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INTELLIGENT BUILDINGS

A Beginner’s Guide to “Intelligent Buildings”

Rob Murchison Tom Shircliff
Intelligent Buildings, Inc. Intelligent Buildings, Inc.

Intelligent, Smart, Converged, Connected, High Performance… Lords of Strategy by Walter Kiechel, about the formation of the
what’s the difference? When and how should I do it? Isn’t my
team doing it? Who in my company cares about it? What is strategic consulting industry. It goes like this: “Strategy is the

ever-evolving framework by which companies understand what

“it”? Defining those terms and answering those questions can is happening to them and how they should react.” So what is

become an obsession, and worse yet, a distraction to the core ‘happening to us’ in real estate? IT changed the way our building

mission of the real estate professional. controls systems are designed, installed and managed and that

All of the aforementioned terms imply the use of technology, creates material risks and significant opportunities. Nearly every

similar to what we think when we hear “smart phone,”“smart cars,” monitor and control system such as HVAC, elevator, lighting, me-

“The IBcon Boot Camp “intelligent transpor- tering, parking and physical security is built to operate on (internet
provided the framework tation,”“intelligent
street lights,”“high connected) computers and networks. This happened whether we

liked it or not. The risks are that these current-generation systems

and catalyst for a sea performance net- require new skill sets to operate most effectively, which often

change in our strategic works,”“connected means slow repair or response to service issues, more expensive
approach to technology communities” et al.
that we are infusing into For this article, let’s operations & maintenance, and—most concerning—exposure to
settle on “intelli-
hacking. However, opportunities also abound. Now, more easily

than ever, we are able to manage multiple systems and multiple

our developments, property gent buildings” for buildings with interoperability, remote management, informational
management, internal our moniker and
training and vendor acknowledge that or operational dashboards and data analytics.
technology is in fact
But before we take over the world with all of those new oppor-

tunities, we owe our organizations the duty of the Hippocratic

requirements.” the driver of the Oath: “First, do no harm.” Let’s see how to practice that in three
conversation.
—Lachlan MacQuarrie key areas:
VP Real Estate Management To state the obvi-
ous, technology has 1) Cyber Security: You have
Oxford Properties Group been a part of the
multiple computers connect-

business world for decades, including such items as computers, Fdhoairrnmsot ed to your building systems
(and to the Internet) and in
networks, databases, dashboards; and more recently cloud, big nearly all cases there is no
policy or approach to manag-
data and analytics. In nearly all cases these tech tools are used ing the cyber risks. Complete
an inventory of systems,
to accomplish the core missions of the organization faster and

cheaper with lower risk. So, what if it were that simple for real

estate? Intelligent Buildings are those that leverage information connections and vendors and

technology (IT) to lower the costs of and speed the attainment of start sketching out ways to

existing business goals. The key point is that an intelligent build- bring about a more secure

ing doesn’t change what your goals are, it simply achieves those environment. Get help if needed, but taking an inventory as

goals faster and less expensively. The true question becomes less a first step can be accomplished very cost effectively and is a

about what “it” is but rather, simply asking how IT and technology must to accurately gauge your exposure.

in general can help with the core mission and goals. This calls for 2) Proprietary Systems: Institute a high-level set of written

a strategy. Not a three ring binder that takes a year to develop; buildings standards that stops your organization from

but rather a few key principles that can provide a catalyst and buying proprietary (closed) systems that drive up long term

start turning the battleship. maintenance costs due to dependence on a single vendor.

One of our favorite definitions of strategy comes from The These closed systems often require you to pay that single

42 Realcomm