JTC rolls out S$15m 'smart' facilities management solutions across 39 properties

JTC is spending about S$15 million in its roll-out of "smart" facilities management (FM) solutions across 39 JTC properties.

Its multiple "smart" FM systems are housed in J-Ops Command Centre, which was launched and unveiled on Thursday by Second Minister for National Development Desmond Lee.

JTC said that its adoption of "smart" FM solutions is propelled by its growing and ageing portfolio, the need to curb rising operating and energy costs, manpower constraints and rising expectations of service levels.

It is also aligned with the Real Estate Industry Transformation Map (ITM), which has identified FM and property transaction services sub-sectors as key areas for transformation.

Through the multiple FM systems at J-Ops Command Centre, JTC is able to remotely monitor, analyse and optimise the performance of its buildings and manage FM operations islandwide.

The adoption of "smart" FM solutions is expected to generate 15 per cent improvement in productivity and energy savings, based on JTC's pilot test on three properties.

JTC said that it saved an average of 1.5 man hours per day per property executive in each building and about S$400,000 in utilities across these three buildings in a year. The overall cost of operating buildings is also expected to come down.

But JTC is not looking to implement these "smart" FM solutions for all 106 industrial properties (including the 36 properties transferred from the Housing and Development Board), as some properties are less complex and non-air conditioned.

About S$1.5 million was spent on an earlier proof-of-concept trial involving the three buildings - The JTC Summit, JTC MedTech Hub and JTC CleanTech Two, JTC said.

Some 20 buildings have come onboard as at February and the "smart" FM solutions will be rolled out to all 39 buildings in the first half of 2018.

Though different FM service providers may have their own "smart" FM solutions, the six FM service providers that help to manage JTC properties will have to use JTC's cloud-based system.

The system, known as Building Optimisation System, monitors real-time operating data from different equipment within the building. With the use of sensors, specific equipment faults can be detected quickly.

JTC also uses an integrated estate monitoring system that pulls video feeds from the CCTVs deployed across more than half of JTC's estates and developments. Potential security risks can be brought to the attention of the security team in order to activate a response on the ground quickly.

Through an automated workflow system, JTC is able to analyse data and feedback from tenants such that it is better informed when deploying manpower and designing new buildings.

Such technologies will greatly transform FM work, JTC said. In the past, the FM work has been trade-specific and equipment-focused, with a heavy reliance on manual inspections. This has resulted in having to manage multiple trade-specific contracts and vendors.

With the use of "smart" FM solutions, JTC is able to consolidate its contracts with FM service providers. FM work will also become more preventive rather than reactive, and more outcome-based.

Meanwhile, JTC is still testing new FM technologies, including a mobile app that allows users to control the temperature of their workspace, and a lift monitoring system at Fusionopolis One in one-north.