Navigating Facility Management in the Digital Age: Insights Into Working With the Cloud Platform

Facility Managers specialize in the professional and efficient management of buildings. With their technical and business expertise, they play a central role in building operations and simultaneously face increasingly complex tasks. The aedifion cloud platform offers crucial support in this regard. Benjamin Marten, Technical Property Manager at Sauter FM, also benefits from this. In this interview, he talks about his experiences with the cloud platform and his collaboration with aedifion.

‍Mr. Marten, you have been working with aedifion's cloud platform for several years now. How did the collaboration come about?

I can still remember that very well. In 2020, I was involved in the "Kaiserhof" project by Art-Invest Real Estate at Cologne's Mediapark. Plans for integrating the cloud platform were already underway, so I was directly involved in the initial steps to optimize the property systems with the cloud platform. Later, when I became the Technical Property Manager at the "I/D Cologne" in Cologne Mülheim, whose buildings A1 and A2 are also optimized by aedifion, I was able to pass on my knowledge directly to my colleagues there.

How did you experience the initial phase of working with the cloud platform?

Every new technology is a challenge at first. But through close collaboration with aedifion we were able to adapt the frontend, i.e. the user interface of the cloud platform, quickly and specifically to our technical requirements. aedifion provided comprehensive advice and support right from the start. Whenever we had questions, the team responded quickly and actively developed solutions to our challenges.

What role does the aedifion cloud platform play in your daily operations?

Thanks to its efficient interaction with the building management system (BMS), the aedifion cloud platform is an essential part of our daily routine. In my role as Technical Property Manager, I start every morning by checking the frontend to review the status updates of the systems in the building - similar to a captain who is the first to board his ship. This allows me to act efficiently from a central location and immediately inform my team about any pending issues so they can check the BMS and take appropriate action. This enables efficient monitoring and helps us respond to events before they lead to failures.

 What do you particularly appreciate about the cloud solution?

As an FM service provider, we are often faced with the challenge of familiarizing ourselves with complex BMS systems. aedifion's cloud platform is a valuable aid because it has been completely tailored to our needs by the engineers. For example, the chillers at the "I/D Cologne" appear directly onthe frontend's start page, making monitoring much easier. Additionally, I can quickly see which facilities require immediate attention because of the traffic light system. The forwarding feature is also excellent because I receive status notifications directly on my phone when a critical situation arises.

Can you provide a concrete example from practice?

If there are no irregularities on the frontend in the morning, my team's building technician starts his inspection round as usual. Depending on the property, this routine can take up to two hours. During this time, my colleagueis busy in the building's basement and unreachable. This is particularly critical because we have only a limited time window to intervene in the event of malfunctions, for example with chillers. To ensure smooth and energy-efficient operation, we have to keep a constant eye on the systems. Thanks to the aedifion cloud platform, I can do this in the absence of my colleague, as I have an overview of all the systems via the front end and can react immediately if necessary.

"Our goal for the future must be to create even more synergies in the building and further improve communication between different systems and people. The digital prerequisites for this are already in place with the aedifion cloud platform."

How would you rate the support from the aedifion team in working with the platform?

The support from aedifion is excellent – whether it's the planned regular meetings or spontaneous inquiries. It's reassuring to know that I can pick up the phone and directly reach someone who can help me. Over the years, we have developed a trusting working relationship in which we know that we can rely on the aedifion team - be it for direct support on site or for finding solutions quickly by phone or video call.

Can you describe a specific challenge that aedifion helped to solve?

One striking example was solving a problem with the concrete core activation in the building. During the first winter, the radiators were not functioning effectively. Thanks to aedifion, a check of the system data revealed that the thermostatic heads were blocked by building dirt and had to be replaced. This case shows that we can rely on the competent support of aedifion for all problems.

Finally, let's take a look ahead: What do you think the future of facility management should look like?

Our goal in Facility Management is clear: we want to operate buildings efficiently to achieve the best possible balance between system efficiency, profitability, and tenant satisfaction. At the same time, we must not lose sight of climate protection and use our energy resources in the building as efficiently as possible. Smooth interaction between all parties involved is crucial. Therefore, the goal for the future must be to create even more synergies in the building and further improve communication between different systems and people. The digital prerequisites for this are already in place with the aedifion cloud platform. If all manufacturers, digitalization partners, and building operators work together, I am confident that we can achieve our goals.