DUBAI 21 June 2019: Artificial Intelligence has reached and is changing our seldom thought-of washroom, or water-closet, bathroom or toilet.
UAE-based facilities management firm Farnek, has launched the Middle East’s first digitally monitored washroom to maximise customer satisfaction and promote cost efficiencies.
It is using the most advanced and innovative technologies, IoT sensors, machine learning, AI and cloud architecture to:
- Promote air quality
- Identify water spillages, and
- Monitor washroom usage and consumable levels
The system collects statistical data digitally, analyses and reveals customer trends and patterns, to offer the best possible customer experience, a win-win for shopping mall tenants and landlords.
“By using a digitalised solution, we’re harnessing big data and transforming the service offering to be more customer experience-driven and cost-effective. Our pilot project installed in a major shopping mall in Dubai is already at an advanced stage, and we estimate we can make manpower cost savings of over 20% during low footfall,” said Farnek CEO, Markus Oberlin.
The system can be retrofitted into existing washrooms and implemented for all industries. Maximising the use of IoT, sensors are located strategically to detect and identify peak times, monitor safety and determine when a cleaner is required.
People Counter
A dedicated people counter monitors all in and out movement; an air quality monitor identifies gasses such as ammonia, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide and volatile organic compounds; a moisture detector identifies spillages on the floor; while a consumables monitor measures the level of dispensers such as paper towels, toilet rolls and soap solutions. This fosters accurate predictions on stock replenishment and eliminates downtime by 100%.
“But essentially, it boils down to the intrinsic correlation between footfall, air quality and customer experience. Using multiple sensors, we can determine the air quality index (AQI) during periods of elevated footfall, evaluated against recognised international standards.
“AQI works like a thermometer that operates from zero to 500 degrees, but instead of measuring temperature, the AQI will identify any changes in the amount of impurities in the air. To counter any negative readings, say during peak footfall, we can adjust the airflow to ensure more fresh air is circulated, which subsequently increases the level of customer satisfaction,” added Oberlin.
The system also supports real-time customer feedback allowing facility managers to re-evaluate service delivery – further enhancing the customer experience.