Information Integration for Facility Management

Feature: InFormatIon SyStemS Information Integration for Facility Management Ciro D Urso, Senate of the Italian Republic The administration of a parliamentary institution implemented a Computer-Aided Facility Management system to better manage the institution s real estate. The state-of-the-art CAFM system integrates graphical and alphanumerical data for more efficient property management. Facility management helps organizations more efficiently manage their real estate, and it s extremely important when you re managing historic buildings that house the offices of the Parliament of Italy. The Information Systems Development Department and the Real Estate Department of the Italian Senate manage a considerable amount of information about seven buildings containing approximately 3,000 rooms (including halls, prestige offices, and technical areas) and covering a total area of 60,000 square meters. The facility management involves maintaining accurate data about the floor plans, space utilization, asset location, and technical plants. An efficient facilities-management information system can better support the primary organization itself, increase the building s life expectancy and value, optimize appliance maintenance, help schedule routine maintenance activities, and improve the quality of the working environment. 1 Unfortunately, current systems are usually vendor-specific or proprietary, and standardization attempts such as the Industry Foundation Classes (ISO 16739), developed by the International Alliance for Interoperability (www.iai-tech.org); the Facilities Management Classes 2 ; and the Integrated Facilities Management Information System based on STEP (the Standard for Product Model Data) 3 have yet to overcome all the complexities involved. So, my colleagues and I at the Information Systems Development Department and Real Estate Department developed our own Computer- Aided Facility Management (CAFM) system that combines traditional CAD software with a set of software modules. In particular, the system uses two types of data: graphical (managed by traditional CAD software) and alphanumerical (managed by modules integrated with CAD software). The graphical data, implemented through producer-defined formats and opensource model definitions (www.opendwg.org), visually represents the buildings and infrastructure. The alphanumerical data concerns information related to the buildings and their 48 IT Pro November/December 2011 P u b l i s h e d b y t h e I E E E C o m p u t e r S o c i e t y 1520-9202/11/$26.00 2011 IEEE

contents; the technical plants; and general attributes that the computer environment can store, analyze, or present. The CAFM system s ability to link graphical elements with attributes in the form of alphanumeric data lets it extend basic GIS software to a company s management system so that the system doesn t present just spatial information. 4 System Requirements The first system requirement we developed outlined the project s fundamental objective: CAFM client (client-server model) -User interface window -CAD and other software modules -RDBMS middleware CAFM data RDBMS CAFM packages CAFM client (Web-based model) -Browser window -Java plugins CAFM application server -CAD engine -Flash engine -XML, XSL, XSLT Intranet / extranet Other computerized systems (Human Resources department, stationary requests, file system/ document management) R1. Floor plans registry. The system must implement the real estate registry of the electronic planimetries (in an appropriate CAD format), always having the last version available and managing the versioning and the concurrent updates. The planimetries contain the geometrical representation of the building s floors. Next, we focused on building operations, which are characterized by three main facilitiesmanagement functions: maintenance and operation management, property management, and services (see www.ifma.org). We needed not only electronic versions of the floor plans but also alphanumerical information related to each plan. We stated this requirement as R2. Alphanumerical data registry. The system must be able to store and update building information, including the coding, typology, and occupation of the rooms; any logical models of the technical plants in the buildings; asset management and classification for technical plants; and the location of people and departments. Our final requirement focused on safety: R3. Compliance to safety regulation. In the context of evaluating fire risks and employee safety at the work place, the system must automate the drafting of technical documents in accordance with national regulation. Figure 1. The Computer-Aided Facility Management (CAFM) system architecture. The core is the relational database management system (RDBMS), which stores all objects. Italian regulations require employers to identify any risk factors in the company and evaluate their potential effects. Employers also must identify and implement preventative measures, monitoring their effectiveness and making improvements as needed. They usually identify such measures in a document of risk assessment prescribed by law called a DVR, which includes various detailed attachments. In fact, the regulations require employers to specify in the DVR each room s measurements, flooring, wall type and material, ceiling type and material, door type and location, and furniture type and location. The document also must state each room s maximum occupancy, identify emergency exit paths, and calculate the risk of fire. System Architecture Figure 1 shows the CAFM system architecture. The core is the relational database management system (RDBMS), which stores all objects. Procedures, functions, and SQL views developed in the RDBMS implement part of the business logic layer to support interoperability with other computer applications. The overall system is accessible via the enterprise network though the intranet or extranet using a secure access protocol and a one-time password (OTP) device. The main software module (the CAD software) manages the electronic computer.org/itpro 4 9

