VET4SBO Level 1 module 1 - unit 3 - v0.9 en

ECVET Training for Operatorsof IoT-enabledSmart Buildings (VET4SBO)
2018-1-RS01-KA202-000411
Level 1
Module 1: Fundamentals of building properties useful in
monitoring and control for effective operation,
occupants’ comfort, energy efficiency
Unit 1.3: Scope of the Building Operator

Outline
1. Definition of a Building Operator
2. Duties and responsibilitiesof the Building Operator profile
3. Cooperationand communicationwith other building
stakeholders (facility manager/owner,operation supervisor,
occupants,system integrators, janitor, etc.)
4. Compliance with applicable regulation

The PAST of a building operator profile
Before buildings being equipped with automation solutions, they
were not really “operated”
They were “managed”… Therefore, the today’s building operator was
better called:
• Facilities Manager
• Maintenance and Facilities Manager
• Asset and property manager
• Etc.
The term is still used today, most times as an alternative

The PAST of a building operator profile
“A facilities manager is responsible for making sure that buildings
and their services meet the needs of the people that work in
them. Facilities managers are accountable for services such as
cleaning, security and parking, to make sure the surrounding
environment is in a suitable condition to work. They also manage
any building maintenance, with things like heating and air
conditioning, to maintain the working environment.”

Required skills of Facility Manager
• Understanding of building infrastructure and content/assets
• Understanding mechanical parts of building, e.g. elevators,
heating systems and reading operation diagrams
• Demonstrated leadership skills
• Excellent verbal and written communicationskills
• Excellent project management skills
• n+ years of experience in facilities management position
(possibly)

Required skills of Facility Manager
• Interpersonal,relationship-buildingand networking skills
• Procurement and negotiationskills
• Drafting reports and making written recommendations
• Abilityto multitask and prioritise workload
• Confidentdecision making
• Time-management skills
• Project management skills
• Abilityto draw informationfrom varioussources, includingpeople
• Clear and concise writing skillsand abilityto handlelong and complex documents
• Teamwork skills and abilityto lead and motivateothers
• Basic IT skills considered advantage
• Practical, flexible and innovativeapproachto work
• Attentionto detail but also the abilityto see the implicationsfor the bigger picture
• Commercial awareness
• Full driving license may be required, if travellingbetween buildingsites is part of the job

Typical useful work experience
• Administration
• Building
• Business
• Construction
• Engineering
• Management
• Hospitality sector
• Secretarial work

Typical Employers for Facility Managers
Facilities managers are found in every kind of business in the public, privateand non-profitsectors
• Business consultancies
• Facilities management providers
• Property firms and property management companies
• Industrialfacilities and factories
• Large public buildings,includingmuseums and libraries
• Local councils
• Offices
• Prisons
• Hospitals
• Schools, colleges and universities
• Scientific laboratories
• Shops and business parks
• Specialistfacilities management consultancies
• Stadiums
• Etc.

The PRESENT of a building operator profile
Buildingsare equippedwith BuildingAutomationSystems (BAS)
Revisit related course Units to have a good picture of what BASs offer
These systems offer automationof certain buildingprocesses, mainly relatedto heating, ventilationand air
conditioning(HVAC), security, lights control,etc.
These systems “operate”, therefore, the profile has been evolvingto BuildingOperator
But still…
“A facilities manager is responsible for making sure that buildings and their services meet the needs of the people
that work in them. Facilities managers are accountable for services such as cleaning, security and parking, to make
sure the surrounding environment is in a suitable condition to work. They also manage any building maintenance,
with things like heating and air conditioning, to maintain the working environment.”
+ the BAS operation
And maybe not so much about cleaning
Individual VsTeam for buildingoperation

Examples of responsibilities of a Building Operator
• Manually monitor the situation of the building in terms of envelope infrastructure and
content and BAS components
• Coordinate repairs and BAS maintenance
• Maintain adequate parts inventory and order items as necessary, including BAS components
• Purchase required third-party services, e.g. for cleaning, gardening, etc. and for BAS
operation where necessary.
• Supervise a team of maintenance technicians and BAS technicians
• Audit equipment and record service-related policies
• Coordinate with the building owner for any changes to be recommended/implemented
• Ensure compliance with all government regulations, as well as safety and security protocols
• Ensure the BAS operation is optimised in terms of cost and energy efficiency and occupants’
comfort

Required skills of Building Operator
• Understanding of building infrastructure and content/assets, including
everything about the operated BAS
• Understanding mechanical parts of building, e.g. elevators, heating systems, and
reading operation diagrams and BAS components electrical, mechanical and IT
parts
• Demonstrated leadership skills
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Excellent project management skills
• n+ years of experience in facilities management position (possibly) and
experience in operating a specific BAS
• Advanced ICT skills and engineering skills, to understand the BAS operation and
interpret its outputs, with respect to building QoS criteria

