Digitalisation is changing how we build. But much of building management is still analogue. This is especially the case when it comes to filing; cabinets are overflowing with delivery notes, certificates and maintenance documents.
With the IoF (Internet of Façades) ID, Schüco has developed a solution offering smart added value for building operators and occupants. A small tag is simply stuck onto each window and door to provide information about the installed parts, guarantees and maintenance history. It can also be used to quickly submit digital service requests.
The Schüco IoF ID is the first step towards creating the Internet of Façades; a vision where the building envelope becomes a smart, networked interface between the physical and digital world. The IoF ID involves every Schüco façade unit in a building – whether it is aluminium, PVC-U or steel – being equipped with its own digital identity. A component can therefore be clearly identified, located and automatically linked to all the information and documentation related to the product – without requiring an additional power supply, drive or control unit. This saves time and money and creates complete transparency.
Small but mighty
The Schüco IoF ID is a UV and weather-resistant PVC-U tag that is placed directly on the unit and assigned to the unit via the software. The hardware includes an integrated NFC chip and QR code which carries all of the information and documents about the unit. The IoF app creates a digital twin of the unit and allows all of the information about the unit to be viewed on a smartphone. For example, which handle was installed? What maintenance work was carried out? How can old components be recycled? Building operators can find all of this out quickly and efficiently on site using the app or in the office using the browser-based IoF Manager application. In the IoF Manager, buildings and the Schüco units installed inside them can be managed in a clear and easy way.
Creating projects, assigning units, storing documents and certificates, creating inspection documentation and processing service requests – all of this is carried out in the IoF Manager and stored on the cloud in a completely paperless process. In this way, a digital service history is compiled which, just like the service book of a car, provides a transparent overview of the maintenance and service history of all the façade units. If, for example, the handle on one unit needs to be replaced, the engineer can scan the IoF ID and immediately access all the relevant product information, such as serial and article numbers.
