Data Analytics & Smart Building Science Articles | Buildings IOT Blog

If you’re reading this article, chances are you’re considering implementing a predictive maintenance program. You have probably read about what predictive maintenance is, and you’ve most likely explored the benefits of predictive maintenance. Now, you’re likely considering what steps you’ll need to take to implement such a program. The first step, however, is to understand the challenges of implementing an effective predictive maintenance strategy so that you can devise a plan to overcome them.

In recent years, the term Predictive Maintenance has risen to prominence in a number of industries such as manufacturing and automotive. With the advent of the Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, proactive maintenance – which includes predictive and preventive measures – has become a core pillar of the Industrial 4.0 revolution.

For sensors, actuators, and controllers to function correctly in a building management system (BMS), a common method of data understanding is vital. Communication protocols describe the rules and formats through which data should be transferred over the interconnected network of sensors, actuators, and controllers. The data captured by sensors gets relayed to controllers that manipulate the system through actuators to the required endpoints. A communication protocol lets multiple device manufacturers make sensors, controllers, and actuators "work” together sharing data so an intelligent, actionable outcome can be achieved.

Before the arrival and dissemination of the Internet of Things (IoT) and other smart technologies within the built environment, building systems that controlled climate, lighting, energy, and other aspects affecting operations were siloed. These various systems used disparate protocols that didn’t allow them to communicate with each other. There was little regard for ensuring that they spoke the same “language,” as there was no need for them to do so.