Three lessons in creating value from data.

Philip Youell

Executive Chairman, GWTInsight

Data like oil has been referred to as the new gold, and gaining value from it is not new, but the volume and timeliness of data has multiplied to allow new and valuable insights across many fields of activity and knowledge. 

In sport and politics data mining and analytics have revolutionised strategies and tactics with performance achievements and outcomes that could not be achieved now systematically improved. Whether, professional football, basketball, baseball, the Tour de France, rugby, poker or F1, the focus on data is now essential to compete at the top level. 

The UK Leave Europe campaign or Trump’s rise in the US are examples of where the use of data and analytics changed the landscape. It is perhaps surprising that business has been relatively slow to embrace it, those that have are now the titans. Google, Amazon, Facebook and global retailers like Walmart.

Three lessons and a virtuous circle arise from sport and politics.

The noble prize-winning economist Daniel Kahneman tells us humans are wired to take emotional decisions, and when faced with data that contradicts what they ‘know’ or have previously understood to be a ‘truth’ they experience confirmation bias and interpret or grade data to reflect an established view or expectation. 

So, lesson one, recognise your bias. 

To maximise the value of data you need to jettison your bias, not easy because you need to first acknowledge you have one, and then what it may be. Perhaps a better approach would be to constantly remind oneself of this aspect of human psychology and be open to the seemingly contradictory.

Lesson two, focus data collection based on knowledge.

Alistair Campbell in his book ‘Winners’ notes stars of data to value are Matthew Benham – gambler, Billy Beane – Baseball coach, Warren Buffet – Investor and business titan, Dave Brailsford – Elite cycling. Campbell found what they all have in common is a base of knowledge in each of their areas of operation or teams that include it. In each case it is the ability to ask the right questions that was driving the data collection and analytics. 

Lesson three, go beyond statistics.

The third lesson is to recognise that the use of data must go beyond the creation of statistics. A statistic could be 99% of shoppers in a store chose product A over any other. Analytics might reveal that it was positioned at the prime end of an aisle and covered a two-week discount period. Combining analysts with other bodies of knowledge creates a virtuous circle.  

Using a base of knowledge to structure the focus of data capture, going beyond statistics and challenging person bias creates the constant improvement in the value of data. A virtuous circle.

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Our technology and knowledge provide value for insurers.

Create real time insights to better inform risk pricing.

Enhance joint risk management, establish a more robust targeted risk mitigation plan.

Reduce losses on claims events.

Improve client retention.

Create a new income stream.

Enable services to corporate ESG commitments.

Shift from policy to service.

Our technology and knowledge provide value for built asset service providers.

Create real time insights to better inform clients.

Automate current services reducing costs of service delivery.

Develop new services impacting the cost and efficiency of building operations.

Enable services to corporate ESG commitments.

Improve design through reliable performance feedback.

Create new revenue streams.

6 Creating new products and services

Because the GWTInsight Data Service works in near real time, across time and on multiple building systems and operational equipment, it unlocks insights never seen before. 

For insurers it has opened the potential for automation of risk assessments and an opportunity for risk engineers and underwriters to reinvent the evaluation and pricing of risk. It has provided new revenue streams and improved client retention.

For companies designing, manufacturing, and assembling building portfolios it is creating the opportunity to deliver digital twin benefits and will in time, underpin performance guarantees.

For providers of mechanical systems for solar power, cellular telephone networks or remote building provision it facilitates a mercurial shift in cost to service and the ability to disrupt the current servicing market.

For innovative consultants there are many opportunities to combine expertise and knowledge with the potential offered by GWTInsight technology to create innovative and cost-effective ways to reduce cost, risk, and carbon emissions.

5 Strategic and portfolio performance advantage

Capital Allocations. A bank wishes to improve the basis of its £50m replacement capex programme across a range of commercial building types. Under pressure to maximise return on investment the traditional sources of information, surveys, manufacturers recommendations and maintenance records prove expensive, difficult to assemble and compare and frequently bear little relation to actual performance of the building. Across time and the whole portfolio data on core system performance and cost to run significantly improves decision making. When combined with user feedback and space use, it creates a powerful tool for capital allocations.

Benchmarking. This has long been the source of value. GWTInsight solutions provide data at building equipment level facilitating performance comparisons across all building types, across zones within a building and across a portfolio.

An outsourcing FM firm wishes to find the sources of added value and to be able to demonstrate to clients why action is necessary and the benefits it can bring. A pilot identified that a focus on large scale energy users like HVAC systems can deliver ROI within months and significant financial and environmental benefits over time.

