Innovations in people flows contribute to sustainable urbanization

Advancing digitalization has much to offer users, says director Harold Bussing. "Whether in offices or residential buildings, the linking of Iot (Internet of things) and access control makes the 'People Flow^®' increasingly integral part of the building experience. Comfort is improving in all areas. As a result, KONE can make a major contribution to sustainable urbanization."

'People Flow^®' is a term that may require some explanation. "What we mean by this is the way people move around a building, whether it's efficient ingress and egress or the individual experience of the user." The "Internet of things" is making an appearance, with a smartphone app that shows who is at the door and also allows remote access to the building. Or with applications that predict the maintenance needs of installations. "We are getting smarter cities, because of the need to urbanize and densify. The number of high-rise projects is also increasing in the Netherlands. This calls for new techniques to improve the People Flow^® better control, both in residential and commercial construction. Basically, the user of elevators, escalators and automatic doors, just like the railroads, for example, expects everything to work flawlessly. In fact, people often do not even know the manufacturer, nor the manufacturer of the trains. The user should get to his destination as comfortably and efficiently as possible and feel safe."

With the increase in high-rise buildings, the need for high-quality integrated solutions is also increasing, Bussing believes. "Think of better access control, faster elevators with more capacity or remote maintenance. This increases the performance of the installations and provides a better user experience. After all, for a store or tourist attraction, an elevator or escalator that doesn't work quickly saves a significant portion of its revenue."

Implementation

The building user is thus the focus of the Finnish multinational, but the elevator industry usually does direct business with contractors and building managers. How does KONE serve these customers? Bussing: "Indeed, contractors are often our direct client in Dutch new construction or renovation projects. We try to accommodate the client as much as possible in the design and installation process. The rule is that we bother the client as little as possible in the logistical process. We usually assemble on site and often in the final weeks of the construction process. This is a win-win situation for all parties, because all building installations are already in place by then and then we are also the quickest to finish, without getting in the way of others. KONE is self-sufficient; the contractor does not have to worry about us during the installation phase. Furthermore, we are increasingly integrating maintenance processes with delivery. The aforementioned digital monitoring of maintenance needs is currently in the process of scaling up to "big data," allowing us to increasingly predict the maintenance of our elevators, escalators and doors. I am very excited about this. It means the building manager is better served and relieved, and the systems are out of service for shorter and shorter periods of time during operations. We are ready for the future; is your building?"