By: Dan Lorenz, FMP
Virtual assistants such as Amazon’s Alexa are increasingly popular with homeowners to streamline and simplify daily tasks, creating a smart home environment. Directly integrating with other Amazon services, as well as third party home systems, Alexa and similar voice-enabled intelligent personal assistant platforms have taken home management by storm and are transforming how people live their lives at home. From streaming music playlists at dinner, to adjusting the temperature and lighting, and monitoring security, Alexa and its counterpart Google Home have become a commonplace lifestyle presence for today’s busy family.
How this technology will impact the workplace
The latest venue to be transformed by this innovative technology is the workplace. The initial appearance of Alexa in the corporate setting has been focused mostly on reservation of meeting rooms and other simple booking tasks. However, Amazon’s Alexa for Business platform now gives developers the tools to create their own integrations, opening the floodgates for new capabilities in workplace technology.
Developers of facility technology will now be able to harness voice-enabled functionality to significantly impact efficiencies throughout the workplace. Expect to see this new technology advancing best practices for facilities managers on two key fronts: providing better service to building occupants and streamlining processes for the facilities management team. Both pathways will transform facility management as we know it.
On the employee front, Alexa will simplify processes for building occupants and employees to request service and interface with the facilities department. Alexa will integrate directly with facilities technology platforms to streamline common functions such as initiating a repair work order, requesting a move, reserving a conference room, or finding a vacant office. It will provide employees with easy and intuitive access to information and services.
Running facilities more efficiently
For the facilities department, voice-enabled technology will streamline work processes for maintenance crews, move teams, asset managers, space managers, and management executives alike. Technicians will be able to close-out work orders in the field in hands-free mode and will be able to forego typing and simply follow verbal prompts from Alexa to ensure proper procedures and workflow protocols. Alexa can be setup to ask follow-up questions and follow pre-determined workflows to collect required information from the technician, streamlining workflows and ensuring proper adherence to protocols.
Facility staff and executives will be able to ask occupancy and utilization questions and receive immediate responses with real-time reporting. Managers and supervisors will gain instant access to critical performance data and enterprise-wide services. Alexa will eliminate the need to log in to a facility management system and hunt down the information with multiple clicks. It’s as simple as asking a question and getting an answer. For example, asking Alexa the question “What is the vacancy rate in Building One?” will provide an immediate answer. Facility managers will achieve considerable efficiencies through the elimination of paperwork, task timesaving, increased productivity, and overall process improvements. All while providing higher levels of service to building occupants.
How it works
The two key elements integral to this technology are the hardware and software components. The cost of entry for hardware is minimal, with inexpensive voice-enabled smart speakers such as Amazon Echo or the smaller Echo Dot, which can be used as shared devices at central points such as conference rooms and reception kiosks. Even more groundbreaking, the use of personal mobile phones with preprogrammed apps can be used to bring the power of Alexa to all employees, regardless of location.
On the software side, Amazon’s Alexa for Business platform provides open source coding to third party developers, so they can create industry specific skills and integrations. A skill is a capability that is developed to allow Alexa to speak to and integrate with devices to produce a specific result. As of this month, there are over 50,000 Alexa skills available worldwide, working with 20,000 devices, and growing by the day. These cloud-based skills that make everyday tasks faster and easier are revolutionizing entire industries.
Facility-focused solutions
To harness the power of Alexa for the FM industry, AMS CAD & CAFM is building skill sets that integrate directly with the FM:Interact facility management platform to provide comprehensive tools to run the facility at every level. Expect to see facility workflows improved across the board including workplace reservations, project management, real estate and space management, asset management, sustainability, and facility maintenance. As each facility group has its own unique needs and priorities, these skill sets are developed to provide customized solutions. Whether integrating with building systems, CAFM platforms, or hot desk scheduling applications, voice-enabled technology is on track to revolutionize facility management.
Security is a priority
As with any emerging technology, especially one that has the potential to share enterprise-wide data, security is of utmost importance. These integrations are created with careful consideration for user levels and permissions, using rigorous user authentication features. Devices and skills are controlled by user accounts, to securely limit and control access to data and capabilities based on one’s role in the organization. Facility managers can be confident that this technology will adhere to their organization’s security protocols.
The future is now
According to Brian Haines, VP of Strategy at FM:Systems, a leading developer of enterprise solutions for facility management, “Alexa integration is a game changer for our industry – and for the workplace in general. This new technology provides instant access to critical performance data for facility professionals, while delivering unprecedented service levels and workplace experience for employees.”
So, when will this innovative technology be available in the workplace? Actually, by the time you are reading this article. AMS is currently creating skill sets to integrate Amazon Alexa with key facility management functions. In beta testing at present, this innovative technology for facility management will be ready to rollout in early 2019. This perfect storm of facility technology platforms and voice enabled skill sets is certain to transform how we manage our facilities well into the future.
About the author
Dan Lorenz is the President of AMS CAD & CAFM, a technology company that integrates enterprise-wide solutions for facility management. He is an IFMA certified Facility Management Professional (FMP), IFMA member, and has presented nationwide on facility management and enterprise technology.
