Symphony of Software Saves Millions

Technology Category

Analytics & Modeling - Big Data Analytics
Platform as a Service (PaaS) - Data Management Platforms

Applicable Industries

Buildings
Software

Applicable Functions

Facility Management
Maintenance

Use Cases

Building Automation & Control
Building Energy Management
Predictive Maintenance

Services

Cloud Planning, Design & Implementation Services
Data Science Services

The Challenge

Microsoft's 500-acre headquarters was operating with a disparate network of sensors from different eras, leading to inefficiencies and high energy costs. The company was considering a $60 million investment to turn the campus into a smart campus. However, a team of engineers proposed a different solution. They suggested creating a data-driven software solution that could unify the different systems and provide valuable insights into the buildings' operations. The challenge was to integrate the incongruent network of sensors and enable them to communicate with each other, providing a wealth of data to building managers.

About The Customer

Microsoft is a multinational technology company headquartered in Redmond, Washington. It develops, manufactures, licenses, supports, and sells computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and related services. The company's campus spans 500 acres and includes 125 buildings, a soccer field, a cricket pitch, and miles of wooded walking paths. The campus has 14.9 million square feet of office space and labs. Until recently, Microsoft was using disparate building management systems to manage 30,000 unconnected, sensor-enabled pieces of equipment. The company was considering a significant investment to turn the campus into a smart campus to achieve energy savings and other efficiency gains.

The Solution

The team of engineers at Microsoft developed a pilot program in 13 of the buildings on the campus. They created an 'analytical blanket' based on ICONICS software to overlay the diverse systems used to manage the buildings. This software enabled the equipment and buildings to communicate with each other and provided a wealth of data to building managers. The new tool extracted data from the buildings, providing engineers with insights into everything from wasteful lighting schedules to battles between air conditioners and heaters to maintain temperatures. The engineers could then use this data to make more intelligent decisions about building operations. The solution was so successful that Microsoft and its partners are now helping building managers across the world deploy the same solution.

Operational Impact

Engineers are now spending 95 percent of their time doing engineering, improving efficiency.
The solution has provided Microsoft with a hyper-awareness of the way its buildings perform.
The solution has created a 'target-rich environment' for problem-solving, enabling engineers to identify and address issues more effectively.

Quantitative Benefit

Microsoft has saved millions in maintenance and utility costs.
The solution has provided a forecasted energy savings of 6-10% per year.
The solution has improved technician efficiency with 32,300 work orders per quarter.