< Previous UPDATE www.fm-middleeast.com10 August 2021 Bee’ah Rewards, the fl agship community engagement programme of the award-winning sustainability and environmental services pioneer, Bee’ah, has partnered with Barakat, a supplier of fresh produce, to further reward recyclers in UAE. As a partner, Barakat will join other brands in providing monthly prizes to recyclers who deposit plastic bottles in Bee’ah’s residential recycling bins, three stream bins or Reverse Vending Machines across the UAE. Barakat will supply prizes of three- and six-months’ worth of fresh produce, fresh juices, smoothies and more to winners. Khaled Al Huraimel, Group CEO at Bee’ah commented on the launch: “This recycling initiative is the perfect example of how we can use technology and digitalisation to enable communities to play their vital part in improving lives and contributing towards future sustainability.” Hind Al Huwaidi, Director of Education at Bee’ah, said: “We are delighted to welcome Barakat onboard as a partner as we continue to incentivise and reward people who recycle via all Bee'ah recycling points. .” Rashid Mohamed Alabbar, Board Member at Barakat added: “We share with Bee’ah the same values of sustainability and recycling, and we’re thrilled to be able to support this exciting and important community engagement initiative from Bee’ah. By providing these prizes we hope to further incentivise people to get involved, recycle and help protect the environment from needless waste.” The programme has transformed the way people recycle in the UAE and have recorded unprecedented rates in public participation, with over 1.3 million bottles and aluminium cans deposited for recycling in the fi rst three years. Users can deposit plastic bottles in one of Bee’ah’s residential recycling bins, three stream bins or Reverse Vending Machines. STAT ATTACK RECYCLE Bee’ah Rewards partners with Barakat to offer prizes for people who recycle AED3.4m Full-service real-estate services company Provis achieved signifi cant energy and utility savings worth AED3.4m during the fi rst half of 2021, across 12 Provis managed communities. 7000 tonnes The company successfully reduced over 7,000 tonnes of carbon emissions. 17 million kWh of energy The fi rm conserved more than 17 million kWh of energy driven by chilled water and energy-optimisation initiatives. 12,000 homes The energy the fi rm was able to save in six months is enough to power more than 12,000 rural homes with electricity for a full year. AED1.85m The fi rm surpassed its AED1.85m target set for the fi rst half of 2021. Hind Al Huwaidi, Eductaion Director at Bee'ah.NEWS www.fm-middleeast.comAugust 2021 11 SOLAR The Government of Armenia has officially selected Masdar, one of the world’s leading renewable energy compa- nies, as the winning bidder for the tender for a utility-scale solar project. The Armenian Government had imple- mented an international tender following Masdar’s initial offer of $0,0299/kWh in December 2019. After a competitive process, Masdar submitted a final price of $0,0290/kWh. The 200-megawatt (MW) plant will be located in the Talin and Dashtadem communities of Armenia, in an area where solar radiation is both high and land is unusable for agricultural purposes. The project will be developed on a SECURITY Ring, whose mission is to make neighborhoods safer, today an- nounced Video Doorbell Wired, its small- est doorbell yet. Video Doorbell Wired packs a punch in a slim design with robust features such as HD video, two-way audio, live view, Advanced Motion Detec- tion, Customizable Privacy Zones, and more. Customers can now buy the small- est Video Doorbell Wired from Amazon. ae in the UAE. “Since day one, Ring’s focus has been to invent home security solutions that solve real customer problems. With Video Doorbell Wired we packed the features that matter into a small, compact design, giving customers more choice when it comes to selecting the Ring Video Door- bell that best fits their needs,” said Jamie Siminoff, Ring’s Founder and Chief Inven- tor. “And at only AED249, Video Doorbell Wired is a great and affordable option for those looking to expand their Rings of The 200-megawatt (MW) plant will be located in the Talin and Dashtadem communities of Armenia With features such as Advanced Motion Detection, Two-Way Talk, HD Video and more, Video Doorbell Wired is full featured home security for just AED249 Ring expands its doorbell line-up in the UAE Solar panels. David Papazian, CEO of ANIF, said: “From Chairman down, we have worked very hard to finalise this deal. It feels like it has been ages that we are working on this process, but we realize that this is by far the largest single foreign investment in green energy in the region and the second largest foreign direct investment in the his- tory of modern Armenia.” security or just