Optimising use of space. Traditional methods of assessing space rely on point in time surveys or more recently sensors that count the number of people on a floor. Both methods miss essential information about behaviours and changing patterns in use. A pilot project with a leading building environment consultant in the UK, the GWTInsight Data Service and Ubiquisense a combination of GWTi-Observer, GWTinsight-Maker and Ubiqisense sensors was able to:

  • identify and immediately allocate a unique code to an individual avoiding privacy issues and double counting often created by movement triggered sensors
  • identify very specific behaviours
  • identify ‘nesting’ where coats, bags and computers are left to claim desks that are otherwise not used
  • identify availability of desks and meeting rooms in real time
  • identify changing patterns of use over time.

The applications range from automating time bound surveys to real time availability of space and rooms delivered to a smart phone.

4 Reducing risk

The realisation of a risk in commercial buildings can create danger to people, reputational damage, disruption to operations, reduced revenue, and the challenge of renewal. Insurance companies share the burden of commercial building failures and have embraced the opportunity to work with clients to better identify and mitigate risk. 

The adoption of a digital solution across portfolios of buildings is now affordable thanks to the innovative GWTI technology. Whether focusing on the building systems or those critical to operations, known risks can be effectively mitigated by real time and over time insights with cost and operational benefits realised.

AXA XL and Zurich Insurance, global insurance companies have embraced the technology which underpins a new and disruptive digital approach to risk engineering. Other Insurance companies are embracing the technology to improve risk assessment, pricing, product offering and cost reduction inside of their operations.

Mutual benefits for clients and providers include:

  • the reduction in losses as any failures are identified in real time
  • reduced claims
  • avoidance of risk through early warnings or identification of hidden risks
  • reductions in balance sheet retentions
  • increased feasibility of self-insuring tier one and lower cost of premiums.

3 Reducing costs and carbon emissions

6% of the worlds carbon emissions are estimated to be caused by commercial buildings in use. The majority is created by energy consumed by building systems. ESG commitments make tackling this area a priority.

Heating, cooling, and ventilation systems (HVAC) in addition to the increasing technology loads and the impact of multiple visits to buildings by those responsible for maintaining them are the key carbon creators. Of course, carbon reduction is not a zero-sum issue, tackling inefficiencies in building systems, eradicating waste, and reducing system failures and the need for maintenance also reduces cost.

Our most common findings leading to action which delivered cost and carbon reductions are:

• Out of hours unnecessary energy consumption
• Systems competing against each other
• Poorly configured systems with few controls
• Failing equipment increasing energy consumption
• Underperforming equipment increasing costs in other systems
• Risk avoidance, the discovery of failing systems and mitigating action.
• Abuse of controls by users

These tactical observations and fixes enable broader cost reduction benefits including improvements in:

• FM strategy optimisation
• Reduced maintenance visits and costs
• Capital allocation and renewal decision making.
• User education and use

2 Meeting contract or regulatory requirements including ESG related reporting

What better way to identify performance and provide proof of delivery than real time and over time reporting on a simply accessed dashboard.

An example is a project where fines were being incurred for non-performance in a Public Finance Initiative (PFI) contract for a collection of schools. Classroom temperatures were consistently poor leading to multiple complaints from teachers and pupils. Attempts to correct it had failed. GWTInsight’s Data Service was used in a pilot project and several system issues were identified. 

Sharing the findings based on reliable data aligned the client and provider and facilitated the benefits which included better classroom environments, fewer carbon emissions, fewer site engineer visits and reduced energy bills. The financial penalties stopped.

Equally, consultants advising on the potential for improvement and tracking KPI’s in outsourced contracts can baseline performance with accurate data and then monitor performance over time.

The focus on the resilience of companies in the face of climate change and shifting cultural attitudes has given rise to greater emphasis on the environmental, social and governance responsibilities of companies. The need for reductions in carbon emissions, improvements in water and air quality management and ensuring safe and people centric environments is leading to demand for a ESG reporting tool on performance in these areas. The GWTInsight Data Service is central to the solution.

1 Meeting basic safety standards

From the outset of our work we found multiple instances of safety systems not working. Commonly occurring discoveries are:

  • Low pressure in fire sprinkler systems
  • Heat pumps working at 100%, 100% of the time
  • Security alarm systems switched off after hours
  • Dangerously high temperatures in computer rooms
  • Critical safety equipment switched off whilst machines are working
  • Machinery consuming high levels of power indicating a fire risk
  • Legionella disease protection
  • Carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide monitoring

Identification of these key safety issues results from the use of products underpinned by GWTInsight’s Data Service.