VET4SBO Level 2 module 6 - unit 1&2 - v0.9 en

ECVET Training for Operatorsof IoT-enabledSmart Buildings (VET4SBO)
2018-1-RS01-KA202-000411
Level 2
Module 6: Enhanced automation and reduction of
human intervention
Unit 6.1: The benefits of automation for human
operators
Unit 6.2: Transformation of the building operator profile
in the IoT era

Outline
1. The job profile of a building operator when no automation
solutions are available – The PAST
2. The job profile of a building operator when legacy BMS are
available - The PRESENT 
3. The evolving job profile of a building operator - The FUTURE
– How IoTs shape the new building operator profile
– Links to certain aspects of the automation
– Improvements, Challenges, Benefits

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)

• 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 people
• Clear and concise writing skills and ability to handle long and complex
documents
• Teamwork skills and ability to lead and motivate others
• Basic IT skills considered advantage
• 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

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

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
Buildings are equipped with Building Automation Systems (BAS)
Revisit related course Units to have a good picture of what BASs offer
These systems offer automation of certain building processes, mainly
related to heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), security,
lights control, etc.
These systems “operate”, therefore, the profile has been evolving to
Building Operator

The PRESENT of a building operator profile
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 Vs Team for building operation

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.

Responsibilities of a Building Operator
• 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

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

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.

Discussion
It can be seen that the main innovation to the Building Operator profile, introduced by BAS/BMS is the
need to be able to use this tool and demonstrate the relevant skills and qualifications, in order to do
better in meeting the QoS criteria
Building Operation depends on the size and functions of the building, Building Operator is not anymore
an individual, but rather a team of experts
It involves multiple and diverse skills, shifting the focus from the managementof premises and some
mechanical equipment to the operation of demanding electro-mechanical equipment and information
communication infrastructure, as well as advanced software in a control centre allowing automatic
monitoring and control of the building functions

Discussion
Not anymore a hands-only job, but also a very demanding job in terms of new technologies.
New tools defined the need for new competencies for the building operators. These cannot be
offered by one individual in most cases, so the job turned to be a team job
Building Operators can be part of or be leaders of a Building Operation team
The focus is on the BAS/BMS, since it is considered as one of the best investments a company
can make

So, how BAS/BMS affect the job of a Building
Operator?
As a BuildingOperator/Manageryour main
objective is to keep your buildingoperatingin
accordance with the QoS criteria
Automationcomponentscomprise toolsthat help
you perform better againstthe KPIs (energy
efficiency, lower cost, happy occupants, working
processes, etc.)
For instance, you may use automated
thermostats, secure doors, and lights, etc.
But how and where to start?
https://pixabay.com/photos/conference-
room-table-office-768441/

Purchasing a BAS/BMS
Proprietary Vs non-Proprietary Systems
There is a plethora of BAS/BMS options, with their advantages and disadvantages
The first decision is to decide among non-proprietary (“open”) and proprietary
(“closed”) systems:
Open systems provide a big range of functionalities and integration capabilities that
can fit every possible automation need of the building you manage. Then, there is a
typical cost if you need to perform customisations, so as to make such a system
working perfectly aligned with your building and your operation style and
collecting/showing the information the way you prefer. After that, it will be
straightforward to find a technician to implement further changes and
customisations and scale the system.

Purchasing a BAS/BMS
Proprietary Vs non-Proprietary Systems
On the other hand, closed systems are provided with a fixed initial price, which
includes a range of already performed customisations and user friendly design, etc.
However, they come with restrictions on the functionality, the possible integrations
(e.g. limited to only equipment offered by the company from which you purchased
the system) and difficulty in making any further customisations and changes.
Moreover, you may not be free to choose which technicians to collaborate with.
Overall, there is no better and worse choice. It is all about requirements and which
solution better meets your requirements, budget and operation style.

BAS/BMS maintenance
BAS/BMS componentswill certainly fail sooner or later. A
thermostat may stop working, the software may have bugs, a
sensor may stack to zero, etc.
The risk is mitigated by undertaking routine maintenance tasks
for the BAS/BMS parts. No correct maintenance schedules may
cost a lot to your building owner

BAS/BMS maintenance
Upgrades may also be required from time to time, to remain on the
edge of technological advancements and do the best possible for QoS
Closed system legacy upgrades are usually quite easy and are
sometimes even built into a plan, however, usually you will need to
pay for the upgrade, if such option exists.
With open systems, you will be able to upgrade whatever required in
your own terms, by simply finding and purchasing services from
technicians that are familiar with developments in that system.

