Adapting to the New Normal

In the face of the global COVID-19 pandemic, smart buildings around the world prepare to reopen. What can technology do to support companies and their employees to return to work with confidence?

From a recent CoreNet Global Survey:

• 84% of companies plan to bring employees back in waves

• Companies may not reach 100% capacity until mid-2021

• Safety was #1 concern of 92% of respondents who expected to return in the short-term

• Real estate footprint may remain static due to an increase in sf/FTE required

• 72% of respondents expect additional, verified, cleaning protocols

Ensuring a safe return to work

Depending on the jurisdiction, there may be new regulations in place to ensure the safety and well-being of the people. At the same time, some buildings are running on changed capacities, and operators need to be supported in daily operations. From social distancing and space optimization to remote operations, companies and owners alike are committed to supporting their employees and tenants with the right smart building solutions.

At Siemens Smart Infrastructure Pittsburgh Branch, we want to collaborate to support our customers as they face unprecedented challenges while supporting smarter, healthier buildings in the long term.

Why do buildings matter?

We spend up to 90 percent of our lives in buildings, and we believe that everything people do in life deserves a perfect place to do it. In a world where our fundamental health, safety and well-being expectations have been deeply impacted with the anxiety of a new virus, buildings should offer a haven. Ideally, a perfect place to learn. A perfect place to grow. A perfect place to prosper.

While it is true that today’s buildings are striving to be efficient, reliable and safe – these characteristics alone do not enable businesses and empower people the way a true smart building can.

A variety of mechanical and control systems, hardware, software, and IoT applications help companies and employees feel confident in their Return to Work

• Indoor air quality increases in importance with advanced filtration, ionization and more.

• Thermal cameras allow buildings to screen visitors and employees alike, identifying those who require more screening before entering.

• Workplace management platforms like Comfy allow occupants to see building information in real time, allow a company to communicate directly with occupants/employees and, through desk reservations, maintain social distancing in an office setting.

• IoT-enabled sensor networks like Enlighted provide a platform for digital contact tracing, occupancy limiting, and provide actionable insight into how best to alter office layout.

Adaptability is crucial. Smart buildings interact with the people, systems and external elements around them. They learn from past experiences and real-time inputs. They adapt to the needs of the people and the businesses within them by increasing comfort, efficiency, resiliency and safety. This was true before COVID-19, and it will be true when we are past this.   And we will be past this someday.

Today there is simply a new need: to protect people and make them feel safe in their workplace. When we use technology to support the people in buildings, we create environments that care.