Feature: Information Systems Rooms Assets Plants Area No. of people Roofs Walls Windows Doors Stairs Furniture Chairs Desks Bookcases Lights* Bulbs Halogen Electrical Panels Lights* Room Network RJ-45 plugs Switches ML Patch panels executed on the gathered data (R3). We converted floor plans from paper or old computer versions to the new format (the dwg format), storing all files in the RDBMS. We also defined a set of metadata associated to each dwg file to satisfy research needs. After the digitalization of the planimetries, we started collecting information about assets to create a sufficiently detailed taxonomy (see Figure 2). *Technical plants can be viewed under two aspects: their general attributes and the assets that compose them. Figure 2. An extract from the CAFM system s information taxonomy. The taxonomy provides the proper level of specification. version of the floor plans stored in the RDBMS, while another software component (part of which was acquired as a commercial off-the-shelf application and then customized) provides connections between each file representing a floor plan and the related attributes, also stored in the RDBMS (such as space inventory, room codes, occupation status, and asset data). Two models exist for making the information available to users: the traditional clientserver model and a Web-based model. Both have strengths and weaknesses, depending on the scenario and user. After a deep analysis, we decided to implement both models. The two environments share the same data and spatial objects, but the client software has much more functionality than the Web-based model, because CAD software can more fully exploit client resources. After implementing the infrastructure and installing the software modules on the proper hardware, we started to feed data into the system. We focused on two main issues: integration with our central information system and security. We used the requirements as our roadmap in realizing the overall system, first developing the electronic archive for the floor plans (R1) and then structuring the system to manage the information about all plants and building assets (R2). Finally, we exploited the features offered by some technological packages (the Flash engine and XML/XSL/ XSLT transformations) to introduce automatic report generation, starting from SQL queries System Integration To address the integration issue, we implemented a module that links the management system for legal and personnel information with the planimetries to help locate employees. This reduced data duplication and kept responsibility for managing personnel information with the Human Resources (HR) department (not the Information Systems Department). In addition, CAFM can graphically represent employee attributes such as their title and organizational unit. Considering the entities schema and the relationships between the HR management system and the CAFM database, the integration was very straightforward. We simply linked the two database schemas for example, we d link a particular SQL view, defined in the HR system and readable by the CAFM system, using the employee identification number stored in both (see Figure 3). One end the CAFM system is a consumer of information managed by the enterprise information system (EIS), while the other end of the system is the information provider itself for applications that need the real estate data. For example, consider the application that manages stationery requests (shown in the lower right corner of Figure 1): the system must know where to deliver the items which building, floor, and room number so to fulfil the request, the application reads the appropriate database views of the CAFM system. The system also improves information quality by revealing data inconsistencies. For example, consider the room number there could be a mismatch between the actual room number and the number listed in the computer system. 50 IT Pro November/December 2011

Building Plant Task Typology of task Link entity Floor Room Person H R V i e w s Organizational unit Assignment Employee Link entity Role Economic position Macro category Category CAFM system Human Resources system SELECTBuilding.edificio,Building.id_edificio,Floor.piano,Floor.id_piano,Room.vano, Person."ID_N", Person."ID_VANO, Person."POSIZIONATO", Person."COGNOME", Person."NOME", Person."QUALIFICA", Person."IMMAGINE_ACCESS", Person."ROTAZIONE", Person."X", Person."Y", Person."Z", Person."IMMAGINE", Person."X1", Person."X2", Person."Y1", Person."Y2, VIEW_HR"."TIPO, VIEW_HR "."CODICETIPO, VIEW_HR "."PERSONARIFERIMENTO, VIEW_HR "."DESCGRUPPO, VIEW_HR."DESCSERVIZIO", VIEW_HR "."SERVIZIO, VIEW_HR "."INCARICO, VIEW_HR"."CARRIERA, FROM Building, Floor, Room, Person, VIEW_HR WHERE Building.id_edificio= Floor.id_edificioAND Floor.id_piano= Room.id_pianoAND Person_.id_vano= Room.id_vanoAND Person."ID_N" = VIEW_HR "."ID_N"(+) Figure 3. Integration between the CAFM and Human Resource systems based on SQL-views. The HR database provides the main data about an employee, and a plain SQL instruction can join the information from two different repositories. System Security For security purposes, we implemented a rolebased access-control model to clearly identify the competence and responsibilities of the actors involved. The roles are classified as building engineers, plant engineers, safety managers, general operators, and so on, and an access matrix relates each role with information specifying the allowed operations and building access. We also exploited our taxonomy to categorize the data the CAFM system manages, such as geometrical layout; rooms-floors, roomspeople, rooms-[...]; plant-electrical, planthydraulic, plant-[...]; and assets-furniture, assets-[...]. So, for example, a building engineer might have read-write access to the geometrical layout of planimetries associated to buildings M and G but just read permission for buildings C and K. Application and Results During the first year of system implementation, we focused on the digitalization task, spending a tremendous amount of time developing a reliable repository of the floor plans. Furthermore, we elicited requests for additional functions and reports, formulated by system users (the managers and technical staff in the Real Estate Department), and we organized classroom and hands-on training sessions. Then we were able to turn our attention to controlling fire risks and managing space utilization. Evaluating Fire Risks To reduce the risk of fire in any of the buildings, we first identified elements considered to be a fire hazard (certain types of flooring, ceiling, walls, and furniture). We also retrieved technical reports of each plant (about the electrical wiring, computer.org/itpro 51

