Rising on the top: elevator industry leader KONE uses IBM Cloud platform to build IoT-based connected maintenance services
- KONE and IBM partnership brings safety, transparency and intelligence to services for elevators and escalators
- Power of data and analytics ensures a range of information is known about all connected elevators in real time
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In Hong Kong, packed with high-rise buildings, elevators play a crucial role in transportation. According to government figures, at the end of 2017 there were 66,200 elevators in Hong Kong, but 53 percent of them (35,200) were more than 20 years old.
There is an urgent need for modernisation solutions, bringing existing elevators up to the required safety standards and ensuring the safety of passengers and other building users.
Companies that adapt to change quickly and actively embrace technological innovations are better situated to address these issues than those that are slow on the uptake.
From a cloud computing foundation, the Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain and artificial intelligence (AI) are central to developing a seamless, safe and efficient living and working environment for growing urban populations.
IBM is the world’s leader in enterprise AI, IoT and cognitive analytics, and the company’s suite of enterprise-ready tools and services, Watson, is transforming business practices.
“We are helping produce better decision-making and business outcomes through more than 20,000 client engagements, across 20 industries to date,” says Derek Lee, executive of IBM Cloud and Cognitive Software, IBM China / Hong Kong Limited.
“Technologies like blockchain, artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, big data and predictive analytics are causing massive industry disruption. Cloud technology offers a way to take advantage of them all.”
The application of IoT and cloud technology is far-ranging. For example, it can be readily applied to building management, improving the flow of people through increasingly modern, connected cities.
On the up
Most urban dwellers use elevators many times a day, giving them very little thought. But with skylines growing taller, skyscrapers now serve tens of thousands of people every day. They are an indispensable component of city life and they’re ripe for improvement.
Since the advent of smart elevators, which cluster people according to neighbouring floors, and recent improvements in the physical components of the devices, the elevator is hurtling into the 21st century.
One of the best ways of keeping elevator efficiency at high levels is to prevent breakdowns. When an elevator stops working, disrupting the flow of people for hours, the ensuing delays can be costly and frustrating for businesses and people using the building.
But what if potential failures could be identified and addressed before they became problems?
Elevator industry leader KONE is using advanced IoT technology to get ahead of the game. KONE services more than 1.1 million elevators and escalators and the company moves a billion people a day.
Its mission is to improve the flow of urban life and to deliver the best people flow within and between buildings. The company is well aware of the fact that if a single elevator or escalator goes out of service, the result is a major disruption to the occupants of any building.
To prevent failures before they even happen, KONE has teamed up with IBM to deploy tech leader’s Watson’s cognitive capabilities in its KONE 24/7 Connected Services. The company’s goal is to develop a truly intelligent elevator and escalator service platform.
“KONE 24/7 Connected Services is really about using new technologies like Watson IoT and Analytics,” says Samu Salmelin, head of Services and Solutions R&D, KONE.
“These are the technologies that actually help achieve our customer promises around safety, transparency and intelligence. We’re able to take actions proactively about elevators and escalators.
Designed to disrupt and advance the traditional model of elevator maintenance, KONE 24/7 Connected Services uses IBM Watson IoT technology to anticipate faults and move swiftly and efficiently to rectify them.
With improved remote diagnostics and predictive maintenance, KONE technicians can be better prepared when they arrive on site, resulting in drastically shortened repair times and minimising disruption to passengers.
The system is “an IoT-based remote monitoring and diagnostics service that operates around the clock, improving the operational reliability of the equipment and making it even safer to use,” says Henry Cheung, managing director, KONE Elevator (HK) Limited.
“Thanks to this service, our customers’ equipment informs KONE of any service needs, provides information on the condition of their equipment connected to the service, and measures carried out by KONE.”
Improved safety, peace of mind
Moving from a reactive to an anticipatory model has boosted KONE’s ability to predict failures and take action before equipment faults occur. Customers will be better equipped to plan and manage their assets more accurately. For people using elevators and escalators, it means less waiting time and the potential for personalised experiences. For the end-user, it means improved safety, full transparency, and peace of mind.
“If something abnormal was to happen, we would already know and could prevent it from happening,” says Cheung.
“Since we already know what the cause of the fault [or] breakdown is before we send technicians to the site, this can shorten the repair time as well as the equipment suspension time.”
The ability to predict and act quickly is a “game-changer”, he adds.
With the help of IBM Watson’s IoT platform, the company will be able to leverage advanced data analytics, which will bring value to its customers by ensuring equipment reliability, predictability and transparency.
“This is an innovative technology for the elevator and escalator industry that KONE believes will elevate users’ experience to the next level,” says Cheung.
Using cloud-based services
End users’ equipment is connected to the company’s IoT devices, sharing data around the world and constantly developing and improving its ability to predict and plot failure patterns, then sharing this information with KONE field technicians.
Clients are also able to access the KONE Care online, enabling them to assess repair and maintenance in real time as the company’s technicians ensure their elevators remain in first-class condition.
Everyone gets a lift
KONE’s partnership with IBM is providing substantial benefits to buildings and their occupants across the globe, by utilising the power of data and analytics to ensure as much information is known about their elevators in real time.
This partnership ensures that the elevators’ life cycle is maximised, efficiency remains at key levels and service disruptions are kept to a minimum.