Key Ways Hybrid Work Challenges Building Management System Agility

Unfortunately, most BMS systems still rely on manual or pre-programmed adjustments to energy-intensive systems such as HVAC, lighting, and other environmental controls. In a pre-COVID era of full capacity during predictable work hours, that might have sufficed.

Fremont CA: Post-pandemic, hybrid work is the new normal, with 79 percent of executives implementing such models to allow employees to personalize their work hours and possibly come to the office only a few days per week. This is causing heartburn for many facility managers, who, in order to match their building management systems (BMS) to meet the fluctuating energy demands of these flexible schedules, must evolve their systems to be much more agile and efficient.

The good news is that recent advancements in BMS technologies are proving effective at delivering automation and responsiveness at the required speed and scale. Even the largest facilities networks can mobilize to enhance energy efficiency and reduce operational costs in the face of hybrid work models, thanks to the growth of real-time analytics through AI-enabled edge computing, sometimes combined with low latency and high-bandwidth 5G networks.

Unfortunately, most BMS systems still rely on manual or pre-programmed adjustments to energy-intensive systems such as HVAC, lighting, and other environmental controls. In a pre-COVID era of full capacity during predictable work hours, that might have sufficed.