The facilities management contractor Mitie has unveiled a ‘Transformation Hub’ at its London head offices on the 12th floor of The Shard. The FM firm is showcasing tech as answering what it terms five mega-trends:
- Accelerating the path to net zero by reducing energy use and generating cleaner, greener power
- Designing commute-worthy spaces to support hybrid working and creating great places to work
- Ensuring buildings and equipment are working as efficiently and productively as possible
- Providing clean and sustainable spaces, in the context of a post-pandemic world
- Protecting people and property particularly in response to evolving threats and rising retail crime
The technology includes AI which the firm says presents a multitude of opportunities for facilities management (FM). For example, to reinvent workplace design. Using ‘digital twins’, customers can reimagine and design commute-worthy spaces in virtual reality. As for security the firm points to AI-enhanced CCTV that can help detect shoplifting or suspicious items, as well as biometric access control.
The Hub shows for the healthcare sector AI location-based task management. Working on the principle of ‘Right Time, Right Place, Right Person’, the system assigns tasks, such as cleaning and portering services, to the nearest available person, saving time for clinical staff so they can take far less long to report a task for action.
Mitie stresses it’s harnessing the power of data and analytics to improve efficiency of customers’ buildings. Through remote digital maintenance, Mitie can track the performance of buildings and their equipment, such as heating and ventilation systems, in near-real time. This enables smarter decision making, with engineers able to pinpoint malfunctions and predict maintenance requirements before major issues arise.
By using software tools that model energy use across an entire estate, Mitie’s specialist Energy Managers can identify priority sites for energy optimisation and build a picture of the best combination of renewable power solutions for each customer.
As for robotics specialist ‘spill detect’ cameras and robotic cleaning can supplement the work of operatives. Working alongside people, these ‘co-bots’ perform the more arduous tasks so colleagues can concentrate on more urgent or specialist jobs. The co-bots also come with additional benefits. Over a year, Mitie says its fleet of robotic cleaners saves the equivalent of almost three Olympic-sized swimming pools of water compared to traditional mopping. Mitie’s intelligent cleaning platform, Merlin Connect, is bringing greater visibility and confidence with demand-led cleaning services.
Cijo Joseph, Chief Technology and Information Officer at Mitie, said: “This is an exciting time for our industry, the needs of our customers are constantly evolving and so must we. By embracing new technology, we have the opportunity to rethink how we deliver our services, shifting from facilities management to facilities transformation. With our technology-led approach we’re creating safer, cleaner, more sustainable and efficient workspaces for our customers and our colleagues.”
More in the January 2024 print edition of Professional Security Magazine.
Photo by Mark Rowe: Mitie cleaning at Euston rail terminus.
