< Previous UPDATE www.fm-middleeast.com10 September 2021 Veolia, the benchmark company for ecological transformation off ering game-changing solutions for water, waste and energy management, hosted six students from the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Oman at the 2021 Veolia Summer School in July. The digital one- week summer program invited students to take on environmental challenges by applying professional methods to solve various problems, supported by Veolia experts. The six students joined from Rochester Institute of Technology in Dubai, UAE; King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; and Ibra College of Technology in Ibra, Oman. Recognising the importance of educating and engaging young people in the environmental issues that will impact their future, Veolia brought together 64 students in total from the best universities in the world for a week of group work, meetings with experts and learning about Veolia’s businesses and solutions, in international teams while building a network. The students, who come from 27 countries and fi ve continents, were divided into three time zones and 12 working groups. The 12 student teams, assisted by Veolia experts, explored multiple topics in their business cases including air quality, digital waste management, cooperation culture, oil recovery, hydrogen and electric vehicles, the Green Deal, carbon capture and storage, battery recycling, decarbonisation, the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL), sustainable agriculture, and health and micropollutants. Shaima Muez, a mechanical engineering student from Rochester Institute of Technology in Dubai, UAE, said: “It was an enlightening experience listening to so many professionals from the fi eld talk about the ecological issues in our world today." STAT ATTACK ENVIRONMENT Veolia Summer School hosts six students from UAE, KSA and Oman to tackle environmental challenges 400MW Dumat Al Jandal, the Middle East’s largest wind farm and the fi rst in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is now connected to the grid and has produced its fi rst carbon-free megawatt-hours (MWh) of energy. The 400-megawatt (MW) utility-scale wind power project is being developed by a consortium led by EDF Renewables and Masdar, two of the world’s leading renewable energy companies. 99 wind turbines The wind farm consists of 99 wind turbines from supplier and EPC contractor Vestas, each with a power output of 4.2 MW. 988,000 tonnes When complete, the wind farm will generate carbon-free energy, powering up to 70,000 Saudi households, while saving 988,000 tonnes of CO 2 per year in support of the Kingdom’s climate change mitigation goals. 600 jobs The wind farm is also contributing to the region’s economic activity, creating more than 600 local jobs during the construction phase. NEWS www.fm-middleeast.com12 September 2021 SAFETY In line with its commit- ment to support communities across the UAE and the wellbeing of residents, Al-Futtaim Group has launched a mul- tifaceted initiative for delivery riders, which brings together its Automotive, Real Estate and Health Divisions. From August 29 until September 2, riders can head to Dubai Festival City Mall, where they will receive a complimentary health check-up at HealthHub Clinic Al-Futtaim from 12pm-4pm, take a break as they enjoy free refreshments, and get a free voucher for a complimentary mo- torbike inspection at the Honda service centre in Umm Ramool to ensure vehicle safety. Riders will also be invited to rest at any time in designated resting lounges at Dubai Festival City Mall and Festival Plaza, Jebel Ali. Rhett Maxwell, Honda UAE General Manager at Al-Futtaim Trading En- terprises, said: “We are excited about getting involved in this community ini- tiative, which brings together multiple divisions of the Al-Futtaim Group with one aim, to support the community. We are proud to leverage our technical expertise to help promote road safety for delivery riders. Taking a preventa- tive rather than curative approach, the inspections will help riders stay safe on the roads.” Delivery riders will also receive vouchers, valid until September 30, for a complimentary engine oil change and motorbike safety inspection at the Hon- da facility in Umm Ramool, leaving their vehicles in optimum condition. The free safety check includes, but is not limited to, chain adjustments and lubrication, function-checking switches and horn operation, replacing blown light bulbs, brake and clutch adjustments, as well as torqueing wheel bolts for more efficient vehicle performance. Dr. Haidar Al Yousuf, managing direc- Prioritising community wellbeing, HealthHub Clinics by Al-Futtaim will be off ering delivery riders free health check-ups riders a place where they can feel safe and comfortable is in line with our Festival Cares strategy to support com- munities in which we operate. Delivery drivers form an integral part of com- munities across Dubai, especially during the hot summer months. At Al-Futtaim, our promise is to enrich the lives of our customers each and every day, and we are honoured to be able to support riders as a ‘thank you’ for all their hard work.” The initiative is part of Al-Futtaim Malls’ CSR Festival Cares Programme, which looks to engage with communi- ties, support tenants and retailers, and connect with customers through such welfare-focused drives. Al-Futtaim will be evaluating the initial round of the initiative, with the aim of having it become a regular pro- gramme where delivery riders can ben- efit from the services offered throughout the entire year. tor, Al-Futtaim Health said: “We are excited to do our part in