Future

The rise of digital transformation has revolutionised the way we utilise technology to do business across industries. Systems, processes, workflow, and culture are all part of this change, where data has been brought together to improve efficiency, raise productivity, and increase profitability. 

Smart devices like phones, computers, vehicles, appliances, and control systems communicate through embedded sensors, software, actuators, and connectivity. The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) allows us to harness contextual information from control systems and synthesise it with data from information systems that help run businesses, offering tremendous potential for businesses equipped with the right solutions. 

For the built environment industry, digital transformation has certainly changed the way data is used to create, design, and manage buildings. Platforms that power intelligent buildings these days are much more than an enhanced building management system. They can gather and analyse data to enable better business decisions, including the ability to optimise space use and reduce real estate costs; meet sustainability goals and regulatory requirements; improve building occupants’ health and wellbeing; monitor and maintain assets pro-actively; and to enhance building security.

However, deriving value from digital transformation is not always an easy feat. Organisations often need to overcome several barriers, including the lack of domain knowledge, the uneasiness of venturing out of their comfort zone, and the perception of high implementation costs. Beyond conquering the challenges, companies need a clear view of their organisation’s objectives and how digital transformation can operationalise these goals systematically.

Making the Invisible Visible

One such tool that makes intelligent buildings a reality is Mitsubishi Electric’s ICONICS software suite. A single platform that connects to a wide variety of industry-standard communication protocols, ICONICS allows users to effortlessly manage an array of control systems and sensors, as well as monitor enterprise-wide plant and building systems.

The ICONICS suite offers a wide array of features that can be customised to address any visualisation need. With the platform’s enhanced connectivity, building owners and managers no longer need to straddle multiple platforms to access controls and data on their assets.

 

The highly scalable ICONICS software solutions acquire information from disparate systems and synthesises the data it collects to offer meaningful visualisations in real-time via a unified platform. With remote monitoring and control capabilities, ICONICS empowers users in various roles with data-driven insights to make informed decisions and to collaborate more efficiently in addressing potential issues and in achieving the organisation’s business and sustainability goals.

Smarter Workplaces

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the transformation of traditional workspaces — advancing the adoption of hybrid work arrangements and the uptake of shared office spaces. In this climate, a solution like ICONICS enables building or workplace managers to address issues surrounding these new norms. The platform provides options to visualise real-time occupancy rate through heatmaps; automated sensors for lighting, air-conditioning, and other equipment to reduce physical touch points; or even notifications for timely sanitisation between each use by different occupants. Businesses can tap on ICONICS to create smart offices to attract and retain the next generation of workers, and to maintain safe, productive, and collaborative workspaces where real-estate footprint and energy usage are optimised based on data.

With ICONICS, businesses are empowered to make data-led decisions to optimise space utilisation.

 

Smarter Production Processes

On shop floors, operators can leverage ICONICS’ universal connectivity to visualise all production-related information within a fast, responsive, and intuitive graphical dashboard. By integrating the ICONICS software with enterprise systems, businesses can tap on the software’s ability to unify the monitoring, control, and analysis of production data, and to translate this data into actionable information to optimise and improve productivity. The software can also identify errors quickly, pinpointing abnormal data patterns (like energy spikes) and sending notifications to alert operators who can troubleshoot the root case in mixed reality (MR) using wearable devices. 

Operators can easily access various details of the production status and 3D models of monitored targets on one screen. 

 

Smarter Infrastructure

Infrastructure providers, like power, water, and transportation companies, can also take advantage of the ICONICS suite of software to enhance business operations. ICONICS’ unified production site data management platform and various analysis functions allow users to tap on historical data to visualise and assess the performance of assets, realise energy savings, and standardise operations through the monitoring and management of multiple assets. Executives can also utilise the platform to extract large amounts of data and visualise the information in easy self-service dashboards that can aid them in making data-driven business decisions.

Providing Visualisation for Smarter Property Asset Management

Digital transformation is underway across many industries globally, and building owners, facility managers, and even production managers now have more options to aid them in optimising their assets through better understanding of available data. 

With Mitsubishi Electric's ICONICS suite of software, building owners and managers can possess greater insights and control over their assets through a unified platform — monitoring control systems and optimising how these systems are managed, even systems that are from different manufacturers. ICONICS make data visible and actionable, enabling intelligent real estate management and addressing demanding application challenges across a wide variety of industries.