Feature: Information Systems (a) (b) List of buildings, floors, and rooms Here the user can select Here the user can select which which room examine and room to examine, and the system the system provides a provides a preview of the floor preview of the floor plan plan with the room outlined with the room outlined Main data Main about data each about building each (area, number of rooms, number of people, ) Here the user can define and submit some queries in a guided manner (selecting the attribute of interest from a list) Attributes of the fire estinguisher Main data about each room of each floor in one building (and visualized data related to fire risks) Location of the asset in terms of building, floor, and room Figure 4. Using the CAFM system to evaluate fire risks. The real-time query console (a) shows information associated with each room and (b) attributes related to the maintenance needs of a particular asset, such as the fire extinguishers. air conditioning, heating, and so on) through SQL queries (see Figure 4). The CAFM system can extensively report on the information it gathers for example, noting when a room is about to exceed its capacity to generate technical documents in accordance with national regulations. The system can also generate emergency exit plans as part of the DVR document. Prior to implementing the CAFM system, an employee had to spend an entire month gathering the necessary fire-risk information to meet regulatory requirements. Now, that same employee can generate and verify the required data in just one day. Reassigning Rooms after Elections Whenever Italy has political elections, we need to provide suitable spaces for the members of Parliament and their staff. We assign the spaces according to the actual composition of each parliamentary group, taking into account room size and quality and the distance between rooms. We can generate reports through SQL queries that specify room size, attributes, and location and help us propose the new room assignments. We can then present the plan using the system s Web-based component, allowing for interaction and graphics in a Flash environment (see Figure 5). The approval process is complex, because the politicians review the plan and request changes, leading to various iterations before assignments are final (one of the last elections involved eight iterations). The system lets us simulate space allocation in real time to quickly present new drafts for politicians to review. Prior to implementing the system, a roomallocation change took approximately one working day to represent and receive feedback. In the last election, using the new system, the same process took only one hour. Efficient facilities management offers considerable cost savings. Building, plant, and infrastructure planning and construction account for only 20 percent of all costs; the maintenance phase (approximately 40 years) accounts for the other 80 percent. 5 8 The CAFM system provides considerable economic value to Italy s various government institutions. Recognizing this benefit, many Italian organizations have acquired facility-management services and related CAFM systems from specialized vendors for building and infrastructure maintenance. In fact, according to the International Facility Management Association (www.ifma.org), for the second half of 2009, regional agencies had contracts worth more than 10 billion euro. A further effort is needed to address all information that daily a facility manager must consider. For example, we plan to integrate a 52 IT Pro November/December 2011

pervasive monitoring system into the CAFM to analyze real-time energy consumption throughout the day for each building and plant. This will help us develop short- and mediumterm cost-cutting strategies through the revision of physical elements and contractual clauses with commercial providers. Parliamentary groups with rooms in the selected floor Acknowledgments The views expressed here are those of the author; they don t necessarily reflect those of the Italian Senate or any other organization. Thanks to Giuseppe Briotti, software analyst at the Italian Senate, and to Marco Desideri, founder of Infocad.FM, for their technical contributions to the project. Figure 5. The Flash view of space assignments for parliamentary groups after a political election. Each room is marked with a different color, depending on group allocation. References 1. J.N.W. Bos, Software Analysis of a Flexible Object- Oriented Facility Management Information System, Product and Process Modelling in the Building Industry, Balkema, 1995, pp. 379 385. 2. K. Yu, T. Froese, and F. Grobler, A Development Framework for Data Models for Computer Integrated Facilities Management, Automation in Construction, vol. 9, nos. 5/6, 2000, pp. 145 167. 3. F.F. Cheng, P. Patel, and S. Bancroft, Development of an Integrated Facilities Management Information System Based on STEP A Generic Product Data Model, Int l J. Construction Information Technology, vol. 4, no. 2, 1996, pp. 1 13. 4. T. Schurle, A. Boy, and D. Fritsch, Geographic Information Systems and Facility Management, International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, vol. 32, no. 4, 1998, pp. 562 568. 5. Y.M. Dessouky and A. Bayer, A Simulation and Design of Experiments Modelling Approach to Maintenance Costs, Computers & Industrial Eng., vol. 43, no. 3, 2002, pp. 423 436. 6. D.J. Ferry, P.S. Brandon, and J.D. Ferry, Cost Planning of Buildings, seventh ed., Blackwell Science, 1999. 7. F. Sieglinde, Life-Cycle Cost Analysis, Whole Building Design Guide, 29 June 2010; www.wbdg. org/resources/lcca.php. 8. D. Cotts, K. Roper, and R. Payant, The Facility Management Handbook, third ed., Amacom Books, 2009. Ciro D Urso is head of the Information Systems Development Office at the Senate of the Italian Republic. His research interests include project management, software engineering, facility management, and business analytics. D Urso received a five-years MS in engineering and a two-years specialization degree in statistics, operations research, and decision sciences from La Sapienza, Rome. He s a senior member of IEEE. Contact him at cirodurso@ ieee.org. Selected CS articles and columns are available for free at http://computingnow.computer.org. computer.org/itpro 5 3

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