Today, host Saji Sebastian, the founder and principal advisor at FM Future Labs, talks with Manoj Parekh the managing director at OCS Group India, Kiran Rao the President at Peppermint Robotics, and Srikumar Narayan the founder and CEO of WINAIM Limited. Together they discuss the adoption of technology and digital applications in facilities management. They touch on how technology, such as IoT solutions and automation, enhances operational efficiency, resource planning, security, and tenant satisfaction. They also explore emerging trends like mobility, AR/VR, and AI in FM, while addressing the challenges of initial investment costs and the importance of making technology user-friendly to overcome resistance to change.
Today, host Saji Sebastian, the founder and principal advisor at FM Future Labs, talks with Manoj Parekh the managing director at OCS Group India, Kiran Rao the President at Peppermint Robotics, and Srikumar Narayan the founder and CEO of WINAIM Limited. Together they discuss the adoption of technology and digital applications in facilities management. They touch on how technology, such as IoT solutions and automation, enhances operational efficiency, resource planning, security, and tenant satisfaction. They also explore emerging trends like mobility, AR/VR, and AI in FM, while addressing the challenges of initial investment costs and the importance of making technology user-friendly to overcome resistance to change.
Manoj Parekh: [00:00:00] The only thing constant is change and we all have to adopt this change, and get moving into the technology as soon as possible.
Host: Welcome to Connected FM, a podcast connecting you to the latest insights, tools, and resources to help you succeed in facility management. This podcast is brought to you by IFMA, the leading professional association for facility managers. If you are ready to grow your network and advance in your career, go to ifma. org to get started. Today host Saji Sebastian, the founder and principal advisor at FM Future Labs, talks with Manoj Parekh, the managing director at OCS Group India, as well as Kiran Rao, the president at Peppermint Robotics, and Shrikumar Narayan, the founder and CEO of WINAIM Ltd. Together they discuss the adoption of technology and digital applications of facilities management.
While also touching on how technology such as IoT solutions and automation can enhance operational efficiency, resource planning, security, and tenant [00:01:00] satisfaction. They also explore emerging trends as well as challenges of initial investment costs and the importance of making technology user friendly to overcome resistance to change.
Now, let's get into it.
Saji Sebastian: Hi, I'm Saji Sebastian, founder and advisor, FM Future Labs. Been in FM journey for the last 30 odd years. Spent enough time to understand buildings. Primarily airports built environment like media houses and other infrastructure and being in this particular field, I would like to share that my thoughts on India growth story when it came to comes to FM and how technology and various other automation has helped us shape our lives and where the market is headed.
Today we have with us Mr. Manoj Parekh, Managing Director OCS Group, India Private Limited, with 25 years of [00:02:00] journey in facilities management, heading today, probably the most progressive tech driven integrated FM company in India, and Mr. Kiran Rao, President Peppermint Robotics, 10 years in facilities management space, an SME in build, building care solutions, and Whether it is the chemistry of the building management or whether it's the sciences and currently being focused on the robotic side of the machineries for FM. Welcome Kiran and we have Srikumar Narayan, founder and CEO, WINAIM Limited building and developing software applications for FM functionalities and creating platforms for the same. Today's topic that we're going to cover is adoption of technology and digital applications in improving FM operational efficiency and the user experience in emerging markets like India.
There are certain statistics which I want to throw in is that a country like India with the six cities, the entire [00:03:00] grade a office consumption or office graded buildings is going to be approximately 1 billion square feet by 2030.
We're today around about 70 million square feet. I'm sure that the same story in most emerging markets, most metro cities across the globe, and it also demands that the end users will also expect. With the greatest buildings coming in the quality of experience as an end user that they want to have with this kind of a built structure has to be much better than what they added yesterday.
So that's where I believe technology IoT solutions digitization will come in handy. And it may be not just a kind of an enabler. It may become a functional tool for us to live our day to day lives. So with that introduction, Mr. Manoj, I'd like to first come into you by asking the question, where do you think we are today in the usage of technology in facilities management, especially when it comes to digitization, automation, [00:04:00] IoT solutions, And various other gamut of technology that we consume today.
Manoj Parekh: Thank you, Saji. I think you have picked up an excellent you know, area in the facility management domain today because technology is something which is picking up very fast and technology can actually streamline the processes and improve operational efficiency. Leading to cost saving, leading to resource utilization.
So some of the points that I can just pull right now on the technology front, like it can improve the maintenance drastically. It can do the resource planning and management in a very wonderful way. It can enhance the security and safety of the property. It can help you make the right decision with the accurate data, which is pulled on a IOT platform or in a digitized way.
It also improves the tenant satisfaction and you can measure the feedback online and it also helps on the sustainability point [00:05:00] where energy saving is the most important topic. And further, ensuring compliance and risk mitigation. So, I would just like to pull a case pertaining to an airport where it has almost 3, 000 tenants who are inside the terminal.
