#Japan #Tokyo #Facility Management #TODA Corporation #RAKU-PLAT

RAKU-PLAT: Streamlining Facility Management

Toda Corporation, headquartered in Chuo-ku, Tokyo, has embarked on a new venture with the launch of a paid beta trial for its innovative facility management cloud named RAKU-PLAT. This platform addresses the challenges of fragmented and individualized facility information management, paving the way for a more efficient operational framework accessible to any user.

Introduction to RAKU-PLAT

RAKU-PLAT stands out with its unique ‘Spatial BIM’ data model that enables organizations to handle building management at room or zone levels. This system offers visibility into facility operation by visualizing problems, responses, and associated costs in a straightforward manner. Importantly, it requires no specialized knowledge of BIM; users can input data effortlessly during daily operations, thus facilitating natural data accumulation. RAKU-PLAT’s design focuses on minimizing complexity, ensuring users can engage with only the necessary functionalities without strain. It is a revolutionary step away from the traditional facility management systems that often relied on personal experience or hunches.

Background

According to a publication by the Facility Management Promotion Council, about 86% of a building's lifecycle costs are tied to maintenance and operations over a 100-year period. However, the effective utilization of facility information and the optimization of maintenance planning are often inadequate. This gap can lead to increased workloads for verification processes and delays in repair decisions. In many cases, the lack of consolidated information means that the quality of responses is heavily reliant on individual personnel.

Current management practices suffer from disjointedness; documents, checklists, and correction records exist across file servers, Excel spreadsheets, or simply in individual memories, creating hurdles in information retrieval. Compounded by a lack of coherence between recorded data and on-site realities, transitioning personnel can struggle to carry forward existing knowledge. This fragmentation obstructs the optimization of repair costs and the formulation of long-term plans.

While some systems aimed at resolving these issues bring numerous features, they can inadvertently lead to excessive operational burdens, making data input tedious and infrequent.

Consequently, from its internal venture program, Toda Corporation has embarked upon creating RAKU-PLAT—a facility management cloud solution that simplifies the process of handling crucial information for maintenance and management, based on their extensive expertise in building and spatial considerations.

Key Features of RAKU-PLAT

RAKU-PLAT is specifically designed for ease of use, even for those without advanced BIM or IT knowledge. Its primary features include:

1. Spatial BIM: Connecting ‘location’ and ‘data’. Unlike traditional BIM systems designed for design and construction, RAKU-PLAT allows for straightforward management of essential information by associating documents, issues, inspection records, and costs directly with specific locations within the building. This creates a 'common language' that serves both operational and managerial purposes.



2. Facility Card Feature: Visualizes facility data as a consolidated report. It highlights issues, statuses, and costs on a dashboard that spans various categories and timeframes, facilitating better resource allocation and decision-making for repairs.



3. Digital Cabinet Functionality: Reduces time spent searching for documents. By linking floor plans, reports, contracts, warranties, and inspection records to specific locations within the building, it ensures streamlined management. Users can simply drag and drop to register new materials.



4. AI Search Function: Allows users to interact conversationally with the platform. By asking questions, users receive summarized insights, location visualizations, and links to supporting documents. This functionality is enhanced by regular input from daily reports, where issues can be documented with ease, allowing AI to classify and contextualize data appropriately.

Paid Beta Trial Launch

As part of the final verification process leading to an official release, Toda Corporation has commenced the paid beta trial of RAKU-PLAT. This trial seeks the collaboration of early adopter partners to assess the platform's functionalities in real operational settings. Insights gleaned from this initiative will be rapidly integrated into the product to enhance its user-friendliness and effectiveness in meeting market demands.

Future Prospects

RAKU-PLAT aims for a general release in 2027, and ongoing efforts to refine the product and assess business viability will continue in collaboration with early adopters. Through these endeavors, the goal is to empower facility managers to connect operational data with strategic decision-making, ultimately leading to the establishment of new standards in facility management.