The ongoing global pandemic is highlighting our shared responsibility to protect one another’s health. Arguably the biggest threat to our global wellbeing since the two World Wars, COVID-19 has fundamentally changed how we live, work, interact and commute.
One of the most well-known super-spreaders of COVID-19 are cruise ships, operating as disease ecosystems in which vulnerable people share limited facilities in close proximity, all while staff struggle to maintain visibility over these people’s movements and wellbeing. Without precise occupancy data, cruise ship staff and passengers were left at the mercy of this virus, resulting in businesses damaged beyond belief and many lives put at risk.
Until 2020, tenants and operators alike accepted office buildings the way they are - shared communal spaces with low visibility into facilities, systems, processes or personnel. This pandemic has crippled the global economy and brought office spaces into crisis however, and it’s time to face up to what these buildings really are. With their inherent ability to spread disease and the lack of meaningful insight into their occupancy, these spaces have come to resemble ‘vertical cruise ships’ now more than ever.
From a commercial standpoint, the immediate challenge facing real estate is how they will attract occupants back into buildings. After months of working from home and the perceived threat of an unhealthy work environment, many office workers wonder when or if they will ever go back. Much like after the September 11 attacks, when airlines introduced additional security measures to help reassure nervous passengers, commercial building managers now have to visibly demonstrate a safe and healthy work environment.
One of the biggest challenges for property managers is to make informed decisions about how to reopen their buildings. Switch Dx3 is a diagnostic tool that allows users to take an inventory of every connected device on their network, providing clear insight into the contents of their buildings and any potential vulnerabilities. We see that as an important step on a smart building journey that allows real estate teams to protect the wellbeing of their tenants. Switch Dx3 replaces the manual processes of cataloguing and maintaining databases of connected devices and forms a robust foundation for any smart building program.
Ultimately the scale of this crisis was made far worse because of the lack of preparation. Switch Dx3 helps protect people and assets by turning buildings into sources of rich data that can be shared with stakeholders and tenants to enable them to make better and safer decisions. We see it as a chance for building owners and facilities managers to take a new, diagnostic approach for the benefit of every building, floor and occupant.
Talk to a smart building expert to learn more about how Switch helps portfolio managers reach their sustainability goals.
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This e-book explains how the right smart building platform can facilitate the green building certification process, streamlining communications between departments and across different sources, to help you efficiently measure progress, create performance benchmarks and determine how to conserve resources.
This e-book explains what effect global crises can have on real estate asset value. Discover how smart building tech can reduce operating costs and increase asset value while still delivering a safe, comfortable tenant experience.
We partnered with smart buildings expert and author of “Smarter Buildings. Better Experiences.,” Bruce Duyshart, to create this comprehensive roadmap to guide your strategic smart buildings program strategy development.
As a building manager you’re constantly juggling competing priorities like rising energy costs, pressure to save money, facility management staff cuts, tenant demands, investor and board expectations and more.
This e-book explains why remote building analysis, reporting and control is essential during a global crisis. Receive practical advice on how to use smart building tech to adjust your operations, reducing operating and energy costs while still delivering a safe, comfortable tenant experience for essential workers.
This white paper explores the meaning of the term “smart building,” and the value associated with investing in a smart building program. It presents best practices for creating a smart building program and utilizing connected, IoT technology across a portfolio.
As climate change intensifies, the urgency to act on one of our biggest levers—energy use in commercial and retail buildings—has never been clearer. Every kilowatt saved is a step closer to sustainability, slashing greenhouse gas emissions while moving us toward essential climate goals. Whether you’re overseeing a retail portfolio or managing a single commercial space, boosting energy efficiency doesn’t just cut costs—it creates healthier, more comfortable spaces for everyone. Now is the time to act.
Smart building technology is constantly evolving and improving, and there are several trends that are expected to take center stage in 2023.
When it comes to being a building owner or operator, you have a lot to balance.