• Interpersonal, relationship-building and networking skills
• Procurement and negotiation skills
• Drafting reports and making written recommendations
• Ability to multitask and prioritise workload
• Confident decision making
• Time-management skills
• Project management skills
• Ability to draw information from various sources (including BAS
control room sources), including people

• Clear and concise writing skills and ability to handle long and complex
documents
• Teamwork skills and ability to lead and motivate others
• Advanced ICT skills to manage the BAS hardware, its communication
infrastructure and the software in the control centre
– Skills in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) are also recommended
• Practical, flexible and innovative approach to work
• Attention to detail but also the ability to see the implications for the bigger
picture
• Commercial awareness
• Full driving license may be required, if travelling between building sites is part of
the job

Typical useful work experience
• Administration
• Building
• Business
• Construction
• Engineering (electrical and computer, rather than only mechanical)
• Management
• Hospitality sector
• Secretarial work

Examples of responsibilities of a Facility Manager
• Manually monitor the situation of the building in terms of envelope
infrastructure and content
• Coordinate repairs
• Maintain adequate parts inventory and order items as necessary
• Purchase requiredthird-party services, e.g. for cleaning, gardening, etc.
• Supervise a team of maintenance technicians
• Audit equipment and record service-related policies
• Coordinate with the building owner for any changes to be recommended/
implemented
• Ensure compliance with all government regulations, as well as safety and
security protocols

Responsibilities of Facility Manager
• Management of services and processes that support the core business of the organisation
(owner of building)
– such as reception, security, maintenance, mail, archiving, cleaning, catering, waste disposal
and recycling
• Ensure adopting best practices for maximum efficiency and most suitable working environment
for occupants and their activities.
– Ensure minimum disruption to core activities
• Be involved in strategic planning and day-to-day operations, particularly in relation to buildings
and premises
• Building and grounds maintenance
• Cleaning
• Catering and vending
• Health, Safety Security
– Respond appropriately to emergencies or urgent issues as they arise and deal with the
consequences

Responsibilities of Facility Manager
• Procurement and contract management (prepare documents to put out tenders for
contractors)
– Achieve maximum value for money
• Manage projects, supervise and coordinate the work of contractors
– Renovations or refurbishments
• Security
• Space management
• Utilities and communications infrastructure
– ensuring that basic facilities, such as water and heating, are well-maintained
• Investigate the availability and suitability of options for new premises or
improvements

Qualifications of Facility Manager
• No need to have specific University or other education degree. However, it may
be considered as an advantage to have education/training on:
– Building management
– Business studies
– Construction
– Engineering and building services engineering
– Facilities management
– Hospitality management
– Surveying property
• Adult training courses for the job profile or in-service training course are also
considered as an advantage:
– Qualifications may vary, ranging from level 2 (entry) to level 7 (postgraduate), though
latter not required

Responsibilities of Building Operator
• Management of services and processes that support the core business of the organisation (owner of
building)
– such as reception, security, maintenance,mail, archiving, cleaning, catering, waste disposaland recycling
and BAS processes
• Ensure adopting best practices for maximum efficiency and mostsuitable working environment for
occupants and their activities
– Ensure minimum disruption to core activities
– Ensure operatingthe BAS towardsthe same goals
• Be involved in strategic planning and day-to-day operations, particularly in relation to buildings and
premises and BAS operation.
• Building and grounds maintenance and BAS maintenance
• Cleaning
• Catering and vending
• Health, Safety Security
– Respond appropriately toemergencies or urgent issues as they arise and deal with the consequences

Responsibilities of Building Operator
• Procurement and contract management (prepare documents to put out tenders for
contractors), including BAS-related contracts
– Achieve maximum value for money
• Manage projects, supervise and coordinate the work of contractors
– Renovations or refurbishments
– BAS maintenance, upgrade, etc.
• Security
• Space management
• Utilities and communications and BAS infrastructure
– ensuring that basic facilities, such as water and heating, and BAS components are well-
maintained
• Investigate the availability and suitability of options for new premises or improvements

Qualifications of Building Operator
• In most cases, need to have specific University (e.g. electrical or mechanical or computer
engineering) of other education degree, to demonstrate ability to understand and operate
the BAS functions.
• Still may be considered as advantage to have education/training on:
– Building management
– Business studies
– Construction
– Engineering and building services engineering
– Facilities management
– Hospitality management
– Surveying property
• Adult training courses for the job profile or in-service training course are also considered as
advantage
– Qualifications may vary, ranging from level 2 (entry) to level 7 (postgraduate), with higher levels
becoming necessary

Typical Employers for Building Operator
Facilities managers are found in every kind of business in the public, privateand non-profitsectors
• Business consultancies
• Facilities management and Building operation providers
• Property firms and property management companies
• Industrialfacilities and factories
• Large public buildings,includingmuseums and libraries
• Local councils
• Offices
• Prisons
• Hospitals
• Schools, colleges and universities
• Scientific laboratories
• Shops and business parks
• Specialistfacilities management consultancies
• Stadiums
• Etc.