this initiative. At Al-Futtaim Health, our aim is to of- fer comprehensive, quality, accessible healthcare for all, and we are catering in this case to the specific needs and work environment of delivery riders in order to make our services accessible to them. We are honoured to get an opportunity to contribute to the overall wellbeing of delivery riders, helping them stay healthy, happy and fulfilled by providing the right medical advice to safeguard their wellness.” Prioritising community wellbeing, a commitment embodied through its initiatives, Al-Futtaim Health will be offering delivery riders free health check-ups. Upon arriving at Dubai Festi- val City Mall, the riders will be asked to head to the Health Hub – located in the basement – for a physical examination. If any medical conditions are detected, they will be referred to facilities in ac- cordance with their insurance plans for further investigation. Al-Futtaim Malls has also partnered with the Roads and Transport Authority Dubai (RTA) to provide a special resting area for delivery bike riders who visit Dubai Festival City Mall, where they will have access to an air-conditioned lounge and refreshments following their medi- cal examination. Dubai Festival City Mall sees hun- dreds of delivery riders visit the mall daily. Fulfilling large volumes of orders, the community heroes can take a break at the designated area – especially dur- ing peak times as they face the chal- lenge of driving in the summer heat. The timely setup is part of Al-Futtaim’s efforts to ensure the safety of riders as temperatures soar. David Huesser, director Asset Man- agement at Al-Futtaim Malls said: “At Al-Futtaim Malls, offering delivery Al-Futt aim provides comprehensive health and safety support for delivery ridersThe second annual Facilities Management Conference will be the first in- person physical conference hosted by Facilities Management Middle East. The event will bring together consultants, senior executives, government representatives and other experts from the region›s fm industry. The Facilities Management Conference is the go-to place for the FM fraternity to share notes and ideas that will help and serve the FM community to establish better operational practices. Wednesday 29th September REGISTER NOW V Hotel Dubai, Al Habtoor City CONTACT: TO REGISTER FOR FREE, PLEASE VISIT WWW.FM-MIDDLEEAST.COM/CONFERENCE VINAY RAVINDRAN Group Sales Manager T: +971 4 444 3155 M: +971 55 810 1197 E: vinay.ravindran@itp.com FOR SPONSORSHIP OR SPEAKING ENQUIRIES: The second annual Facilities Management Conference will be the first in OFFICIAL EVENT SPONSORS NEWS www.fm-middleeast.com14 September 2021 PEST CONTROL Tadweer and the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) initiated a cooperation aimed at conduct- ing specialised scientific research studies in public health pest management and various other areas of common interest. The cooperation highlights the importance of scientific research in developing govern- ment services in line with the directives of the wise UAE leadership. The two entities aim to leverage their complementary capabilities to advance capacity building and upgrade government services. The scope of activities includes R&D, professional and scientific consulta- tions, publishing information on spe- cific activities, and exchanging scientific HEALTH AND SAFETY The theme of resilience takes centre stage at NEBOSH’s first ever online conference later this year. Experts from the Health and Safety Executive, such as Travis Perkins, John- son Matthey, Kier Highways, Cambridge Assessment and the Filipino International League of Safety Advocates, plus many more, will take to the screen to share their advice and learnings. The free-to-attend, one-day online event takes place on 5 October 2021 and registration is open now. The conference comes at what has been a turbulent time for people everywhere. It will explore how OSH professionals can help the organisations and workers in their care to be more resilient to challeng- es and change. Safety professionals spend so much time caring for other people that they must remember to care for them- selves too; the agenda takes a closer look at careers as well as mindfulness to take The two entities aim to leverage their complementary capabilities to advance capacity building and upgrade government services Speaker line-up announced for NEBOSH’s free, online conference NEBOSH opens registrations for free, online, health and safety conference Pest control being done. our decision-making process and inform our strategic plans.” HE Prof. Ghaleb Ali Al Hadrami Al Breiki, Acting VC of UAEU, said: “UAEU proactively seeks out research collabora- tions with local and international govern- ment entities, academic institutions, re- search organisations, and firms to support the country’s strategic national priorities.” some time for their own wellbeing. “NEBOSH’s vision is to make the world of work a safer and healthier place. This conference will offer more learning op- portunities to professionals, wherever they are in the world.” said Matt Powell- Howard, NEBOSH Head of Learning and Partnerships. “With a jam-packed agenda and a line-up of expert speakers, it’s going to be a great event!” At a glance line-up: Callum Irvine, Global Vice President of Safety & Security for IHG Hotels & Re- sorts, Neeraj Shah, Group Director – EHS, publications. The two parties will also share knowledge by exchanging scientific experts for a specific period, in addition to hosting joint training programs, organising conferences, workshops, and specialised panels to discuss the latest developments in relevant fields, and