Introduction
With people returning to work, companies are increasingly looking at ways to make the environment safe & connected. Making their employees feel safe is the key priority for Inspire Integrated Services. Inspire Integrated teamed up with Spica Technologies and developed a sensor-based application which monitors office space utilisation and Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ). Inspire Integrated’s application provides data to assist the organisation in making informed real estate decisions which enhance employee comfort and productivity and also reduce occupation costs. The goal of Inspire Integrated is to connect people and places.
Problem Statement
There was no direct problem to address and solve. Due to growth Inspire Integrated were relocating their office 5th Floor, Onyx 1, The Greens in Dubai. Moving to a new modern office, there was no perception that there would be any indoor environmental issues.
What did Inspire Integrated implement?
Inspire Integrated introduced IEQ sensors at 5th Floor, Onyx 1, The Greens in Dubai. Utilising a complete range of sensor data including PIR, CO2, Noise, Temperature, VOC’s, Light enables Inspire Integrated to have complete real-time and long-term trend analytics about the environmental conditions of their workplace.
The GemEx Engine® workplace experience platform is proactive, raising real-time alerts via SMS, email or CAFM work order and triggering workflows when asset conditions are met. These alerts and workflows can be used to feed data back to FM Workplace Co-ordinators. They can often investigate and resolve issues before employees notice. There is full audit history of all alarms allowing for long term analysis to spot recurring issues and identify problem areas. Inspire Integrated are able to use targeted desktop, kiosk, TV and mobile interfaces for optimal accessibility and data presentation.
The sensor data surfaced in Spica’s GemEx platform helps to ensure that optimal environmental conditions are being maintained, allowing employees to feel safe and work in a productive manner.
Outcome
Through collaboration with Spica, Inspire Integrated were able to monitor the indoor environmental quality of their office in real time, from behind a desk, or on a mobile device, all via the powerful cloud-based GemEx using online monitoring platform that securely receives data from the sensor devices.
After only a short time of having the solution in place Inspire Integrated received alerts that CO2 levels within the office were outside acceptable parameter levels. This was particularly noticeable, as due to COVID restrictions there were not many people occupying the office.
As a result of this they contacted the HVAC team for the building and asked them to investigate. Upon investigation it was found that the settings in the HVAC system had been set incorrectly and needed recalibrating to the right settings.
““Focusing on productivity gains rather than just operational savings will always deliver greater long-term benefits.”
The Stoddart Review
Conclusion
The technology was able to quickly identify a problem that no-one knew existed. High CO2 levels can be a problem in office environments. Too often due to energy efficiency concerns and outside environmental conditions windows will remain closed, and so the quality of the indoor atmosphere is heavily reliant upon air conditioning. Even when buildings meet ventilation standards often high CO2 levels are not being detected and reduced.
Numerous studies have shown that high CO2 levels affect cognitive performance and concentration leading to a drop in employee productivity. Temperature, Humidity, and noise levels may seem obvious but some may be surprised to find that lower levels of carbon dioxide have been found to improve productivity by 60%. Good IEQ can help with absenteeism, sick building syndrome and reducing the spread of viruses.
The solution Inspire Integrated implemented offers a more granular state of monitoring to their office areas to supplement a building BMS system. This means Inspire Integrated are able to offer a safe, healthy and productive environment for their employees.
A perspective from the client
“Connecting people and places is a key concept for our business and the platform and sensor based technology has significantly evolved our connected workplaces and employee experience. With a pay back of less than 6 months, the installation in our Corporate office provides a showcase for the region as to how data can provide a more effective workplace environment”.
Peter Fancy – Inspire Integrated Services
Strategy & Business Growth Director
A perspective from the supplier
“We are delighted to be working with a forward thinking client like Inspire Integrated. Often when digital workplace solutions are deployed it is to solve a direct issue and use case. Therefore it’s great to see this type of solution can proactively alert clients to issues they may not even know exist, but could have a big impact on their workplace and productivity”.
Simon Hilton – Spica Technologies
Digital Workplace Consultant