IoT-related trends in (smart) buildings
Modern means of building automation systems
IoT enables new buildingautomationmodelsthat can
manage HVAC, security, lighting, watersystems using
remote monitoring and control functions
Given the richness of dataas well, these functions can
implement much more complex control and anomaly
detection results
The cost of deployingand maintainingan automation
system based on IoT and cloud-basedanalyticsis lower
than the one of conventionalBAS.
IoT enables buildingswith low budget to benefit from
high-end technology and analytics, with nothing less
than large rich buildings

Occupants preferences andneeds
The cost of occupantsdiscomfort, being in the buildingfor leisure or for work reasons is very high compared to any
other buildinginfrastructure cost. One cannot live long and sustainably ina buildingwith low qualityin terms of air
conditioningand airquality. Also, one cannot work and be productivein a buildingof low air qualityand this has
been proved by percentages of lowering productivity.Also, people would not visit a mall buildingand spend their
money, if they do not feel comfortable in it.
IoT provides the necessary grounds for the buildingto take into consideration thepreferences and needs of its
occupant. Thisis possible due to the vast amount of measurement end-pointsthat are enabled.IoT sensors make it
possible to understandhow occupantsactuallyuse the space. For instance, occupancy and lighting information help
to understandwhen and where people work. This informationhelps buildingowners and companies to re-configure
the space and achieveoptimal usage and optimal productivity.
Since productivityand customer satisfaction are measurableparameters, they create the ground for measuring the
Return of Investment (ROI) in IoT for energy savings. The numbersare useful for buildingowners and operatorsto
decide what and where to invest in relationwith IoT. Savingspotentialgoes way beyond the usage of IoT for energy
savings.

Horizontal market
Current, vendor-oriented solutions to BAS, create vertical markets, requiring building operators to do their homework, find one
solution and stick to that for long periods, so as to make it worth the investment.
IoT offers the opportunity to escape from such vertical solutions and build a horizontal market. The nature of IoT required, and
implementations follow, the use of open standards for the communication and data exchange between devices. Therefore,
vendors are pushed to create components that can be used in solutions combining components of a variety of vendors. The IoT
platforms (e.g. Google Cloud Platform, Amazon, Microsoft and many smaller-scale ones) further facilitate the horizontal markets,
since they are horizontal themselves and allow building solutions that are not vendor-locked.
The use of horizontal IoT-enabling platforms will continue to evolve. More recent advancements provide domain-specific support
with integration of advance analytics services that provide to system operators higher quality decision support and actionable
knowledge.
Quoting examples from the domains of Water Distribution Systems monitoring and control, as well as from the Smart Building
monitoring and control:
• http://phoebeinnovations.com/leakrisk , http://www.wateranalytics.eu/
• http://phoebeinnovations.com/domognostics , http://www.domognostics.eu/

So…how is the Building Operator profile evolving?
We haveseen that IoT technologies lead the wayto turningbuildings into “smart”.
The behaviourofBAS/BMS equipment can be measured/tracked.Moreover,the performance of a buildingis linked to the weather,
occupancypatterns,needs ofpeople in learnable ways.This leads to the use of analytics as a tool to make sense ourof complex and
varyingdata.
Recent advances in artificial intelligence, includingmachine learning,make it possible fora software system to learn the behaviourpatterns
of people and equipment within a buildingand suggest configurations ofthe BAS/BMS dynamically,so as to adapt to the dynamicchanges
of the buildingneeds.
Data is turned into specific, actionable decisionmaking.These actionable decisionscan be visualised in more intuitiveways and become a
very powerful tool for buildingoperators.
The BuildingOperatorprofile is evolving,humans still haveto perform functions that machines cannot.With the current technology,it
remains up to the on-site operator to implement what is recommended bythe machines and interpret the decision support diagrams.
Automation is simplya tool.The real intelligence lies in the abilityofthe buildingoperatorto leverage the outputs ofthe machine learning
tools and interpret the discovered/visualisedpatterns and act upon the created knowledge, usingthe abilityofthe human intelligence to
combine multiple sources of information and make quickdecisions.
BuildingOperatorbecomes a very demandingjob with wide spectrum of skills and competencies!