getting started.” Full of features, Video Doorbell Wired is an easy- to-use, affordable solution that con- nects to existing doorbell wiring and includes ev- erything needed to provide peace of mind when at home or away. Standard features available on Video Doorbell Wired include 1080p HD video with night vision and two-way audio with noise can- cellation, offering a clear field of view and the ability to see and speak with visitors from anywhere. Customizable Motion Zones allow customers to create specific zones to trigger alerts and Privacy Zones can be set to eliminate areas a homeowner does not want to monitor. With those design, finance, build, own, and operate (DFBOO) basis and the project company will be 85 percent owned by Masdar, with the Armenian National Interest Fund CJSC (ANIF) holding 15 percent. Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, Chief Executive Officer of Masdar, said: “By winning the tender for Armenia’s biggest utility-scale solar project, Masdar enters an exciting new phase in our collabora- tion with our partners at ANIF and with the Armenian government. This is a vital stage in Armenia’s clean energy journey: low-cost solar energy will help power new industries, generate jobs and set the coun- try on the path to a prosperous and truly sustainable future.” Masdar wins tender for 200 MW solar power project in Armenia zones set, Advanced Motion Detection activates recording when movement is detected within a certain distance of Video Doorbell Wired, sending an alert to the Ring app. Ring Protect Plan subscribers starting at $3/month per device can access ad- ditional features like color Pre-Roll, a six- second video preview that shows what triggered a motion alert at the door. Other features include People Only Mode, a re- fined motion alert sent only when human beings are detected, and Rich Notifica- tions, which show a snapshot preview to see what’s happening in real time before opening the Ring app. Once installed, Video Doorbell Wired is easy to use and customers have complete control over their experience within the Ring app. Customers can set their notifi- cation preferences, create their Customiz- able Motion and Privacy Zones, and also quickly connect other Ring cameras. Ring doorbell. NEWS www.fm-middleeast.com12 August 2021 HEALTHY BUILDINGS Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University (HBMSU) welcomed the launch of Honeywell’s proof of concept project in the Middle East for its integrated Healthy Buildings solutions portfolio, which is the leading global technology solutions company’s first such project in the region. The move is the latest in HBMSU’s series of achievements in ensuring compliance with the highest international health standards, to build a safe and integrated learning environment that stimulates creativity, innovation, and excellence. The project is of great significance as it is the result of HBMSU’s long-term stra- tegic partnership with Honeywell, in line with HBMSU’s commitment to further enhance the advanced infrastructure and technology that make its campus a sustain- able, smart and integrated building that meets the highest international standards. The initiative reinforces the University’s leadership as a hub in the field of smart education in the Arab world, staying ahead of other leading universities by at least 10 years in terms of innovation and technol- ogy adoption. HE Dr. Mansoor Al Awar, Chancellor of HBMSU, said: “The launch of the first Honeywell project in the region to dem- onstrate the effectiveness of integrated solutions for healthy buildings is a compel- ling evidence of the high international confidence in our university. It highlights HBMSU’s commitment to adopting best practices that support sustainability within the education sector as well as harness- ing the most advanced technology to transform the education system in order to provide better education for innovators and creators of the future.” “These efforts come under the direc- tives of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and President of HBMSU, to enhance our readiness to build a safer and more sustainable and prosper- Honeywell’s solutions support HMBSU’s leading eff orts to provide healthy buildings and ensure a safe return of learners to campus ity on our campus, thus ensuring a unique experience for learners and academics within an integrated environment with interactive, sustainable, and innovative features. This follows our previous suc- cess in obtaining the “WELL” certifica- tion for health and safety from the Well International Building Institute (IWBI), an achievement we are proud of as it is the first of its kind in the UAE and the Middle East,” Al Awar concluded. George Bou Mitri, Honeywell’s Building Technologies VP and General Manager for Middle East, Turkey and Africa, lauded the unique