And they are basically consuming the power on a daily basis. The power actually has to be provided by the client, which is airport and the major pain points of the client today while they provide the power is how they measure the consumption is the daily consumption being captured in the right manner.
Is it accurate? Is the monthly billing going to the client in the right manner? Are we able to bring transparency to the tenants? Is there any leakages in the billing or in the power or in the quality of the [00:06:00] power? So these were the major pain points of the client. And the solution that we develop is a smart energy meter and followed with or installed with the IOT sensor and further supported with a cloud based software that helps to automate the readings, helps to automate the billing, helps to really automate the payment gateway.
And this is what we implemented at a very large airport. But at the end, once we did this, there was a excellent client experience. So what the client got once we did this, all the 3000 tenants are now able to view their consumption online 24 seven. They're able to download their billing through the app or through the website.
They are able to make the payment online. Their client is able to do the billing on the first [00:07:00] day instead of waiting for 15 days or 30 days for taking the readings and then doing it manually. And , overall, it helps to measure on a daily basis, the consumption and further the client is able to also envision what kind of consumptions are there.
And what kind of carbon emissions are there and what they have to do to reduce that.
Saji Sebastian: Being in the airport environment in the past, it's a great solution that, you know, you have stitched together for this large airport, because in an airport, what I understand is we tend to purchase power at a multiple price points during the day.
And if you're able to really capture the real time consumption patterns and the, you know, and the usage pattern. It can actually streamline your buying and also forget about the leakage part. I think it's a great solution that you have created. Any other places, Mr. Manoj, that you would want to bring an element of technology being used as a use case?
Manoj Parekh: Yes, absolutely. So we work [00:08:00] extensively on the data centers. And this is one of the areas where data center consumes huge power. So we operate data centers from two megawatts to 60 megawatts. And majorly the challenge in a data center is to ensure that they are providing the power without any interruption because any data loss is a huge loss for the client.
So these kinds of predictive maintenance through a wireless IOT sensor that we have installed in a data center in India helps them to improve their energy consumptions cooling systems.
Saji Sebastian: Great. Great. So I think Mr. Manoj has highlighted very well, the IOT solutions and then dashboarding the information real time, which is Sri as someone who really been in the space. Where do you think the market is headed and where do you think the current utilization of technology by the FM practitioners?
Srikumar: Primarily when we look at the FM [00:09:00] operations. We can look at three streams of value and impact the front line, the operations in the middle, and the leadership. And each layer has a set of technologies to empower, enable, and optimize resources. So, the key challenge is to establish a single digital platform for the FM operations.
So, if you look at how do we monitor through pre built scorecards in alignment with the performance outcomes and also bridging the frontline activity and frontline action into the leadership and the operations team, because that is what will drive the bottom line. So, looking at the enabling technologies in frontline, we have mobility, IoT sensors, vision, computer vision, spatial computing, AR, VR wearables, and drones.
These are making significant impact in terms of in the edge, in the front line. Coming to operations, which [00:10:00] is the middle, which is more supervisory and driving efficiencies, ensuring SLAs, performance SLAs, we're looking at intelligent automation, robotic process automation for workloads. And AI front door, where AI assisted agents able to navigate through the execution of workflows, improve the responsiveness for aligning with the SLAs, and integrated cockpit for 360 degree view of the operations.
Coming to leadership, we're looking at large language models and Gen AI for contract life cycle management, regulations, quality, predictive models using machine learning, feeding into efficiency for the KPIs and continuous improvement. Those are the three streams and these are the technologies that are rapidly moving in terms of delivering efficiency.
Saji Sebastian: So what you're trying to highlight is that bringing in an ecosystem or a platform where you are integrating the frontline, the supervisory cadre and the management and [00:11:00] everyone having a kind of a tech enablement so that there is a seamless communication of information and there is a connect which is getting created through the technology.
Absolutely. Yeah, right. Mr. Kiran, what do you, what's your take on this?
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Kiran Rao: For me, this this environment of technology is ticking all the boxes. Technology helps users by automating time consuming and repetitive tasks and allows facility managers to focus on strategic planning and decision making.
So you make it user friendly. Simple things like adjusting temperature and [00:12:00] lighting based on occupancy can go a long way in driving sustainability. It takes the environment friendly part of it. Technology enables predictive maintenance through data analytics and AI algorithms, which increases the asset life and bring in savings by delaying the capex investments.
So it takes the pocket friendly part of it. By taking all three boxes it's a pretty easy to assume that technology is here to And really impact the facility management industry in a big way.
Saji Sebastian: So I think that's a great insight from all the three. So you have set the platform to say that, yes, technology is here to stay. It is helping us really evolve as an industry. But what I also see being in the market, especially in a country like India, is that the adoption of technology or related applications or IoT It's probably from a, you know, in a scale of 100, I would rather say that is it probably will be in the single digits.