How building analytics may impact the job of a
Building Operator?
BAS/BMS let building operators spending their time into fixing equipment failures,
setting operation times and schedules, performing maintenance tasks, trying to
understand the patterns through manual analysis of data and graphs, etc.
Employing analytics solutions, allows the building operator to go back into focusing
on the QoS criteria and building performanceenergy efficiency, cost reduction and
more importantly, keeping occupants happy, comfortable and productive.
As a tool, analytics gives the information right in the hands of the building operator.
Using this tool, the operator is then acting upon the decision support functions and
making sense of the discovered patterns.

Building Operator?
An example of a useful analytics tool is the automated diagnostics.
Instead of simple set point alarms, analytics come with information on what,
where, why and when to fix. The system learns the correct behavioural patterns of
people and machines and knows when things have drifted out of the normal of that
specific time.
The analytics do the interpretation of data into information and decision support,
while the building operator does the interpretation of the information into real
knowledge and actions.
Automating the diagnostics saves a lot of time and money.

Building Operator?
Performancereporting
Buildingoperatorscan now focus on implementinghigh-impact changes in the automationsystem configuration,so
as to meet the QoS KPIs.
The next step is to be able to report what has been achieved in energy efficiency, cost reductionsand other QoS
criteria. Using the reporting features of analytics software, buildingoperators focus on communicatingwith their
managers and employers, high level informationlike:
• How did we do this year comparing to last year in terms of energy consumption?
• What changes in the configuration of out systems contributed the most to the reduction of energy usage and the
improvement of the comfort of occupants?
• What else can we achieve utilising the new technologies?
Demonstrating the financialimpact of changes to the upper management makes the job of Building Operatora very
high profile one and also very importantfor the employer.
And BuildingOperationis becoming a more productive,effective and enjoyablejob!

So, what will happen to the job profile?
The research and advisory firm “Gartner” highlighted that the impact of AI in the job profile is nonlinear:
“Many significant innovations in the past have been associated with a transition period of temporary job loss, followed by
recovery, then business transformation, and AI will likely follow this route."
Deloitte published a white paper that analysed job changes in England and Wales over the past 144 years (since 1871) and the
impact of technology. Deloitte’s high-level findings are that technology has created many more jobs than it destroyed, saved
Britons from “dull, repetitive, and dangerous work” and “lowered the cost of essentials, raising disposable incomes and creating
new demand and jobs”
For instance, recent survey outcomes indicate that more buildings are being automated and equipped with technology, raising the
penetration of "Energy Management and Control Systems”. There has been a slight decline of jobs number for HVAC maintenance.
In its Future of Work report, the World Economic Forum investigates the skills that will be required in the future for many different
jobs. When looking at installation and maintenance jobs, they note that the role “will see great productivity enhancements and
strong growth in green jobs, such as the installation, retrofitting, repair and maintenance of smart meters and renewable energy
technologies in residential and office buildings, but -at an aggregate level- will also come face-to-face with the efficiency-saving
and labour-substituting aspect of the Internet of Things.”

So, what will happen to the job profile?
It is safe to assume that with the substantialincrease in data from buildings, many of the roles operating
and maintaining them will become more data-driven. The building industry is in need for young,
educated and talented building operators.
Siemens representatives* noted that in the past a technician could listen to a machine and quickly
diagnose the problem. Nowadays, it’s rare to find employees with such a skill set, so automation and
artificial intelligence could fill the gap, while continuing to employ workers to make repairs and cultivate
relationships with clients.
It appears that building operator job offerings continue to grow, but demanding skills on advanced
technology in buildings. It does not appear that automationwill lead to significant job losses in the
industry. However, building operators need to be trained to use rapidly advancing technology
*Joseph Aamidor is a senior product and market strategy consultant focused on smart buildings, IOT and energy. He helps start-ups
and established industry players understand the smart buildings market, develop competitive strategy and forge partnerships. He
previously served in senior product management roles at Lucid and Johnson Controls.

Is it only about learning new technologies?
Technology aloneis not enough. The keyword in achieving real value is the appropriatechanges in the processes
and culture!
Investing in technologydoes not meet any KPIs alone.It is the culture built within the occupantsbehaviourand the
buildingoperationteam which will finallysave the costs.
Successful projects involvemultiple phases: initialdeploymentwith a pilot testing of a solution,an initialproduction
deploymentand an iterativeadjustmentsprocess:
• Step 1. Identify objectives. The real needs to be addressed must be identifiedclearly and concisely. The solution
should address these objectives of the specific building.
• Step 2. Conduct a needs analysis. It involvesreviewing existing technology and documenting existing processes,
work flow, task flow and the level of effort needed to perform each task. The needs analysisshould integrate
existing systems with the task flow to create an information flow. The needs analysisshould also integrate the
business objectives with the information flow.