achievements of Hamdan Bin Mo- hammed Smart University in ensuring the highest levels of health, security and safety, to become a model for excellence in en- hancing the quality of life within academic and professional environments. He added: “In the current environment, there is a greater need for building opera- tors and managers to reassure occupants. Our Healthy Buildings Solutions at HBMSU will enable multi-level assurances for learners and staff as they return. We’re proud to partner with HBMSU as the first pilot project in the region and support its continued drive for sustainability and establishing regional best practice.” Honeywell deployed Thermal cameras at HBMSU to detect elevated body tem- perature in building entrances, and deep learning video analytics with real-time alarms for non-compliance with masks and social distancing policies. ous future. As the first accredited smart university in the UAE, we are committed to providing our learners, faculty and administra- tive staff with an environment that conforms to the highest standards of health, security, and safety on our campus, based on the latest advanced technologies.” Al Awar added: “We continue our relent- less endeavors to employ advanced tech- nological innovations to provide a healthy and safe learning environment, based on integrated solutions that ensure air qual- ity and provide safe and secure solutions using advanced analysis to monitor the building environment and user behaviors. The importance of the solution we are cur- rently implementing lies in its outstand- ing ability to improve indoor air quality. It is integrated with security systems that analyze the use of facilities through thermal scanning; ensure social distancing; and detect the wearing of masks. Build- ing on our proactive approach towards stimulating innovation, technology, and smart transformation, we are keen to further strengthen our fruitful cooperation with Honeywell. The partnership is a true embodiment of our principle of “Together We Grow” to advance education based on three main pillars: innovation, disruption, and transformation. “We are proud of our strong and grow- ing relationship with Honeywell, which enables us to develop and advance IoT in- novations related to artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data analytics for the built environment and its use in sup- porting energy and operational efficiency. We renew our commitment to work to- gether to improve the levels of sustainabil- HBMSU implements Honeywell’s fi rst-of-its-kind Healthy Building solutions in the regionwww.fm-middleeast.com COMMENT August 2021 13 s was announced at the Facilities Ma na ge m e n t Middle East awards, we plan to have our 2nd FM Conference on 30 September 2021, which will be a physical event. This iteration of FM Conference will focus on the ambiguity associated with FM tenders and the process of winning the right ones. Also, there is an intrinsic need for FM firms to have FM-specific contract templates. We also tackle the subject of worker welfare and what it really means. Are most FM contracts based on construction templates? Isn’t it time to introduce FM- specific contract templates that protect the rights of both parties? Another discussion that the conference will focus is on education and training of FM personnel, which is something that should be ongoing in the FM space. The world of FM tenders and contracts is elusive. We aim to understand tendering for facilities management contracts. What are the process and challenges and Want to enter the debate? If you have any comments to make on these issues, email the editor at rajiv.pillai@itp.com. VIEWP INT We are all set to host our 2nd FM Conference on 30 September. The event hopes to tackle serious issues such as FM contracts, worker welfare and training RAJIV RAVINDRAN PILLAI Serious discussions A About the author Rajiv Ravindran Pillai is the editor of Facilities Management Middle East. where to find good FM tenders and what lacks in this region? Also we plan to broach the topic on worker welfare and what does it really mean – there is often a misunderstanding of what workers welfare stands for and what it really looks like. We also will talk about training in FM. Training of the FM industry is still more focused on technical training whereas dealing with end users require other skills such as communication, cultural awareness, grooming. How adept are personnel in handling new technology and how can the FM industry educate employees in adopting the use of technology? Has the pandemic driven FM firms to provide more technology training? Also, the inclusion of People of Determination (POD) in our society lacks awareness and education. How can FM educate and include POD into the workforce and as part of the employment team? As we gain more momentum towards the lead up