Drones in Facility Management
Facility Management can prove to be a painstaking task especially if the facility in question is a high-rise building or is spread over a large area. In both instances, the facility manager would have to employ a large workforce in order to inspect the facility and carryout the necessary maintenance procedures. Moreover, there are various hard-to-reach areas in such facilities which require the expenditure of a great deal of money for inspection purposes like scaffolding and boom lifts. In addition to this, there is the aspect of safety of the workers that need to be considered as well. A solution of all of these problems for facility managers is the use of drones.
Are Drones a Viable Technology for Facility Management?
Yes, drones! These unmanned aerial vehicles or UAVs have hit it big in other industries and the facility management field is slowly and gradually warming up to the idea as well. To be fair, drones can be of great use for facility managers and can help them in performing inspection and maintenance procedures in a much more effective manner. However, the question that arises here is, whether the drone technology viable for facility management or not. For answering this question, we will have to take an in-depth look at the pros and cons of drone use in the facility management field.
Pros of Drone Use in Facility Management
Drones can have a profound impact on the facility management industry and can help out the facility managers in a number of different ways. The following are some of the advantages that drone use can provide for facility managers.
- Cost-Saving
Cost-saving is by far the most important benefit that drones can provide to facility managers. It can help them in performing maintenance task like facility inspection without requiring a large labor force. A single drone can do the work of various laborers, saving the facility manager both manpower and also a great deal of money. In addition to this, a drone can complete the inspection of even the largest facilities in a much shorter time period than even the most experienced and efficient technicians.
- Inspection of Hard-to-Reach Spaces
Drones virtually provide facility manager with eyes in the sky. Through the camera mounted on it, a drone can provide detailed images of the facility. Even those spaces of the facility which are hard to reach for the work staff can be easily accessed by a drone. This gives the facility manager the chance to check for damage in those parts of the building and see if they are in need of maintenance.
- Damage Evaluation
Aside from taking images, drones nowadays are capable of recording videos of the facility through their cameras too. This video can be reviewed again and again to look for possible instances of damage. This offers the facility manager the opportunity to find cracks in the façade of the building that might have been overlooked in the initial inspection.
- Collection of Various Types of Data
Advancements in drone technology have meant that these machines are now capable of collecting various types of data. From liver video footage to infrared images, UAVs can collect all sorts of data that can’t be obtained using other technologies. This data can be analyzed using various software programs to get a clear picture of the maintenance requirements of the facility.
Cons of Drone Use in Facility Management
While drone can prove to be quite beneficial for facility managers, their use is not without its fair share of challenges. The following are some of the cons that drone use can have in for facility management.
- Hefty Price Tag
Drones are a new technology at the moment and are therefore remain untested in the field of facility management. For an untested technology, drones are quite expensive and have a hefty price tag associated with them. They require investment of a considerable amount of money which might not even be able to provide the desired results.
- FAA Regulations
The FAA (Federal Aviation Authority) has applied certain restrictions on the use of commercial drones, which has limited their use. UAVs aren’t allowed to fly at a certain height and FAA regulations prohibit them from flying at night. This creates difficulties for facility managers in taking full advantage of these machines and getting the results they are looking for.
- Limited Software
As of now, software applications for drones specific to the facility management field are quite limited. Without proper software, it is quite difficult for the facility managers to analyze the data that they want their drone to collect for them.
- Lack of Understanding between Drone Operators and Facility Managers
Since drones are new to the facility management field, most facility managers are still unclear on the areas in which they can utilize this technology. Because of this lack of knowledge, they aren’t able to communicate properly with the drone operators and have difficulty in making them understand what they want from the drones.
All in all, it is fair to say that the drones are a viable technology for facility management. However, it will take some time for facility managers to get used to this new technology and to utilize it to its full potential.