Contribution to cost reduction ~ Realization of necessary and sufficient efficient facility management ~

What kind of value will be brought to smart buildings by linking service robots with people, sensors, AI, and external systems?
The first point is "contribution to cost reduction".
Facility management is currently in an environment of labor shortages and rising energy prices, and building a sustainable system is required. Security, safety, and cleanliness are always required. Flexibility to meet a wide variety of demands is also necessary.

What I would like to propose is to efficiently perform necessary and sufficient work according to the situation of the facility. Specifically, cleaning, security, and equipment inspection in facility management should be changed from "time-based maintenance (TBM)" to "condition-based maintenance (CBM)."

In TBM, maintenance is performed on a time basis, such as "regular inspection once a month", "patrol security every 3 hours", and "cleaning toilets once a day". While there is an advantage that it is easy to plan work, there is a possibility of excessive quality or insufficient quality.
In CBM, while monitoring the status of facilities and equipment, maintenance is performed according to the usage situation and condition, such as ``immediate response when a sign of failure or abnormality is detected'' and ``cleaning the toilet when the cumulative number of users reaches 100''. I will do it. We can always maintain a safe, secure, and clean environment in order to carry out our work in accordance with quality standards.

To realize CBM, it is necessary to monitor facility usage and status, quickly detect abnormalities, and optimize business processes. You need to leverage tools and data to continuously optimize your business processes through review.

Macnica supports CBM in facility management using a variety of sensors. We acquire data with optimal accuracy, granularity, and frequency, analyze and visualize it using AI, and determine the necessary response. We streamline on-site response by utilizing cleaning robots and drones, which are often used at airports and shopping malls. Optimize business processes, including people.

Contribution to Increased Sales -Providing a New Purchasing Experience-

The second value that robots, humans, sensors, AI, and external systems can bring to smart buildings is "contribution to increased sales."

With the spread of e-commerce, the value demanded of physical stores is changing. Before COVID-19, there were many behaviors such as ``collecting information on the web and purchasing at physical stores'' and ``shopping in downtown areas on holidays and around the station when returning home.'' I was.
In the after-corona era, it is thought that there will be more behaviors such as “try at a physical store and purchase on EC” and “do daily shopping around your home”. If you go out of your way to go to a real store, you will come to seek "extraordinary". It is necessary to give a reason to visit the real store.

Therefore, at Macnica, we utilize a variety of technologies including customer service robots to give customers the ``surprise'' of learning information they didn't know, to ``amplify'' the value they perceive in our products, and to provide ``comfort'' and ``comfort'' by using various services. We are working to provide a new purchasing experience that brings convenience and the joy of discovering new products.
From the customer's perspective, we take actions optimized to suit their preferences and environment. Based on feedback, we will continuously improve measures to make them more effective. At Macnica, we would like to promote these initiatives not only with stores and tenants, but also with facilities and developers.

施設自体のスマート化によって、施設やデベロッパーにはどのような価値があるのでしょうか。
テナント売上が向上すれば、施設側は歩合賃料の増収が見込めます。またテナントに対する付加価値を向上できるため、空室削減や固定賃料の増収にもつなげられます。そして、テナントとの共創により、新たな売上機会を創出できます。

By working together with facilities and developers, it is possible to utilize data of the entire facility that cannot be accessed by tenants alone, and to implement effective measures that cannot be implemented by tenants alone. Let's work together to create a new co-creation model for facilities and tenants.

What kind of customer experience can you deliver? Here is an image of how it can be implemented in a shopping mall.

<Digital signage>
When you enter the shopping mall, you will be greeted by a welcome board with digital signage. Sale information, new store openings, events on the day, etc. are posted, and it is an opportunity to learn information you did not know. We will also check the temperature and mask.

<Congestion prediction>
We will inform you of the congestion forecast of the event and the forecast of the congestion time of the food court. We provide helpful advice for a smooth shopping experience.

<Experience store>
When you enter the experience-based store for a limited time, you will find special products on display that are not found in mass retailers.

<Calling out to customers>
When you pick up the product and look at it, the robot will approach you and start guiding you about the product. It explains the thoughts and stories of the creators that I couldn't understand with POP alone.

<Professional customer service>
A remote manufacturer representative provides detailed information via video call. In addition, a fashion professional will suggest coordination from a distance. You can easily receive customer service from a charismatic clerk. For customers from overseas, we will assist you remotely in multiple languages.

