For corporate real estate (CRE) professionals and stakeholders, efficiency isn’t just a goal — it’s a strategic necessity that becomes increasingly important as the portfolio grows. In fact, because an organization can scale and share established efficiencies across multiple facilities, they can also multiply the cost savings and operational improvements.
The recent Intelligent Workplace product announcement was an opportunity for us to share some of the ways owners, facility managers, and other stakeholders can leverage intelligent worktech to achieve organizational efficiency goals at individual facilities and then across a portfolio.
What are the benefits of efficiency in CRE?
Embracing efficiency can help deliver substantial benefits in the short and long term, including lower operational and maintenance costs, higher property values, and less overall risk.
Lower operational and maintenance costs
Efficient buildings require fewer resources to run, which can deliver substantial savings in operating costs, including:
- Energy bills: Lower consumption of electricity, gas, and other fuels due to efficient lighting, HVAC systems, and insulation
- Water bills: Reduced water usage through efficient fixtures, appliances, and rainwater harvesting systems
- Maintenance costs: Lower maintenance needs due to durable, high-quality green materials and equipment
- Repair costs: Less frequent repairs because of better-performing and longer-lasting systems and materials
- Operational equipment costs: Reduced runtime and associated costs for equipment like elevators, escalators, and pumps due to efficient energy use
There are many efficiency-focused technologies for CRE, and something as simple as switching to more energy-efficient lights can have an important impact on overall costs. In fact, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, lighting typically accounts for about 17% of electrical consumption in commercial buildings, making it one of the largest end-uses of electricity in the commercial sector, ahead of both space heating and cooling.
Higher rents and resell values
Implementing efficient solutions can also improve property values in several ways. First, efficient buildings can command higher rental rates due to their desirable features and lower operating costs. And environmentally conscious tenants are often willing to pay a premium for what they see as sustainable spaces, which can also increase rental income.
Buildings that meet nationally and internationally recognized efficiency standards are also better positioned to maintain their value over time, as they are future-proofed against evolving regulations and market expectations, leading to higher returns on investment and improved portfolio performance.
Lower overall risk
Finding efficiencies can also help mitigate many of the risks of CRE. Efficient buildings are often more resilient to some of the predicted long-term impacts of climate change, including resource scarcity and regulatory changes. Getting ahead of any changes helps avoid costly retrofits and penalties. By being proactive, property owners can protect their investments and ensure the long-term return on investment (ROI) in their properties.
How can organizations leverage intelligent worktech to improve efficiency in CRE?
Intelligent worktech brings together advanced technologies, including Internet of Things (IoT) devices, sensors, and AI-driven decision-making. By automating routine tasks and breaking down data silos, intelligent worktech delivers data-driven decisions, optimized resources, and improved overall operational effectiveness.
Optimize energy consumption
Optimizing energy means only ever using what you need. So, you can adjust lighting schedules based on occupancy patterns. For example, dim or turn off lights in areas with low or no occupancy during certain hours, reducing energy consumption while extending the lifespan of lighting fixtures.
Occupancy data can also help improve HVAC systems. In some cases, you can use established occupancy trends to adjust temperatures in unoccupied or low-occupancy areas. In others, you can set up smart thermostats and automated controls that respond to real-time occupancy data.
Improve space utilization
By analyzing which areas are underutilized, you can repurpose or consolidate spaces to reduce overall energy consumption. One of the best ways to use less resources overall is to rightsize your portfolio, so your real estate footprint is a perfect fit.
For the spaces you keep, you can leverage utilization data to deliver the types of spaces that best boost productivity. For example, converting underused offices into collaborative spaces or dividing larger conference rooms into individual bookable desks.
Adjust maintenance schedules
By looking at how many people tend to be in the building, you can also get a better sense of how often to schedule preventive maintenance inspections and tasks. You’ll also know exactly when to schedule it. In fact, you can use occupancy data to schedule maintenance during low-occupancy periods, minimizing disruption and ensuring that systems are operating efficiently, including tasks like HVAC servicing, lighting maintenance, and other routine checks that are best performed when fewer people are present.
Automate reports for cross-team coordination and support
Intelligent worktech automates data capture and supports new opportunities to leverage that data into insights that are actionable and sharable.
First, automated data capture ensures accuracy and real-time information, providing a precise overview of current conditions as well as short- and long-term trends. And because all the data is already inside the platform, you can generate comprehensive reports that highlight progress, such as improvements in energy efficiency, reductions in maintenance costs, or enhancements in space utilization. Sharing these reports with stakeholders, including investors, tenants, and senior management, fosters transparency that builds trust.
These reports can also be instrumental in securing funding and approvals for capital projects. By presenting concrete data that illustrates the need for improvements and the potential ROI, facility and workplace managers can make a compelling case for new initiatives. For example, a report showing high energy consumption in certain areas can justify the investment in energy-efficient upgrades. Similarly, data indicating increased occupancy rates can support the case for expansion or renovation projects.
Why is efficiency in CRE a scalable solution?
For enterprise-level organizations with large real estate portfolios spread over multiple locations, one of the many advantages of using intelligent worktech to find efficiencies is the opportunity to then apply them across multiple properties, magnifying their impact and value.
For example, at one facility you implement predictive maintenance strategies using IoT sensors to monitor system performance and anticipate failures in the HVAC system. But you’re not only tracking that system’s performance. You’re also tracking your predictive maintenance program, which means you can then apply every lesson learned at other facilities in the portfolio.
Another example could be lighting. At one facility, you implement smart lighting systems equipped with occupancy sensors to improve energy usage. The sensors automatically adjust lighting levels based on real-time occupancy data, reducing energy consumption during off-peak hours. Again, you’re able to then recreate those efficiencies across the portfolio.
Eptura Envision: From data to efficiency
Connecting people, spaces, and assets is the first step. Ultimately, you need a way to transform these insights into a cohesive strategy that drives enterprise value.
At the Intelligent Worktech product announcement, Fabrice Martin, Chief Product Officer at Eptura, explained that many companies struggle to put their data into action, affecting every aspect of their business, from capital planning to operations and maintenance, employee engagement to efficiency efforts.
Learn more about how Eptura helps transform data into strategy.
By Erin Sevitz
Erin has 15 years of experience, including 10 years in thought leadership on workplace management and the built environment. In her current role she oversees teams responsible for worktech insights and engaging Eptura’s 16,000 customers worldwide. Previously she led communications for the International Facility Management Association, a global industry nonprofit dedicated to professional development for workplace strategists, building managers, and corporate real estate.
