IoT for Education – Better Student and Staff Outcomes

The “Internet of Things” (IoT) is an often used but confusing technical phrase that leaves most scratching our heads. We use the “internet” daily, and we also use “things”, but what is IoT and more importantly how does it benefit our staff, students and everyone else related to our educational organizations?

Often displayed in fanciful charts, overly technical diagrams and articles, in its simplest form, IoT is defined as the technology that shifts from a reactive-to-predictive maintenance posture by enabling connectivity between assets, systems, vehicles, facilities and operations teams – all with the goal of optimizing performance, providing real-time analytics for quick decision making and reducing downtime. If you like an even simpler description: IoT enables our assets and facilities to tell us humans when they need maintenance.

The maintenance operations spectrum has a wide range from excessive cost/disruptive reactive to low-cost/optimized preventive. For example, an HVAC related asset needs filter replacements. You have a few choices:

• Wait till the filter is completely clogged, let the unit crash and deal with not only replacing the filters, but also fixing the related damage likely to occur. This is called “run to fail” and NEVER a good idea!
• Periodically check the filter by a manual preventive maintenance inspection and replace the filter if warranted. 100% better than run-to-fail, but even still there are better methods.
• Have your asset electronically and automatically tell you when the filter hits 75% clogged and send a tech or contractor to replace. This is “Condition Based Monitoring” and an optimal predictive strategy.

IoT can utilize sensors that harness the temperature, vibration, pressure, tank levels and many other metrics that can be an indicator of maintenance issues. This data can be analyzed 24/7/365 and significantly reduce budget-killing maintenance issues when they are minor vs. major.

How Does it Work?

Again, our assets generate tons of data – we just need to harness that data and determine if the asset is running within proper tolerance.

Although IoT can seem confusing, it is simple:

• Your asset generates operating/condition data – continuously
• Brightly’s Smart Assets IoT platform electronically and automatically consumes that data and analyzes
• If the inbound data is out of tolerance, a work order is generated in Asset Essentials, Brightly’s computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) with all appropriate data. Intelligence helps avoid redundant, problematic work orders
• Your technicians, contractors and any related teammates receive a notification of the new work order and address the problem

The challenge historically has been getting at the data. Technologies have existed for decades that can get IoT-like data and varies by asset/system type.

• SCADA and BAS (Building Automation Systems) often interact with our assets. SCADA and BAS have been around for decades and are proprietary in their mission and sometimes hard to tap into the data for maintenance-related operations. In many cases, it is easier and less expensive to use a sensor to augment SCADA/BAS vs. trying to tap into those systems.
• Some modern assets may have “intelligence” that can deliver data and there are now a wide variety of “sensors” that can easily be retrofit on any type of asset to capture data.
• Retrofit sensors are becoming increasingly popular and can easily be deployed on any asset. There are sensors to monitor many asset/system/facility conditions and warrant maintenance.

In all cases, the data is possible to end up in Smart Assets and ultimately generate work orders inside Asset Essentials.

Real-Life Examples

Let’s look at a few examples on how asset/facility conditions can indicate when maintenance is needed.

Leak Detection

Water and other liquids can be disruptive, damaging and even unhealthy if making its way where it should not be. Various types of sensors – including catch-basins, rope-style sensors (pictured below), humidity and others can monitor water/fluid presence and create a work order if warranted.

Refrigeration Monitoring

What does it cost your institution if you lose a commercial fridge or freezer? Contents and repairs can be very expensive and the downtime disruptive. Easily attach a sensor to monitor temperature fluctuations and send a tech if out of tolerance.

Indoor Air Quality

Monitoring various metrics such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) will indicate if poor air quality is present for students and staff. Additional metrics can also be monitored such as CO2, temperature, humidity, air pressure, light and others.

Electrical Panel Monitoring

Losing an electrical panel is not only a major fire/safety issue but can be majorly disruptive given the cascading affect downstream of the panel. As a bonus, some of the sensors (like the “HotDrop” sensor pictured below) can also track amperage indicating expensive power consumption bad actors.

Other Industrial Assets

Any asset is a candidate for monitoring. There are a variety of sensors that can monitor pressure, vibration, temperature and many more – all of which can be an indicator of performance or maintenance related issues.

Why Do We Do This?

Investing in an IoT strategy is easier and less expensive than ever. The cost of the sensors and software has become attainable for all organizations. The technical skills to implement have become quite easy. For example, a refrigeration monitoring sensor can be powered up, scanned by a Smart Assets app and then the data can start streaming in, automatically generating a work order when appropriate. Simply place and zip-tie-down that sensor on a shelf in the freezer or fridge.

The costs range by sensor and the software subscription, but those investments compared to what they save you is exceedingly small.

Highly reactive/run-to-fail maintenance environments are extremely costly – both for the maintenance and the capital to replace premature failing assets, systems and facilities. A predictive maintenance strategy that catches problems early – a primary goal of IoT with Smart Assets – can have tremendous benefit. The cost of implementing IoT is a fraction of what the savings you get, not to mention the morale, safety and operational boosts that come with implementing.

Conclusion

IoT is becoming common place in our every-day lives and will soon be standard in our operations world. The natural progression of how technology can help us continues – you may remember only having paper-based work orders created by hand. Mobile devices seemed exotic. Before you know it, connecting with your assets to have them tell you when they need help will be the norm. And your educational institution will have great benefit both financially and operationally: students, staff, contractors and administration.

If this process sounds intimidating, you are not alone. Don’t let the fancy terminology, all those tech-acronyms and hard-to-read-charts, put you off. Connect with us to see how IoT, especially using Smart Assets, is a great start down the IoT road.