identifying new op- portunities for cooperation. HE Dr. Salem Khalfan Al Kaabi, General Manager of Tadweer, said: “We are keen to build constructive and fruitful cooperation with all national entities to achieve our common goals in line with the ambitions of our wise leadership. Our partnership with UAEU will improve public pest manage- ment in Abu Dhabi, while our joint scien- tific and technical research will facilitate Tadweer, United Arab Emirates University collaborate in public health pest management research Johnson Matthey, Richard Byrne, Group Director – HSE and Fleet, Travis Perkins Maria Anderson, Group Head of Health, Safety and Wellbeing, Cambridge Assess- ment, Alexis Powell-Howard, Managing Director, Fortis Therapy and Training James Bird, Senior SHE Manager - Stra- tegic Risk and Behavioural Safety, Kier Highways, Dan Hipkiss, Performance Coach and Facilitator, Cleartrack Perfor- mance Limited, Ed Corbett, Head of Hu- man Factors and Organisational Perfor- mance, Health and Safety Executive Rogel “Roi” D. Importado, co-Founder, FILSA-UAE and Sr. HSE Supervisor, OSC, Dubai UAE, James Irwin, Director, Irwin & Colton, and Jennet Arshimova, Faculty of Occupational H&S Management at the School of Business National Louis Univer- sity, Poland and member of the RedRisks Media Stream Team The conference takes place from 09:15- 16:00 UK time on 5 October 2021. Temperature check at site.www.fm-middleeast.com COMMENT September 2021 15 hybrid work model is a plan that incorporates a mixture of in- office and remote work. Employees will have the choice to work from home or from the office. However, there is no one-size- fits-all hybrid model. Each company can develop a hybrid model based on the needs of the company and the needs of the employee. Additionally, a remote hybrid work model may involve allowing employees to schedule work-from-home days, but not on specific days such as Mondays and Wednesdays. It may also involve allowing a sizable percentage (around 10 to 25%) of your employees to work remotely full time, while the majority of employees are required to come into the office most days. PwC surveyed 133 executives and 1,200 office workers in November and December 2020. Some of the findings is that remote work has been an overwhelming success for both employees and employers. The shift in positive attitudes toward 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 Is the hybrid working model the right way forward? Most studies and surveys appear to reveal so. It is time to rethink the future of work. RAJIV RAVINDRAN PILLAI Working smart A About the author Rajiv Ravindran Pillai is the editor of Facilities Management Middle East. remote work is evident: 83% of employers now say the shift to remote work has been successful for their company. Also, employees want to return to the office more slowly than employers expect. There’s no consensus on the optimal balance of work days at home vs. in the office. Over half of employees (55%) would prefer to be remote at least three days a week once pandemic concerns recede — little changed from the 59% who said the same in June. The survey stated that the office is here to stay, but its role is set to change. Less than one in five executives say they want to return to the office as it was pre-pandemic. The rest are grappling with how widely to extend remote work options, with just 13% of executives prepared to let go of the office for good. Meanwhile, 87% of employees say the office is important for collaborating with team members and building relationships — their top-rated needs for the office. Time to rethink what office work traditionally means and adopt a more conducive and flexible working model. COVER STORY www.fm-middleeast.com16 September 2021 COVER STORY www.fm-middleeast.com16 September 2021COVER STORY www.fm-middleeast.comSeptember 2021 17 FARNEK’S HITEK 4.0 COMMAND CONTROL CENTRE ALLOWS IT TO HAVE EFFICIENT CONTROL OVER ITS ASSETS AND OPERATIONS BEING IN CONTROL COVER STORY www.fm-middleeast.comSeptember 2021 17 L to R: Markus Oberlin, CEO, and Javeria Aijaz, senior director – Technology & Innovations at Farnek.COVER STORY www.fm-middleeast.com18 September 2021 D ata analytics is a vast and complex subject to master. Implementing it properly in an organisation means that it can help reduce costs and energy. By analysing large amounts of data, an organisation can do business in an efficient manner. UAE-based smart and green facilities management company Farnek appears to have mastered this subject to a large extent by incorporating IoT, machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) into its operations, especially when it comes to energy management. Markus Oberlin, CEO of Farnek, says that “what is not measured is not under control when it comes to energy management”. He adds: “In energy management, it is a no-brainer that you need to measure consumption, otherwise you won’t know what you can action.” Through its 24/7 command and control room, located in Farnek Village, the company’s new staff accommodation centre in Jebel Ali, Farnek implemented its HITEK solution 4.0, which Oberlin claims to go far beyond energy management or waste management. He says: “We offer full-end solutions. If you have data, then you can start optimisation, not only for your own benefit but also for the benefit of the customers.” Through its 5G and Wi-Fi 6 enabled, operational “nerve centre”, Farnek will be able to take advantage of increased bandwidth, ultra-low latency and enhanced security, to connect assets from multiple sites, so that they can be centrally monitored and managed. Javeria Aijaz, senior director – Technology & Innovations at