Beamo Implementation Case of a Major Data Center Company for Cost Savings in On-Site Surveys
- Improvement of reporting system for on-site situations
- Progress remote monitoring
- Enhanced communication
- Centralized management of survey results and document records on a single platform
- Visualization of asset
This customer is a major information technology company specializing in private networks, cloud services, hosting, and IP networking. They operate secure data centers in Asia, North America, and Europe.
For on-site surveys in their major data centers, the company aimed to enhance efficiency using Beamo compared to traditional on-site survey processes.
Establish a centralized spatial data and
documentation management platform
The data center company conducts on-site inspections and checks at more than 150 facilities around the world to increase space management and operational flexibility in its data centers and mitigate the risk of center outages. The inspection team, which consists of engineers from various departments, visits the facilities to verify their condition and after completing all inspections, they draft reports to be forwarded to other departments or external contractors.
This inspection process of planning, execution, and reporting was not only time-consuming, but also challenging due to challenging site conditions, including low temperatures and loud machine noise. Inefficient repetitive tasks were wasting the engineering team’s time and effort.
The on-site inspection manager has been conducting data center surveys using the following traditional methods:
- Retrieving data from multiple storage locations related to previous on-site inspections.
- Examining the retrieved data to compare it with paper documents and existing still photos of the buildings.
- Traveling to the location of the building.
- Directly inspecting the site and manually jotting down workflow notes on paper, capturing necessary information with a camera.
- Repeating these steps if errors occur or additional data is needed.
Automating site survey processes to optimize
next-generation data center management
The client introduced Beamo to improve inefficient work processes. The surveyors, equipped with smartphones and 360 cameras, capture buildings by walking through them. The straightforward capture method allows on-site surveyors to easily and quickly capture the site without requiring specialized knowledge. Subsequently, within the generated 360 views, they use tagging features to attach photos, images, videos, and notes, facilitating seamless sharing with team members.
In addition to enhancing on-site survey methods, the client utilized Digital Twin for improved collaboration. Managing data on a single platform enables team members to share essential documents, and sensitive information is securely stored by setting user access levels. This documented data contributes to the efficiency of reporting systems. By attaching necessary photos and media to 360 views, they create on-site reports with spatial information. High-ranking executives can remotely explore the site and review reports without physically visiting, adding efficiency to the reporting process.
- Planning: Easily search through data and documents from previous on-site surveys. Examine all building-related documents in one place and prepare inspection methods and routes on a bidirectional floor plan.
- Capture: Use only a connected smartphone and 360° camera through the Beamo app to easily traverse and navigate through the building.
- Tagging: Utilize the tagging feature in the Beamo App to attach photos, images, videos, memos, etc. The data is automatically uploaded to the Beamo web platform.
Using visual communication to boost
collaboration performance
The client implemented the Digital Twin Beamo, establishing a centralized spatial data and document record management platform. This initiative resulted in reducing unnecessary on-site survey frequencies for the engineering team, enhancing overall communication, and improving the systematic workflow of reporting tasks. After the adoption of Beamo, the client saved approximately $10,000 in transportation costs per engineer annually, and they were able to save 30% of the time spent on site surveys, translating to an annual saving of 500 hours per site.
Furthermore, leveraging the same spatial information has reduced communication errors between teams and facilitated collaboration among employees dispersed across various countries and regions. Currently, the client utilizes Beamo for on-site surveys in over 70 buildings in the United States, Germany, and Japan, with plans to implement it in more than 150 facilities.
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Data Management and Documentation: Systematically manage documents on a single platform and securely protect sensitive information by controlling access levels.
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Reporting: Accelerate reporting times by directly linking photos and media to spatial information on floor plans.
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Collaboration: Enhance collaboration with various stakeholders by sharing the same perspective on projects through an intuitive 3D workspace that enables visual communication.