<Receipt of EC purchases>
Recently, there has been an increase in services called “BOPIS (Buy Online, Pick up in Store),” which allows customers to pick up items purchased online at stores. If you check in at the store with a robot at the store, you will receive a notification when the item is ready and you can receive it without waiting.

<Product recommendation>
Recommendations are made based on past purchase history and best-selling products.

<EC purchase of the product you experienced>
You can easily add products that you are interested in at a real store to your favorites on the EC site from the QR code. By connecting e-commerce purchases with real store experiences, engagement with customers will increase.

<Time sale>
Robots that patrol the museum will guide you to the stores that have limited-time sales. As the event time approaches, we will also inform you about the event.

<Information inside the building>
If you have any problems in the museum, the robots circling around will answer them. Answer frequently asked questions on the spot. Toilets etc. will guide you to the place. Questions that the robot cannot answer will be answered by remote staff.

<Closing information>
As the closing time approaches, the robots circulating as mobile signage will start announcing the closing of the museum. While looking at how crowded each gate is, it recommends parking lot exits that can be exited relatively smoothly.

What did you think. Such visitor experiences can be realized by utilizing robots, IoT, and AI.

What is a cyber-physical system that creates value amplification?

Many of you reading this article may already be working on acquiring data using sensors and cameras. However, even though they are working on data acquisition, analysis, and visualization, the reality is that there are still not many companies that are able to utilize the analysis results and feel the effects of improvements.
At Macnica, we are particular about ``not just visualizing things.'' Connecting the suggestions obtained through data visualization to on-site actions. It is also important to amplify value through effect measurement and improvement, and to ensure tangible results. If this cannot be achieved, data acquisition will simply become a cost increase factor.

The cyber-physical system that Macnica embodies creates this value amplification. First, we collect data from the real environment using sensors, cameras, and external data. Macnica, a semiconductor technology trading company, handles a wide variety of sensor modules and can recommend the best one for your application. The collected data will be analyzed using AI and transformed into intelligence. Based on this, we control robots and systems and provide suggestions for human work in the real world. The results of these actions are again collected as data.
In this way, value is amplified by the collaboration of sensors, AI, and robots. We utilize advanced technology at each stage and move forward with the project.

So, in the application scene introduced earlier, how do you link sensors, AI, and robots to deliver a customer experience?

Surveillance cameras and motion sensors are installed in stores, and past congestion history data is available. In addition, event information and newly opened store information will be added as data. People flow analysis is performed from these inputs, and congestion time and place are analyzed. At the same time, we also analyze attributes such as gender and age. Based on the results of the analysis, we provide services optimized for the customer's attributes and environment.

Sales status and product information are used in the store. While analyzing the customer's flow line, the robot actively calls out to customers who are staying for a long time. Even when suspicious behavior such as shoplifting is seen, crime prevention is performed by calling out.
We will inform you about products that customers are interested in, and also recommend products that are often purchased together. Timely customer service contributes to increased sales, and the provision of useful information to customers improves the reputation of the store.

With the BOPIS service, where customers purchase products online and receive them at stores, waiting in long lines to receive the products reduces the quality of the customer experience. Therefore, a QR code is issued at the time of purchase on EC. The product will be prepared when you show it to the terminal at the store, and a notification will be sent when it is ready, providing a comfortable experience.
Also, visiting a physical store is a great opportunity to touch other products. While analyzing the past purchase history and customer flow, we recommend related products and guide them to the next purchase. Through the robot, we will receive feedback on past purchases and improve the quality of recommendations. Improve convenience, create opportunities to increase sales, and make customers become fans.

Outside the store, the robot will patrol around and provide guidance that matches the situation and timing. We will inform you of sales information, event information, stores where time sales will start, and make announcements at the entrance of the store. If the event is about to start and there are still seats available, we will invite you to the event.

Through these measures, we will increase opportunities for customers to stop by various stores in a fun and profitable manner, increasing sales opportunities. Various information can be used easily and conveniently, and the convenience of closing and leaving the store will be improved by smooth guidance without congestion.
From the time you enter the building to the time you leave, we will provide you with an extraordinary experience by proactively providing information to ensure a comfortable stay according to your preferences and circumstances. Customers can enjoy shopping comfortably while being excited to encounter new products.

In this article, we introduced a solution that increases the value of smart buildings by linking robots, IoT, and AI. Both utilize a variety of data to provide efficient services and new experiences tailored to the customer and facility conditions.
By using service robots, people can work and live more comfortably and enjoyably. We at Macnica will continue to contribute to the realization of such a world.