IBM introduces AI into smart buildings solution

IBM has introduced artificial intelligence (AI) into its TRIRIGA solution to help real estate and facility management professionals better utilize office space and deliver a more engaging workplace experience. TRIRIGA includes TRIRIGA Building Insights, and combines occupancy data from sources, such as WIFI and/or IoT sensors, with newly embedded AI.

This provides customers operating large real estate portfolios with insights to help them make smarter data-driven decisions about the way they manage their workspace. Greater visibility into space management can help organizations improve facility utilization to reduce space wastage, which can potentially result in savings on real estate operating costs.

Real estate represents an increasing expense for organizations, yet older, siloed systems can make it difficult for facility operators to understand space usage throughout their properties. According to a report from commercial real estate services firm JLL, 30 – 40% of commercial space[i] is underutilized based on organizations surveyed. With TRIRIGA, customers can have an enterprise-wide view of their valuable workspaces. Embedded AI can help identify occupant trends and patterns, down to a single floor, to better anticipate and manage employee occupancy needs, adjust office layouts and address relocation requests.

Building occupants will have access to the new TRIRIGA Assistant, a smart, conversational AI tool which uses natural language processing to help users quickly and easily engage with the spaces around them. TRIRIGA Assistant can help remove the hassle of coordinating with colleagues to schedule and reserve conference rooms, submit service requests such as lighting and catering, or locate a colleague’s assigned workspace.

“Employees and real estate are key elements to organizational growth and development, driving companies to create cost-effective and engaging workplaces that help attract and retain top talent,” said Kareem Yusuf, Ph.D., general manager, AI Applications, IBM. “The implementation of TRIRIGA with embedded AI provides corporations and facility managers with insights into how they can more effectively utilize space across their enterprise. This technology can help companies address the growing expectations of today’s modern workforce and achieve better business results.”