The Transformation of Facility Management
The landscape of facility management is continuously evolving and, now more than ever, it’s driven by the dynamic fusion of technology and innovation. As traditional practices give way to modern demands, emerging trends in facility management are taking center stage, and revolutionizing how businesses approach building maintenance and operations.
From the adoption of smart building technology and artificial intelligence (AI) in remote work to the integration of the Internet of Things (IoT) and the concept of connected devices, the potential for cost savings and sustainability is limitless. This is also impacted by the need to reduce emissions and growing demands for energy efficiency.
This is where the use of drones comes in.
In this article, we will review how drones drive pivotal changes in facility management and how you can dive into these innovations fear-free and ready to embrace the future.
The Advent of Drones in Facility Management
From inspecting and cleaning towering structures to conducting surveillance for vast landscapes, drones have become indispensable tools in facility management, revolutionizing how its users can maintain and manage structural environments.
Unlocking unprecedented perspectives, these aerial wonders provide facility managers with a bird's-eye view, enabling efficient inspections, maintenance, and monitoring processes. To add to this, drone technology also empowers teams by providing more safety, lending greater precision, and saving time and resources on the job.
Here’s a deeper dive into how you can use drones in facility management.
Drones Keep Workers Safe and Costs Down
Did you know that drones can save up to $5 million per day for larger corporations by reducing downtime?
Drones can access hard-to-reach areas, so you don’t have to risk your staff’s safety. Workers don’t need to physically climb tall structures, eliminating any risk of potential accidents and injuries.
For example, when inspecting the exteriors of high-rise buildings or roofs, drones can swiftly navigate and capture high-resolution images, allowing facility managers to identify maintenance requirements without exposing workers to hazardous conditions.
This also means your team can perform frequent inspections at a fraction of the cost compared to traditional methods. The expense of specialized equipment and labor-intensive procedures is significantly reduced. In-house drone operations can also be more budget-friendly in the long run, allowing you greater control over your maintenance budget.
Protect Building Integrity
With traditional forms of facility management like power washing, you risk damaging a building’s exteriors during maintenance. However, drones can give you a comprehensive view of a building’s condition, allowing early detection of potential issues and timely maintenance. You can also discover 20% more of critical items with drones.
For example, a facility manager could spot signs of water damage on a building's roof during a routine drone inspection. Detecting this early warning sign allows you to take immediate action, repairing the roof's vulnerable areas and preventing water infiltration, which could lead to more severe damage and compromise the building's integrity over time.
Plus, drones can reach hard-to-reach areas, such as rooftops and facades, without causing any physical damage or disturbance to the building. Drones use a softer cleaning method with special solvents, allowing you to clean thoroughly without damaging the existing build.
Furthermore, some drones come equipped with thermal imaging cameras which can reveal hidden defects invisible to the naked eye, such as insulation gaps or leaks. Using this, facility managers can take action faster, enhancing the building’s energy consumption and boosting the real estate quality.
Clean Roofs, Windows, and Large Outdoor Areas
Drones have streamlined the cleaning process for roofs, windows, and expansive outdoor areas. Equipped with advanced spraying systems and cleaning attachments, drones can effectively tackle your building operations by washing windows on tall buildings and cleaning debris from rooftops easily. In large outdoor areas, such as solar farms, drones can swiftly cover extensive ground, providing more energy savings than operating heavy machinery.
For instance, if you’re conducting building operations in a high structure, maintenance management becomes much trickier, especially if you have a high internal occupancy which can get in the way of your building management projects.
However, drones equipped with specialized brushes and cleaning solutions can meticulously clean windows at various elevations, ensuring a spotless finish while eliminating the need for you to take extra precautions with staff. Workspaces also won’t be affected, allowing others in the office space to carry on with their day-to-day.
Minimize Disruption to the Surrounding Area
Drones have an agile and non-intrusive nature, making it easier to maximize your operational efficiency without impacting external stakeholders or raising the carbon footprint.
For example, drones can navigate tight spaces and vertical facades without scaffolding or heavy equipment when inspecting tall buildings or structures. This helps reduce noise pollution and any potential traffic disturbances. Neighbors or other occupants won’t feel disturbed.
Drones also access areas with precision, limiting the need for extensive setup and reducing the footprint of equipment and personnel. This not only minimizes noise and visual disruptions but also streamlines the entire process, ensuring more environmental optimization and a sensitized approach to facility management services.
Easily Maintain a Schedule by Keeping Exterior Cleaning In-House
While there are service providers available in the facilities management industry, by using drones as part of your in-house operations, you gain the flexibility to maintain a consistent and well-organized schedule.
External service providers often come with their own schedules and available times. With drones, you can ensure your essential maintenance tasks are never delayed or postponed, allowing you to say goodbye to the challenges associated with outsourcing.
Keeping exterior cleaning in-house also contributes to better real-time decision-making and cost savings. By eliminating the need to hire external contractors or cleaning services, facility managers can significantly reduce operational expenses. Drones help you reduce your dependence on expensive specialized equipment and minimize labor costs, allowing for more energy-efficient operations and healthier productivity metrics.
Imagine you’re a facility management team responsible for maintaining a large industrial complex. Considering these latest trends, you can establish a well-structured preventive maintenance schedule using drones during industrial downtime.
They can systematically clean building exteriors and outdoor areas, whenever you deem it necessary and also benefit you through automation of the tasks you previously had to depend on others fulfilling.
Stay Ahead of Emerging Trends in Facility Management with the Sherpa Drone
The future of FM teams is taking flight on the wings of drones. There’s no doubt that drones are reinventing current facilities management trends and the management systems around predictive maintenance operations.
If you’re ready to get on board and make the best of the future heading your way, it’s time you embrace the Sherpa Drone.
With its advanced capabilities and versatile applications, the Sherpa Drone allows facility managers to prioritize and stay ahead of the latest trends, unlocking higher profits and more opportunities in building maintenance.
The drone’s cutting-edge features and user-friendly operations can motivate facility managers to make more data-driven decisions, optimize energy usage, and take more initiative within their projects.
Stay ahead of the curve with the Sherpa Drone and get started on your transformative journey toward a more streamlined, sustainable, and successful facility management approach! Have any questions? Get in touch.
