Dimitrov, D S (2024) The new work of building operations in the digital age: The impact of IoT and digital twins on facility management and operational practices. PhD thesis, University of Washington, USA.
Abstract
The technological revolution which many have coined Industry 4. 0 has been marked by digital transformation which is reshaping the ways we live and work in a fundamental way. The built environment industries have been no exception to this digital transformation as technologies like Internet of Things (IoT) and Digital Twins (DT) are being integrated into building operations to help solve many industry wide issues that have prevailed for decades. The integration of IoT and DT technologies into the operations phase of the building lifecycle have the potential to aid in reducing climate impacts, increasing building visibility, enhancing energy management, and increasing the overall precision and control that facility management (FM) organizations have in the buildings and campuses they manage. However, digital technologies such as IoT systems and DTs are difficult to implement and involve a higher level of commitment to systems operation and maintenance than the traditional building control systems which are prevalent in many facilities today. In addition, the digitalization of the operations phase has not been studied as holistically as other building lifecycle phases such as design and construction, making the integration of digital tools a more difficult task. Shifts to move away from existing control systems/practices and implement IoT systems or DTs to manage building operations will involve shifts in the ways people work and interact with the building’s technology and each other. What is unknown is the types of shifts that are needed to fully realize the potential of IoT and DT technology for building operations and management. The objective of this research was to identify and understand the shifts to existing FM practices from both an organizational and technological perspective that are required for the management of buildings when FM organizations shift to the use of IoT systems or DTs for operations management. This research additionally aims to understand how theories of digitalization from design and construction phases apply to the operations phase. This research used qualitative case study methods and two case studies were conducted with operations organizations. This research identifies key organizational shifts needed for integrating IoT and DTs into building operations, emphasizing breaking down disciplinary silos, developing new technical skills while leveraging institutional knowledge, new leadership requirements to guide the organizational transition, and the need to challenge entrenched and habitual standards and practices. Technical insights include new practices in configuring IoT devices, managing networks and security, and utilizing IoT capabilities for analytics and troubleshooting. The study also highlights parallels with theories of digitalization across building lifecycle phases and contributes new insights, advancing the body of knowledge in digitalization for operations.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Thesis advisor: | Dossick, C S |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | building operations; built environment; case studies; case study; integration; leadership; lifecycle; operation and maintenance; operations management; security; skills; standards |
| Index terms: | integration, control system, body of knowledge, building operation, operations management, digital technology, digital twin, technical skill, operation and maintenance, digitalization, commitment, traditional building, built environment, design and construction, lifecycle, internet, energy management, case study, transformation |
| Subjects: | digital engineering, construction type, knowledge management, contractual arrangements, digital technology, psychology, maintenance engineering, computing systems, business, data collection methods, project delivery, sustainability and energy, professional development, monitoring and control, management, infrastructure and transport systems, organizational analysis |
| Topics: | Project Management, Sustainability, Procurement, Information Management, Research Practice, Business Strategy, Construction Technology, Digital Applications, Urban Studies, Organizational Design |
| Descriptive scope: | 3 PCE |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here