Okay, that's [00:13:00] how we have actually adopted it. Where do you think is the lethargy in adopting? Where do you see is the gap so that we are able to, if it is so useful, how can we actually help, you know, bring this into the market much, much more robust and people start adopting it better? Where do you think the lethargy lies?
Kiran, you want to take this up first?
Kiran Rao: Yeah, according to me, the initial CapEx cost is a hindrance today, and the best way to counter this is to align on the deliverables and benefits by implementing the technology.
This alignment would give a clarity on the beneficiaries. that who is going to benefit the most. And once you have the cost structure distributed accordingly, the initial hitch of the CapEx cost or initial investment would be addressed to a large extent. Once you split the cost in the same ratio as benefits.
First and mostly, this is the way we can [00:14:00] counter the initial investment part. And secondly, the adoption will also depend on how People are taking it up. You have to make sure that it reaches everywhere. You educate people. You make people aware of the benefits of it in the long run and how it's going to make their life simpler.
How is it going to save money for the organization and once you have people on your side, it's pretty easy to implement.
Saji Sebastian: So what I understand is one is the cost. The second is the adoption by the individuals concerned.
How do we address these two facts together so that there is more ROI being seen both in terms of on the returns of this investment. Or people being confident on using this technology. Mr. Manoj, you would want to take that first.
Manoj Parekh: So, there are various stakeholders and it all starts from the owner.
Then you have the service provider, then you have their site facility manager, and then you have the client. So there is a layer and [00:15:00] everyone needs to understand the technology, how it would help. So typically, I believe that education awareness is very important first, and then it has to be a gradual transition.
It cannot be an overnight thing that technology can take over. So it has to be a gradual transition. When it comes to an ROI, so typically it has to be seen in both the ways, how tangible it is in terms of saving.
And secondly, on the health and safety front and further on the sustainability front. So, typically it also depends on what the client is expecting out of the technology and a service provider can actually work on those areas and help the client. To get that kind of an ROI. So typically I would say three areas.
One is the cost savings. Second is how it can help to reduce the carbon emission or the resources, how it can be saved. And third, how it helps to overall mitigate the issues of efficiencies of an [00:16:00] equipment and further life cycle enhancement of the equipment.
Saji Sebastian: I also believe that the technology adoption or usage also depends on where exactly are you sitting on this entire, you know, hierarchy or the pyramid. So sometimes when it comes to building or the infra, the adoption of technology is much better and may not be when it comes to end user experience, which is more of, you know, there are times when it will be with the tangible benefit.
of the technology may be visible. I think that's where the gap exists. Mr. Shree, you want to highlight something here now?
Srikumar: Yes, Ajit. So, primarily, we're looking at the asset life cycle, as well as the lifetime value of the asset. So, technology is going to be a key component for the IRR, the returns on asset investment from a financial perspective.
So, if you have old buildings, legacy buildings, then we are looking at CAPEX, increased CAPEX for technology upgrade and additional CAPEX for new technology for sustainability and FM operations. So, the key thing is collaboration between technology, business and [00:17:00] operations across all the complex stakeholders.
And we are looking at a 2 to 4 percent kind of, cap budget allocation for technology and the change management. So in terms of skilling, upgrading and bringing in the culture using technology adoption in the frontline.
Saji Sebastian: So I like the fact that you mentioned about 2 percent budgeting.
Towards technology adoption would be one good way to start off so that there is a more acceptance and we are factoring in that as an element of cost in our day to day you know, FM budgeting. Okay, Mr. Kiran, you want to say anything as a closing remark on the technology front?
Kiran Rao: It's important that you make it as user friendly as possible to make sure the resistance is lower.
I think the cost aspect is easily can be easily managed, but making it user friendly. So you're crossing the barrier of resistance to change are two important things for a technology to be really successful.
Saji Sebastian: Great. [00:18:00] Where do we see it going? I think, where do you see the future now? Mr Manoj, how do you see it in the next two years time or one year's time?
Manoj Parekh: I'm sure Shaji the technology is going to take over the facility management and many things would get digitized. On iot platform and I see that you know, the only thing constant is change and we all have to adopt this change.
And get moving into the technology as soon as possible.
Saji Sebastian: So I think most of our organizations surely will have a technology manager as a part of our team members very soon, is what I gather from this entire conversation.
Manoj Parekh: Absolutely. And thank you
Saji Sebastian: each one of us being here and the contributing to this conversation's been very well insightful and you know, I learned a lot.
I'm sure the audience would also, thank
Manoj Parekh: you. Thank you. Everyone.
Host: Thank you so much for listening. I hope you really enjoyed this [00:19:00] episode. And as always, please don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe to the podcast for more incredible content.