Is it only about learning new technologies?
• Step 3. Define system requirements. Technical components and process changes need to be clearly
defined and each has to be defined as it relates to the other.
• Step 4. System acquisition. The system to be purchased should meet the technological needs, but also the
needs resulting from the processes of the organisation.
• Step 5. System implementation. The real-world implementation of the solution must take into account
the dynamic changing nature of technology and processes.
• Step 6. Process and system evaluation. Both technology and the new processes need to be evaluated
after initial rollout. Usually, systems are implemented as pilots. After a short trial period, the technology
and the processes are adjusted and the system is re-deployed. The performance of the system must be
evaluated at pre-defined periods to allow for new or changing business objectives, process improvements
and new technology.
• Step 7. Process and system adjustment. Once the evaluation is complete, then the overall system — both
technology and processes — is adjusted to meet the new objectives.

Potential mistakes of building operators
It is not only about technology not performing well. It is also about:
• Poor project management
• Lack of focus on process change
• Lack of considering the needs of occupants
• Lack of operator input into the design of the solution
• Failure to address the cause of the problem, focusing only on symptoms of
the problem
• Poor definition of business objectives
• Poor relationship between business objectives and solution
Get involved in the design of any solution for the building operation! Adjust
them to your operational needs and knowledge of the building!

Typical mistakes
If a technology is purchased for building automation, without the
involvement of the Building Operator that is the one knowing the
building, its occupants and its processes, then no sales person,
no technology consultant,no building owner can make it work.

Summarising
Buildingoperators represent the cornerstone ofthe smart buildingmarket.Theirrole is advancingwithin the IoT era,since there is much
more to achieve within a building,manymore decisions are possible and manymore freedomexists in terms of choosingcomponents and
operatingthe buildingto meet occupants needs.
However, buildingoperators thatdo not spend time and invest in becoming familiarwith the new technologies,will end up being obsolete
in the employment market.Buildingowners and occupants will hire personnel that can attend to their21st century needs and take
advantage ofthe opportunitiesto lower the cost while improvingthe performance of the building.
IoT-based buildingautomation is not a replacement fora buildingoperatorto develop correct maintenance strategies.Newtechnology
makes your job easier, offeringmore insight informationon performance and pointingout potential issues that wouldbe difficult (and in
some cases, impossible)to detect with conventional hands-onmanagement.
BuildingOperators are expected to use IoT as a tool and bringreal and low-cost solutionsto buildingoperationchallenges.
“IoT is a new way to solve an old problem. That’s going to help you transition so much more easily than if you think of it as its own big
project you have to deal with.”
Logan Soya, founder and CEO of Aquicore, an asset management software platform

Summarising
Use appropriate data structuring and analytics to avoid issues with huge volumes, production
rates and heterogeneity of data. Correct analytics will allow creating the knowledge required to
act, for every different type of stakeholder and for every different type of building.
Need for advanced technical skills: As buildings adopt the use of advanced analytics for the
data they collect, they will be looking for building operators that are able to understand, make
use and help in the decision making about all building functions. Building operators need to
know how the data analytics are performed and how to interpret the outcomes of analysis and
the created insights.
Note, however, that it is not all about technology. The most important is to focus on real needs
of buildings and occupants and only use current technology availability as a tool to implement
the automation of processes and create the potential value.

And don’t forget about the challenges
IoT opens the door to a lot of opportunities, but also to many challenges.
Security is a big challenge: With billions of devices being connected together, what
can we do to make sure that our data remain secure? Will someone be able to hack
into our refrigerator and get access to our health data?
Privacy and data sharing challenge: How to present data privacy in a situation
where many billions of devices are connected?
“Big data” challenge: Massive amounts, big variety and very quickly arriving data
produced by connected devices. How to store, track, analyse and make sense out of
it?

Disclaimer
For further information, relatedto the VET4SBO project, please visit the project’swebsite at https://smart-building-
operator.euor visit us at https://www.facebook.com/Vet4sbo.
Downloadour mobile app at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.vet4sbo.mobile.
This project (2018-1-RS01-KA202-000411) has been funded with support from the European Commission (Erasmus+
Programme). Thispublicationreflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible
for any use which may be made of the informationcontainedtherein.

VET4SBO Level 1 module 1 - unit 3 - v0.9 en

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