The University of Florida (UF) Shands Hospital highlights how taking steps to incorporate technology in your building or facility can save your company millions of dollars. Shands integrated engineered systems with its building automation system (BAS) and as a result, the Gainesville hospital saved $5 million during a five-year period and will continue to save even more in the future.
Intelligent building automation systems have the power to reduce energy consumptions and costs without sacrificing anyone’s comfort. These systems often have a large initial cost, but the investment and commitment to efficiency will pay off in the long run.
The building automation system makes intelligent decisions because it is fed the most up-to-date information through sensors which are placed around the facility. This data allows the BAS to manage resources and fix problems automatically.
At Shands, the hospital optimized the BAS to improve their energy savings. This increased efficiency helped keep patients comfortable in the facility while still cutting back on excess costs. In addition, alarm systems were reduced by 80 percent and work orders were cut back by 60 percent. All of this positive change was able to occur while improving the patient experience. The hospital plans to apply these energy-saving learnings to their new hospital set to open this fall.
While this BAS technology took huge strides in saving the hospital money, it also allowed staff members to focus on the job at hand– caring for patients. With all of the hospital processes running smoothly, doctors and nurses focused on helping the patients and improving their overall comfort. This shows the importance of efficient business systems not only for hospitals, but for facilities of all kinds. If a facility can implement changes to maximize efficiency, either through automated software or through other practical modifications, operational costs will be reduced and business practices will improve immensely.
The progress made at UF Shands Hospital shows the possibilities technology can offer all companies. This success story highlights the prominent role technology will have in our businesses and facilities in the future.
