Remote Facility Management Systems For A Safe & Healthy Indoor Environment

Holding a Masters degree in Environmental Engineering from IIT Bombay, Ravi founded AiRTH in 2020, prior to which he was associated with Clean Energy International Incubation Centre (CEIIC) and Social Alpha.

Indoor air quality has never been of so much prominence as it is in the current time. In the post- COVID-19 world, businesses and organisations are not only facing the financial crunch, but the safety of their employees & customers is also a topic of concern. This needs to be discussed and addressed wisely at length.

The computation of the aftermath of this pandemic will surely be quite a task in the times to come. This can be said by noting the worrying impacts of staying indoors almost all day. The COVID-19 pandemic has surely changed the way people look at and perceive their workdays. But moreover, it has altered the way they wish to access safety and comfort in terms of a healthy workplace. Now, the challenge at hand is not just the reopening of the economy but the safety measures employed to regain the confidence of the people. Employees and customers are concerned and watchful of the indoor air quality. Therefore, a systematic plan to manage indoor air quality is crucial in the days ahead.

An efficient facility management system comprises tools & services thatsupport flawless functionality, safety, and sustainability of buildings and workplaces. This, in turn, benefits the employees and customers working or visiting the premises. When these interdependent factors are not maintained up to the mark, hosting a safe and healthy indoor air environment becomes difficult. Eventually, an unsafe and unhealthy indoor environment is likely to impact productivity in the long run.`

Hence, a sincere effort to manage and improve indoor air quality through some effective changes can help tackle this issue. To enable employees to give the best results and to make the customers feel great, they need to be in environments that are safe and reliably welcoming. Thus, an efficient facility management system in the post-COVID world should go for sustainable, cost-efficient and the latest technology.

As the offices and other public places have started to reopen, maintaining safe, pollutant-free and microbe-free indoor spaces should be the key focus. Thank fully, nowadays, remote operations are available to enhance the facility management systems. Imagine the impact of remote operation of facility management, including the indoor air quality! Simply put, it will enhance the overall

living and working experience of people. The idea of remote facility management systems looks more plausible in commercial buildings due to their large-scale demand and output. An office space full of people is more likely to leave room for airborne diseases and their escalated transmission.

The mere scope of providing a sustainable and liveable indoor space gives hope of an overall enhanced economic prospect. This, at a unitary level, can be beneficial for the company along with the national economy. The availability of advanced systems enables facility personnel to manage healthy indoor air quality by means of different kinds of aids. It allows them to track air quality indicators, air ventilation systems, and other crucial factors remotely. Not just this, such technology also allows us to spot faults and rectify them.

While Traditional Methods Of Cleaning Require Unoccupied Spaces, Remote Monitoring Systems Must Be Designed To Facilitate Cleaning The Occupied Places

A reasonably priced sensing and cloud technology serve as the founding stone of such an efficient remote facility management system. Thus, the advocacy for cleaner and safer indoor air must go through the cost and technological parameters as well. Fortunately, the good thing about managing a building's facility from a remote management system is the ease of scheduling with just a few clicks. So when looked at from the financial perspective, it is a one-time investment that is apt for the long run. Evidently, this one-time investment in managing a healthy and safe indoor environment allows one to manage air quality by narrowing it down to individual zones to view real-time pollutant levels.

IoT (Internet of Things) enabled air cleaning devices that can be accessed by the facility personnel via mobile apps can serve as a great example. A well-monitored data of the workplace air quality and the subsequent direction to clean the indoor air can be added. The key focus should be on meeting rooms or common areas where people gather, leading to increased risks. While traditional methods of cleaning require unoccupied spaces, remote monitoring systems must be designed to facilitate cleaning the occupied places. Real-time monitoring of air quality can thus serve as the fundamental step propagating the instant response.

Apart from the urgency of a healthy post-pandemic workplace, the remote operation of facility management systems will be of benefit in the long run as well. So far, we have known that there is no ultimate or absolute shield against the COVID-19. However, there are multiple preventive measures of varying degrees to help us fight-off the pandemic. And surely, remote facility operations are one of those. Undoubtedly, it would be wise to look at minimizing potential risks of airborne diseases from this perspective- a remote operation for an efficient facility management system.