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f that were the case, we might all have pockets full of silicon chips

instead of smartphones. To have value, technology has to help

people achieve more. It has to make life easier. Building Manage-

ment Systems (BMS), such as Metasys by Johnson Controls, do just

that. They help facility managers control multiple systems and condi-

tions using one tool, making management of the facility far easier

and ensuring the buildings are more efficient. While they are doing

all that, they are gathering enormous quantities of performance data.

Yet consider this, from a survey of the industry’s facility manag-

ers conducted last July: 93% of respondents indicated that they are

currently using BMS. The vast majority of them believe that their

BMS is keeping pace with other technologies, but only 22% say that

they are completely satisfied with their systems. The reason? Many

facility managers are not taking advantage of the full capabilities of

their BMS. They know the technology is great; they know that a great

deal of data is being gathered; they know that there is value in it.

However, they do not have the time or the resources to sift, sort and

interpret it. So its value has remained locked up and beyond reach.

Local front

On the local front, South African companies are open

to new technology and some of the most ambitious

projects within this company’s portfolio have

emanated from South Africa. This is partly due

to freeing human intelligence for higher achieve-

ments in South Africa and technology can perform

the repetitive task of analysing data rather than

requiring human intervention with enhanced func-

tionality in the latest iterations of BMS technology.

How do we make data make sense?

How, then, do we make the data make more sense? That is where

a new and different kind of technology comes in. The human brain

gathers and interprets data through five senses ‒ sight, sound, smell,

touch and taste. Of those five, sight is easily the most important. We

are hard-wired to process information visually. Those smartphones

we carry in our pockets take advantage of that fact every day with

icons, simple on-screen tools and intuitive displays that make eve-

rything as simple and useful as possible

Visualisations

Visualisations simplify information, allowing our brains to focus on

the important things. They help us see the patterns and connections.

Making technology

work for you

Neil Cameron, Johnson Controls Building Efficiency

No one buys technology just for the sake of technology.

take note

They help us understand, quickly and effortlessly. Visualisations un-

lock the value of data. In recent years, the building efficiency industry

has witnessed the rise of dashboards, which have simplified the

process of aggregating data and displaying information like energy

use and utility benchmarking, but dashboards are just a starting point.

Cloud-based solutions

Today, applications and cloud-based solutions work in tandem with

BMS systems to analyse vast amounts of data, transforming it into

visuals that offer a clear picture of what’s going on, and a clear path

to achieving more. These visualised forms of information help facility

managers literally see how building systems are functioning, how

they could and should be made to function better, how to make

equipment last longer, and how to make everything – including

people – work more efficiently. Many applications go beyond what

dashboards can do.

Cloud-based solutions often reach beyond their sophisticated

visualisation tools. Users also benefit from resources that help them

structure, interpret and take action, including technical support,

communities where like-minded people can share ideas and forums

where industry experts lay out their visions of what the future holds.

Conclusion

Data is becoming the world’s most valuable resource,

thanks to innovative tools that help us understand

it. As new technology makes existing technol-

ogy work better, it helps people work better and

smarter too. It helps us achieve – which is where

the real value lies.

Neil Cameron is the General Manager

of Johnson Controls Building Efficiency.

Enquiries: Tel. +27 (0) 11 921 7141

• Technology needs to make life easier.

• Visualisations unlock the value of data.

• Visualised forms of information help facility managers

see how building systems are functioning and where

improvements are necessary.

June ‘16

Electricity+Control