#Japan #Tokyo #MODE #BizStack #Taisei Yurika

Enhancing Facility Management with IoT: Taisei Yurika's Innovative Approach

In a significant move towards improving facility management, Taisei Yurika Real Estate Co. has teamed up with Silicon Valley startup MODE, Inc. to trial the implementation of an IoT platform known as BizStack. This collaboration aims to streamline operations across multiple buildings, addressing the industry's urgent need for efficiency amid a notable labor shortage.

Background and Challenges

Real estate management has increasingly faced challenges due to severe staffing shortages, prompting companies like Taisei Yurika to explore technological solutions. The pilot project specifically targeted several properties that posed difficulties in managing facilities due to their complex structures, which included multiple buildings over expansive grounds.

Here are some primary obstacles identified:

1. Time Lag in Abnormality Detection: Within properties consisting of multiple buildings, verifying details of alerts typically requires physical travel to the location, which can create delays in recognizing issues.
2. Increased Burden for Identifying Issues: Managing multiple buildings often necessitates moving to different monitoring boards to check alarm details. Many alerts can come from various buildings, complicating the early identification of where an issue exists.
3. Preventive Maintenance for Aging Infrastructure: Ensuring timely detection of equipment failures and implementing preventive maintenance is essential to enhance the existing management framework.

To address these challenges, the company aimed to reduce the hassle of moving during emergency responses and evaluate the effectiveness of IoT technology in achieving significant operational efficiencies.

Overview of Implementation

During the trial, several technologies were integrated into the management system: remote cameras, environmental sensors, lamp sensors, and leak sensors—allowing for centralized monitoring of equipment data and alerts via BizStack.

Key areas of verification included:

• - Remote Monitoring of Equipment Alerts: A remote camera installed to oversee alarm boards notifies staff of alerts and allows for pre-visit confirmation of situations through video feeds, thus speeding up situations' assessment.
• - Visualization of Alarm Sounds: Environmental sensors around alarm panels detect sound levels; when the sound reaches a preset threshold, a notification is sent to BizStack, enabling real-time monitoring of alerts.
• - Awareness of Alarm Types via Lamp Sensors: Installing lamp sensors on equipment panels allows for kind recognition of alarms remotely, assessing potential reductions in on-site verification efforts.
• - Detection of Abnormalities Using Leak Sensors: Sensors placed in high-risk areas for leaks notify BizStack when an event occurs, aiming to improve early detection of equipment malfunctions due to leaks.

Impact of the Implementation

One of the project's most notable achievements was the drastic reduction of abnormality response time from 30 minutes to just 5 minutes—an impressive 83% decrease. Previously, significant time was expended coordinating with security and checking across numerous monitoring boards, but the pilot program allowed these checks to take place remotely, facilitating faster initial responses.

During the testing phase, the use of remote sensors enabled preemptive understanding of equipment conditions, consequently diminishing the need for physical inspections and visually confirming alarms. This insight will empower more efficient placement and management of on-site personnel, reinforcing the feasibility of using remote monitoring as a tool in staff-limited environments.

Future Prospects

The recent trials aimed to validate the effectiveness of integrating remote monitoring and leveraging site data across multiple buildings. Moving forward, MODE plans to continue promoting efficient business practices and digital transformation initiatives using BizStack in various building management contexts.

What is BizStack?

BizStack is an IoT platform that unifies real-time field data with existing system data, enhancing operational efficiency and safety through intuitive operations powered by AI. Designed to connect various data points arising from fields—construction, manufacturing, logistics—this platform supports data collection and analysis from a variety of sources, including sensors and cameras, in real time.

About MODE, Inc.

Founded in July 2014, MODE, Inc. is a Silicon Valley startup dedicated to supporting the integration of real-time field data through its BizStack platform. Addressing issues like labor shortages and operational dependency, MODE provides solutions founded on digital technologies and grounded understanding of field dynamics to aid many companies in their digital transformation efforts.

For more information, visit MODE's website.