The term “people flow” describes the way people move in and between buildings – and when managed correctly, that means moving safely, smoothly, comfortably and efficiently. Good people flow doesn’t just happen automatically – it takes a combination of data and insight to understand people’s intuitive movement, and then transfer that knowledge into practical solutions. This process can provide huge benefits to users and to your business.

Technology and experience combine to overcome challenges

For decades, KONE has developed and fine-tuned methods to plan and analyse the flow of people in buildings, with an eye to ensuring a smooth user experience. Now, as a response to the increasing complexities in both new building and modernisation projects, KONE has expanded on its approach to people flow optimisation, advancing its analytics, upgrading its tools and adding interior architects and data scientists to its own team of people flow experts.

The latest technologies have led to new customer solutions such as predictive maintenance, which drives down disruption to their service and increases user satisfaction and experience within buildings. This particular solution, KONE 24/7 Connected Services, has been facilitated by connecting lifts and escalators to the cloud – from here, KONE uses its partnership with IBM to analyse this data with its AI tool, IBM Watson, to predict faults and fix problems before breakdowns occur.

Delivering tangible benefits

KONE has been able to provide its customers with real benefits with these solutions, and has changed how it partners with customers. KONE has shifted its approach from ‘inside-out’ (selling products based upon features and benefits) to ‘outside-in’, which involves co-creating solutions around customers’ business objectives.

As an example, KONE has a longstanding relationship with a large nationwide hotel chain. The chain’s occupancy rates are directly linked to online customer satisfaction sites such as TripAdvisor. When customer satisfaction is high, occupancy is high – however, there are two key drivers that can lower satisfaction and occupancy: no hot water and broken lifts. To tackle this problem, KONE 24/7 Connected Services was installed in the hotel chain’s 50 worst-performing lifts. By doing so, a 24 per cent reduction in breakdowns, and a 41 per cent fall in entrapments followed after a trial period. This is having a very real, positive impact on customer satisfaction, and the hotel’s profitability as a company.

Solutions designed for today and for the future

It is important to remember that every building is different, both in design and the way it is used. For example, office buildings today often house 30 to 40 per cent more tenants than the original design intended. This has huge implications for people flow through those buildings.

The way buildings are being designed, built and managed is changing. KONE is leading the way by partnering with companies such as IBM, using real-time data, harnessing artificial intelligence and driving predictive maintenance for its customers, leading to smarter buildings and, most of all, better outcomes.