The industry’s latest buzzword – ‘smart cities’ – is a hot topic for local authorities, businesses and asset owners, but what makes an asset, or city, smart?
The smart cities agenda involves creating connected places and implementing an intelligent approach to our built environment through data analytics.
Through low-cost sensors and wireless communications, real-time and legacy data can be combined to shape more efficient buildings and spaces and provide a range of benefits.
FM Conway is working with local authorities to future-proof their assets and create more connected, intelligent spaces, using the ‘smart cities’ approach as a framework.
The business has worked with Westminster City Council to install a smart LED street lighting system across the borough.
By deploying these sensors, the team are able to monitor the health of the lighting infrastructure and collate operational data on other key assets, such as drainage and highways.
This is done via a cloud platform that can be used to analyse the data in real time and plan ahead to proactively manage the assets, ultimately minimising the need for ad hoc repairs and interventions.
Over time, FM Conway and Westminster aim to build a holistic picture of how services are delivered, reshaping the way they work together around this.
To support the business’ efforts to embed innovation and sustainable working across the company, FM Conway has experienced the benefits of a digitised asset management approach on a smaller scale at its headquarters.
By installing a connected lighting system alongside other sensors present at Conway House, these data-gathering systems are able to provide insight that can offer a range of benefits, including:
With the installation of smart technology, Conway House now sports a new connected lighting system that hosts a set of advanced data, allowing for greater insight into how the building is managed.
In total, the system has reduced operational costs by over 40% since 2016.