What’s more…
With legacy BAS/BMS, the only way for you to know about a problematic component which
has not really failed yet, is by having someone reporting it or happening to pass by and notice
or in the course of a routine maintenance plan
So, it would be a useful tool to have an automated system to monitor the performance, not
only in terms of working/not-working, but also in terms of performing good, bad, worse,
better, etc.
We know today that sensors can reveal such information and inform you proactively of a
situation where the BAS/BMS is not performing as expected, so that you can take proactive
measures and even avoid component serious and catastrophic failures

What’s more…
Not all BAS/BMS systems can provide such information
Part of this is also the data visualization. It is not trivial to go through a big range of data
tables or even a big number of graphs and try to combine the information and make sense
towards decision making
Good visualisation capabilities of a BAS/BMS will help tremendously in making sense of the
data. Combinations of heterogeneous data in single graphs, with even basic processing, will
help you operate the building more effectively and efficiently

What’s more…
The functions of BAS/BMS are highly dependent on the human factor and the application of
decisions by the building operator. This means that the building operator is responsible of
understanding everything about the operation of the system, continuously checking the data
and graphs, interpreting the situation and making decision on what to turn-on/turn-off, change
set points, etc.
There is no human that can perform such automation tasks manually for a big building, with
many rooms and zones, many automation sub-systems and complex equipment controls. Not
to mention the scalability
Therefore, it is necessary to have a software to undertake this role and make the decisions on
its own

What’s more…
The ability for equipment to be turned on, ramped up, or ramped down automatically based
on specific set points, has created the concept of automation schedules
Setting schedules for the operation of certain automation equipment has become the norm,
however, this leads to many mistakes due to human problematic understanding of the system
operation or mistakes in turning on/off the schedules or too much conservativeness, etc.,
and/or due to our of specifications performance of the overall solution
Usually problems become known following complaints by occupants of the building

What’s more…
Making the correct adjustments
In practice, there is no guaranteethat the initialconfigurationof the BAS/BMS will remain optimal through time, as
the buildingchanges in terms of ageing of envelope,aging of the equipment, change of function, change of
occupants’ profiles, change of climate conditions,etc.
Ongoing optimisationof the BAS/BMS function is even more importantthan initialinstallationand operation
Well, this is no trivial at all. There is no informationas to what changes need to be made in order to optimise the
performance. Human operatorsexperience practicallimitationsin accountingfor all variables(people, environment,
building,etc.)
For instance, complaintsabout hot/cold room temperature may be addressed by turning on/off the heating/cooling
equipment, however, air temperature is only one of the factorsthat affect occupants’ perception of temperature.
Humidity is at least as important,together with air-movement, and the radiantheat balance

What’s more…
Performance drift
And even if a building is perfectly programmed, performance is going to drift away
from optimal functionality by 10–30% over the life of the equipment. There is no
usual mechanism available to address performance drifting.
Even when Fault Detection and Diagnostics (FDD) components are offered in the
BAS/BMS, they are not so advanced to detect performance drifts; they usually
detect equipment complete failures or set alarms based on conservative thresholds
Software is in general much more efficient at detecting otherwise hidden
degradation of performance. Software of current BAS/BMS focuses on controlling
specific end-points, rather than on optimising the performance by considering
continuous feedback by the building and its occupants

What’s more…
The performance of the BMS is as good as the programmer of the system and the
knowledge of the individual building operator about the needs of the building and
its occupants
Very difficult to do it manually and very dynamic in terms of variable changes
BAS/BMS, however, produce vast quantities of data, which go unused. This data can
be mined in ways to help improve effectiveness. Such data mining is not easily
performed by human building operators
The alternative is contracting additional BMS optimisation vendors and separately
for HVAC, water, and lighting. But this would cost a lot and make the investment not
really worth it, comparing to the potential cost reductions

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 and needs
The cost of occupants discomfort, being in the building for leisure or for work
reasons is very high compared to any other building infrastructure cost. One cannot
live long and sustainably in a building with low quality in terms of air conditioning
and air quality. Also, one cannot work and be productive in a building of low air
quality and this has been proved by percentages of lowering productivity.
Also, people would not visit a mall building and spend their money, if they do not
feel comfortable in it. IoT provides the necessary grounds for the building to take
into consideration the preferences and needs of its occupant. This is possible due to
the vast amount of measurement end-points that are enabled. IoT sensors make it
possible to understand how occupants actually use the space.

