Business Intelligence in Facility Management: Determinants and Benchmarking Scenarios for Improving Energy Efficiency

What is it about?

Within this study, the authors identify the data, processing of which leads to the acquisition of information and knowledge about power consumption in retail facilities along with their sources. A multiple-case study approach is used, covering four retail companies based in four different European countries – Sweden, France, United Kingdom and Poland respectively. The authors identify, verify in terms of technical feasibility and organize the determinants that make a substantial contribution to the decision-making process of energy managers representing the Facility Management industry. As the research accomplished points towards the potential of invoice-based analysis (regardless of its level of detail and maturity) being exhausted, a set of potential benchmarking scenarios for managing energy efficiency is introduced. Periodical value-based, hardware-based, capacity-based, financial as well as territorial analyses are proposed.

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Why is it important?

This article limits the gap regarding the capabilities of analytics and reports that the decision-makers may base their actions upon, thereby having an impact on subject-related theory. The research has a practical impact as well. The insufficient analytical potential of FM-involved companies contributes to cost buildup through failing to (1) project optimal periods of time for replacing/overhauling hardware; (2) work out the policies for temperature control policy in order to successfully avoid scenarios in which the devices of systems work against each other as a result of improper setup by employees; (3) manage lightning sources. Implementing the benchmarking scenarios proposed in this article enables energy managers to handle excessive power consumption and keep costs down as a result. It is the budget control that is another issue that might be enhanced through involving proposed data sources and applying multi-dimensional benchmarking. Since budget utilization is not linear and subjected to numerous determinants, current manual planning often leads to under- or overutilization.