Farnek, explains that the HITEK solution 4.0 is essentially bifurcated into two sections. One section is the customer care centre, which comprises call centre agents and administrators who are coordinating and communicating with the customer. The other is managing the customer’s assets. She elaborates: “The customer care centre has an integrated voice recording system where customers are served via the phone. There is also coordination for booking services, be it scheduling or KPIs, and they are all managed through the dashboards.” Farnek boasts a customer base of around 3,000. The other section of the command centre involves managing customer assets. Aijaz explains: “It is not only asset management or energy management; we focus on the complete service lifecycle and it starts with our employees. When an employee leaves our accommodation, we need to ensure that they’re leaving at the right time and are reaching the customer’s site at the right time. Everything is managed through our digital platforms which has 24/7 visibility.” Aijaz reveals that Farnek’s FM consultants and FM team leaders are sitting at the command centre and remotely supporting cleaners, technicians, engineers, and security guards on site. What needs to be noted is that HITEK solution 4.0 was developed in-house, with around 20 in-house developers. Oberlin explains the rationale behind this: “If you purchase an app from the market, you might find problems with it. And because you don't have a solution in-house, you are dependent on the developer. This means you have to pay high additional costs to customise certain processes. This was the reason we wanted to insource everything. We have our own app developers. When we want to make adjustments, we can do it, because we have the engineers in-house and that offers us a huge advantage.” COMMAND CENTRE When it comes to the various aspects of the command centre, for delivering security, Farnek partnered with Huawei. She says: “We have implemented a Huawei-based AI surveillance system, which is implemented in Farnek Village as well as our Farnek offices in Abu Dhabi. All the remote areas and local CCTVs can be monitored. The AI part takes care of aspects such as loitering through facial recognition and personal attributes. This is the advancement in technology that we are bringing through our AI- based CCTV systems. “Additionally, we have implemented smart parking. As you enter the building here [at Farnek Village], and if your vehicle is registered, the barriers open automatically for registered vehicles. This brings about transparency from a security A driver displaying Farnek's Smart Fleet app.COVER STORY www.fm-middleeast.comSeptember 2021 19 only optimise the performance of its transport fleet, but also improve service delivery to its customers. The solution, which covers Farnek’s entire transport fleet of more than 200 vehicles across the UAE, was built by its in-house technology division. Aijaz explains: “Farnek’s strength is having its own 200 plus vehicles, and so it’s very difficult to manage the fleet on paper or telephones. We need to ensure that our buses are leaving on time with the right number of employees to the contractor site so that they can start delivering services on time. Regardless of our facial biometric system which registers attendance, it’s also very important that the buses are arriving on time. Therefore, we have developed this in-house solution app called Smart Fleet, which is connected to Google maps.” The drivers log in, accept the notification based on a QR code sent to the smartphone in the vehicle and start their journey. The app automatically calculates and compares the estimated and actual journey times and presents the driver with Google Maps-based navigation, to show the most time- perspective.” There are several other IoT solutions that Farnek has recently implemented and rolled out. One of Farnek’s clients Aster pharmacies and its hospitals all across the UAE was implemented with IoT solutions. Aijaz says: “This is where machine learning and AI comes into play as we are harnessing big data from all these [Aster] locations which is giving us a benchmark; we have installed our very own footfall sensors, temperature sensors, air quality and humidity sensors, among others.” Oberlin adds: “If the temperature goes beyond a certain threshold, we know exactly where the problem is. We can send our team to rectify the AC issue. This is predictive maintenance.” However, Oberlin argues that not all data that they harness might be relevant to Farnek. He says: “The future of FM companies is that we link in with the customer. In Aster, we also measure the footfall. The footfall information may not be entirely relevant to us, but the customer might find the information useful if they correlate it with revenue. So if they benchmark all Aster pharmacies and notice less revenue in a certain location as a direct result of lower footfall, then they might consider changing their product portfolio. “We can provide business intelligence to the customer, where you can add real value and not just be a service provider.” SMART FLEET, SMART WATCH AND SMART CLEANING For Farnek the customer is king, says Aijaz. “We need to make sure that what we are delivering has everything, efficiently backed up by a supporting system,” With this in mind, Farnek recently launched an in-house smart fleet management solution that will not Farnek Village, the company’s new staff accommodation centre in Jebel Ali. WE CAN PROVIDE BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE TO THE CUSTOMER, WHERE YOU CAN ADD REAL VALUE AND NOT JUST BE A SERVICE PROVIDER. MARKUS OBERLIN, CEO OF FARNEKNext >