to the conference, we want to reach out to you with similar or more pressing issues to address in the FM sector. All of us make this ethos of FM community and with more serious discussions, there can be more progress. WASTE MANAGEMENT 14 August 2021www.fm-middleeast.com In a circular economy, materials aren’t just used once – they’re reused, composted, recycled or – if no other option is available for them – the energy they contain is recovered, Malek Sukkar, CEO of waste and recycling company, Averda, says. He elaborates: “Waste and recycling companies like Averda have several important roles to play in this process. Firstly, our waste collection activities ensure that materials aren’t just thrown into our natural environment where they can pollute the earth and oceans. Every one of our street sweepers and bin men plays a vital part here, and we MALEK SUKKAR, CEO OF WASTE AND RECYCLING COMPANY, AVERDA, REVEALS WHAT THE FIRM IS DOING IN CREATING A CIRCULAR APPROACH TO WASTE MANAGEMENT, AND HOW EVERY PERSON HAS A ROLE TO PLAY value them highly. “Then we need to make sure that materials are sorted and recycled, which is complicated but essential. Different kinds of plastics need to be separated, as well as metals, paper and glass. And of course, organic materials – food waste and garden waste – need to be composted or treated in anaerobic digesters. Finally, those materials that can’t be recycled or otherwise reused need to be incinerated and their energy recovered and used to power local communities. This is quite a different ecosystem than we currently have, but we are determined that Averda will contribute to developing it.” However, there are several major challenges facing the waste management sector before one can apply a “truly circular approach to waste management”. Sukkar says: “The first is the sheer volume of waste we’re generating and the rate of growth – if we continue the way we are then we’ll be creating 3.4 billion tonnes a year by 2050, up from just over 2 billion tonnes a year today. This is unsustainable – we need to rethink our approach to single-use, to packaging and to consumption. At the same time as the amount of waste is skyrocketing, the complexity of materials is changing fast too – items are highly engineered, RESPONSIBLE DISPOSAL WASTE MANAGEMENT August 2021 15www.fm-middleeast.com containing many different materials often welded together, very difficult to separate out – the contents of your bin today are very different from your grandmother’s 50 years ago. As consumers and as governments, we need to encourage manufacturers from creating non- recyclable or very confusing packaging.” A further challenge to be overcome is the creation of a vibrant market for recyclables. Too often, recycled materials, for example plastics, have struggled to compete with cheap and plentiful virgin materials. The price and demand fluctuations traditionally discouraged investment in the facilities required to make recyclates. Sukkar says: “We need governments to use the regulatory levers at their disposal to proactively create a market for recyclables; the circular economy isn’t going to come about without assistance, at least not at the speed we need it to. Where this is taking place, we see demand for recyclables increase very fast. “Finally, waste management is something everyone really needs, but no one really enjoys paying for. The services required to keep streets clean, the infrastructure development costs of installing proper treatment and disposal systems – these are utterly essential if we are to have sanitary, healthy, happy communities – both now and for our children. But they do require investment and funding, which responsible governments and companies prioritise, but irresponsible ones shirk.” Averda recently announced the launch of a new 3-year corporate strategy “Renew”, which puts considerably greater emphasis on sustainability and circularity, implementing a number of initiatives aimed at reducing waste to landfill and deriving secondary value from collected waste. Talking about “Renew”, Sukkar says: “Continuing ‘business as usual’ isn’t an option for anyone anymore. The climate and biodiversity crisis we face is too compelling, too urgent for a responsible business to ignore. We have always felt we play a positive environmental role, but our new 3-year corporate strategy will see us accelerate our drive towards greater sustainability, both for ourselves and for our clients. We’ll continue to clean and collect waste, but in the next few years we’ll really focus on reducing waste disposal in landfill and instead on recycling and recovery of materials. “To be clear, we see an urgent moral imperative to do this; however, we also see a considerable opportunity for us as a business. The environmental crisis is changing how we all view our footprint on this