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embarrassing digital signage hacks; access of corporate
networks (and even printers) through controls systems
to create life safety threats; and more. Regrettably, this
is certain to escalate since our building stock is perhaps
one of the softest targets of all industries.

There is much to accomplish starting with assessments/
audits, vendor policy, monitoring and more, but the point CONSULTING ON OVER $2 BILLION IN NEW DEVELOPMENT
here for big data adoption is that cybersecurity issues CUSTOMERS WITH OVER 2 BILLION SQUARE FEET
have noticeably slowed technology adoption. However,
with the emergence of industry-tailored remediation
efforts, this will switch from an impediment to a cata- Strategy & Use Cases
lyst as senior executives become more aware and take
cybersecurity steps that inspire confidence for faster Integration & Implementation
technology adoption. Owners and operators can’t wait on
this, whether for big data or not. Building Cyber Assessments

(2) Virtually free data is more available from existing
systems and sensors that provide voluminous, inex-
pensive data points for decision making, operational
efficiency, space utilization, safety and experience.
While we have more ways than ever to get data from
existing systems with gateways, middleware, and APIs,
it’s also a significant factor that sensors have evolved
from expensive, proprietary appendages to your BAS to
very inexpensive, non-proprietary, multi-functional data
gathering devices. Advanced wireless technology, battery
improvements and lower manufacturing costs are mak-
ing deployment faster and easier than ever. Casey Talon, systems to achieve the described functionality and
senior research analyst with Navigant Research, says results as opposed to starting with a system feature list
“These (sensor) devices will help transform how com- and imagining how you might use it.
mercial facilities are managed…”
For example, a parking system may have the ability
Transform is a strong word, but they are indeed a catalyst to read license plates, show the available spaces on a
for big data inputs and for making better automated and screen and automatically bill the customer’s credit card.
manual decisions. The fact that they can be system-neu- That sounds cool, but it’s much better and more efficient
tral also eliminates data overlap. The strategic use of couched as a use-case to get commuters to their desks
sensors is impacting design, management, roles and even faster for a better experience and more productivity –
human resource issues. While organizations are sorting which might also leverage smart elevators, ingress light-
through all of that, the industry has validated that a vari- ing, HVAC scheduling and physical security.
ety of sensors as part of a big data plan is a very cost
efficient, catalytic component of big data strategy. There are other issues and other supporting technology
trends at play that coincide with the concept of big data
(3) Use-cases have rightly killed the pure systems and including IoT and AI, but also cloud, mobility, wearables,
features conversation, giving way to the business out- social media and more. All of these must be accounted
come, risk mitigation, productivity and other key per- for. If you have the planning and purchasing framework
formance indicators (KPI) that matter most. Use-cases of use-cases, lots of cheap data, and the ability to ensure
sound relatively tactical and innocuous at first. However, cybersecurity, you are well on your way to quickly leverag-
the entire smart building industry has been held back ing big data for the greatest benefit to your organization.
by the lack of use-cases. As mentioned above, for over
a decade we have all been caught up in systems and Tom Shircliff and Rob Murchison are co-founders of Intelligent
features to the point of losing sight of their relevance. Buildings, LLC, a nationally recognized smart real estate profession-
The use-case conversation has caused a shift from tech al services company that was started in 2004. Intelligent Buildings
talk to real, facility scenarios with measured outcomes. provides planning and implementation of next generation strategy for
The big difference is a use-case often requires several new buildings, existing portfolios and urban communities.

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