Occupants preferences and needs
For instance, occupancy and lighting information help to understand when
and where people work. This information helps building owners and
companies to re-configurethe space and achieve optimal usage and optimal
productivity.
Since productivity and customer satisfaction are measurable parameters,
they create the ground for measuring the Return of Investment (ROI) in IoT
for energy savings. The numbers are useful for building owners and operators
to decide what and where to invest in relation with IoT. Savings potential
goes 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.

Horizontal market
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 have seen that IoT technologies lead the way to turning buildings into “smart”.
The behaviour of BAS/BMS equipment can be measured/tracked. Moreover, the
performance of a building is linked to the weather, occupancy patterns, needs of
people in learnable ways. This leads to the use of analytics as a tool to make sense our
of complex and varying data.
Recent advances in artificial intelligence, including machine learning, make it possible
for a software system to learn the behaviour patterns of people and equipment within
a building and suggest configurations of the BAS/BMS dynamically, so as to adapt to
the dynamic changes of the building needs.

So…how is the Building Operator profile evolving?
Data is turned into specific, actionable decision making. These actionable decisions can be
visualised in more intuitive ways and become a very powerful tool for building operators.
The Building Operator profile is evolving, humans still have to perform functions that machines
cannot. With the current technology, it remains up to the on-site operator to implement what
is recommended by the machines and interpret the decision support diagrams.
Automation is simply a tool. The real intelligence lies in the ability of the building operator to
leverage the outputs of the machine learning tools and interpret the discovered/visualised
patterns and act upon the created knowledge, using the ability of the human intelligence to
combine multiple sources of information and make quick decisions.
Building Operator becomes a very demanding job 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 performance, energy 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.”

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 alone is not enough. The keyword in achieving real
value is the appropriate changes in the processes and culture!
Investing in technology does not meet any KPIs alone. It is the
culture built within the occupants behaviour and the building
operation team which will finally save the costs.

Successful projects involve multiple phases: initial deployment with a pilot testing of a solution,
an initial production deployment and an iterative adjustments process:
• Step 1. Identify objectives. The real needs to be addressed must be identified clearly and
concisely. The solution should address these objectives of the specific building.
• Step 2. Conduct a needs analysis. It involves reviewing existing technology and
documenting existing processes, work flow, task flow and the level of effort needed to
perform each task. The needs analysis should integrate existing systems with the task flow
to create an information flow. The needs analysis should also integrate the business
objectives with the information flow.

• 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
Building operators representthe cornerstone of the smart building market.
Their role is advancing within the IoT era, since there is much more to
achieve within a building, many more decisions are possible and many more
freedom exists in terms of choosing components and operating the building
to meet occupants needs.
However, building operators that do not spend time and invest in becoming
familiar with the new technologies, will end up being obsolete in the
employment market. Building owners and occupants will hire personnel that
can attend to their 21st century needs and take advantage of the
opportunities to lower the cost while improving the performance of the
building.

Summarising
IoT-based building automation is not a replacement for a building operator to develop correct
maintenance strategies. New technology makes your job easier, offering more insight
information on performance and pointing out potential issues that would be difficult (and in
some cases, impossible) to detect with conventional hands-on management.
Building Operators are expected to use IoT as a tool and bring real and low-cost solutions to
building operation challenges.
“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?

Resources
• https://targetjobs.co.uk/careers-advice/job-descriptions/279519-facilities-manager-job-description
• https://jobs.telegraph.co.uk/article/facilities-manager-job-description/
• https://www.indeed.com/hire/job-description/facilities-manager
• https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/facilities-manager
• https://www.enertiv.com/resources/blog/building-automation-not-smart
• https://www.kgsbuildings.com/blog/how-will-automated-building-analytics-impact-my-job-as-a-
facility-manager
• https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/artificial-intelligence-and-the-role-of-facility-and-
building-managers#gs.3wu9v1
• https://www.facilitiesnet.com/buildingautomation/article/Automation-One-Step-At-a-Time-
Facilities-Management-Building-Automation-Feature--2732
• https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/2761924/MACC%20eBook%20-
%20What%20Facility%20Managers%20Need%20to%20Know%20About%20Building%20Automation.
pdf?t=1524801183340

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 2 module 6 - unit 1&2 - v0.9 en

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