earth, and our clients – municipal and private – are also looking to improve not only how they manage their waste but how they report on it. We are in a prime position to help our clients, and our planet.” Over the next few years, Averda plans to develop circular solutions for all relevant waste streams in each of the countries where it works. Some are already underway, while others are being explored at present. Sukkar says: “I’m afraid there’s not much more I can say right now but watch this space!” The firm is also working with industrial sectors to develop solutions specific to its waste needs. These include construction, medical and facilities management. Sukkar adds: “In the FM sphere, we will focus on providing a turnkey solution for waste, from collection to recycling, treatment and – critically – reporting on environmental performance. We are also expanding our wrap-around support for clients in terms of educational programmes to drive behaviour change, ensuring they meet their own ESG performance targets.” Sukkar concludes by saying: “I do think that each of us, as individuals, also has a role to play. The consumer choices we make about what to buy, whether to choose a single-use item for example, has an impact on the waste we create. In addition, the decisions we make about what we do with an item we no longer need also has a big impact. As I’ve said, governments, companies, local authorities all need to invest in responsible waste management systems, but each of us as citizens on this planet also need to take responsibility for the legacy we leave behind and what we teach our children.” GOVERNMENTS, COMPANIES, LOCAL AUTHORITIES ALL NEED TO INVEST IN RESPONSIBLE WASTE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS, BUT EACH OF US AS CITIZENS ON THIS PLANET ALSO NEED TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE LEGACY WE LEAVE BEHIND AND WHAT WE TEACH OUR CHILDREN. Malek Sukkar, CEO of Averda. COVER STORY www.fm-middleeast.com16 August 2021 FACILIO, A US-BASED START-UP, IS GAINING MOMENTUM BY RIDING ON THE WAVE OF O&M DIGITISATION POST PANDEMIC The pandemic will fade, but its eff ects will linger. With economies reopening in full swing across the world, real estate owners and operators are breaking the inertia, digitising operations, and preparing to thrive in the long term. THE RISE OF OPERATIONS TECH IN REAL ESTATE COVER STORY www.fm-middleeast.com16 August 2021COVER STORY www.fm-middleeast.comAugust 2021 17 COVER STORY www.fm-middleeast.comAugust 2021 17 COVER STORY www.fm-middleeast.com18 August 2021 T he past year has served as an inflection point for the commercial real estate industry, not only in terms of intensifying the need and interest in operations technology, but also actual adoption. It is the seventh development plan for the emirate since 1960. The pandemic impacted the macro CRE (commercial real estate) environment in several ways. It forced the industry to recalibrate its focus onto safety, hygiene, security and ROI, at a time of reduced occupancies & revenue. While economic recovery has kicked-in globally, and overall rent collections have bounced back to healthy numbers, the pandemic has made agile and nimble operations, as well as cost management, a top priority for CRE organisations. Looking ahead, CRE organisations have their path carved out for them now - to rapidly adopt digital transformation and a technology-first mindset to build operational resilience and maintain a strong competitive positioning in today’s climate. A study by Deloitte estimates that operating costs could go up to $19 per square foot in 2021. Statistics like these are driving strong interest and adoption of operations & maintenance (O&M) technology to help CRE owners optimise their costs by using agile operative practices. Having gotten a taste of operations tech in the aftermath of the pandemic, portfolio owners & operators now want more. This growing interest explains why Facilio, a software firm headquartered in New York, with global operations, increased its square footage under management by a whopping 50%, post-pandemic. And the panacea they offered? Helping real estate portfolios and service providers develop a structured digitisation plan, automate key O&M processes, and focus on the occupant experience. Facilities Management Middle East spoke with Prabhu Ramachandran, founder and CEO of Facilio, on the big-shift within the industry and how Facilio’s leadership in the emerging category of data-driven and connected RE operations. LEGACY O&M TECH IS NOT DESIGNED TO DELIVER EFFICIENCY GAINS OR ELEVATE THE EXPERIENCE All property operations technology is about automation. But often portfolios have complex legacy processes, various diverse systems (that don’t talk to each other), and employ multiple layers of outsourcing that make even modern O&M strategies unsuitable for a permanent pandemic-induced shift. For instance, automating operational workflows for unique business needs or optimising system schedules for dynamic occupancy still relies on manual processes, vendor calls, or expensive integration efforts. Information from systems is locked at a site level and leadership decisions have largely been intuition-driven bets rather than data-driven roadmaps—an expensive trade-off today. Clearly, O&M tech/software wasn’t designed to fine-tune operations for efficiency gains or to elevate the experience. Facilio believes that advances in artificial intelligence, IoT, and cloud technologies, specifically platform-led approaches that unify data silos and allow multi-stakeholder access, can do away with this tedium. “There is both a sharp change and an enormously significant one,” says Prabhu Ramachandran, CEO of Facilio, who helms the platform that is used by modern O&M teams globally to manage over 60m square foot alongside applications that automate unique workflows and control systems remotely. “Sharp because before Covid-19 property operators adopted technology austerity. Even as proptech grew and sensors and devices got commoditised, firms devoted relatively lesser attention to differentiate properties via operational agility or experience or sustainability, and more to fancy facades and flooring. Significant now because investing in tech and tightening O&M leaks has emerged as the secret sauce to building organisational resilience. A unified O&M software layer is helping firms recover and reposition the value of existing spaces in the aftermath of the pandemic.” WHY RE OWNERS & FM’S ARE MOVING AWAY FROM LEGACY SYSTEMS POST-PANDEMIC “The opportunity for data-led Facilio's building performance suite DB.COVER STORY www.fm-middleeast.comAugust 2021 19 value — a differentiating pillar for CRE competitive strategy,” explains Ramachandran. HOW FACILIO PREDICTED & EVANGELISED DATA-LED, CONNECTED OPERATIONS It is this appeal that has set Facilio apart, even within the context of the current seismic shift to tech- led operations in real estate. The company has had an evangelical zeal in championing this vision, since its inception four years ago. Well before the pandemic reset the industry requirements, the ‘Verdantix Green Quadrant IoT Platforms For Smart Buildings 2019’ identified Facilio as a ‘strong challenger with a clear vision, established financial strategy and an innovative product that delivers transformative value addition’. In early 2020, Facilio was named in the Guidehouse Insights Leaderboard by Navigant Research that examined top 14 intelligent building software providers and their platforms for optimising operations. Facilio’s deep understanding of evolving market needs has positioned operations is enormous,” adds Ramachandran. “In a data-led future, the ability to have a connected operational environment will be as important as the skills people bring to bear.” Ramachandran compares the rise of data-led operations to the rise of another transformative technology. “Years ago, the consumer car industry was about automobile prowess and the aesthetics of the vehicle,” he says. Today it’s all about connected features and the owner’s ability to improve vehicle performance through data-led insights. We can see a similar trend in the buildings industry today, where there will soon be a connected layer of O&M technology in every new and retrofit project, that not only puts the owner/operator in control but also ensures innovation-readiness.” Since the crisis, the industry has raised its game, and moved away from complaining that the ‘last useful operational innovation was 20 years ago towards software adoption’. Portfolio owners and operators are modernising their data-collection & asset management capabilities, and their O&M functionalities. Smart building teams have created a pragmatic world of software-led “data unification” projects, of which predictive maintenance, portfolio-wide visibility, and cloud-based performance optimisation are the most tangibly popular use cases for efficiency and experience. “Such outcomes require a well- calibrated platform that is optimally productised for scale and time-to-value, and supports IoT-enabled connected capabilities with multi-party front- end applications to perform specific functions. To building operators, this means better transparency of opex management, stronger stakeholder engagement, and improved agility. And eventually this data-led approach translates into enhanced asset RE owners and FMs are moving away from legacy systems and the pandemic is accelerating this shift Before the pandemic, Facilio invested heavily in strengthening data collection, integrations, and product capabilities using ML-generated insights that focused on outcomes of operational agility and effi ciency.Next >