Farnek ties up with ArabiaWeather for smart weather forecasts for FM
Hyper-local forecasting to be used by facilities management company to reduce costs, improve efficiency and safety for building maintenance and cleaning
Facilities management major Farnek has announced a partnership with hyper-local weather forecasting services provider, ArabiaWeather, to increase efficiency by redirecting resources across its facilities management (FM) projects to adapt to weather conditions.
The company said in a statement that it is the first FM company to partner with a hyper-local weather forecasting service. ArabiaWeather’s value-adding system, LandWatch, applies unique formulas and algorithms to generate accurate and hyper-local forecasts on developing weather patterns at any location globally, it added.
By using a dashboard to access the data captured and processed by LandWatch, teams at Farnek will be trained to monitor conditions in certain areas on a daily basis and advise both building owners and management of the best time to schedule work.
“Primarily, LandWatch allows us to make informed business decisions when confronted with adverse weather. Many FM professionals are well aware of the havoc that random and isolated weather conditions can have on building maintenance and cleaning schedules. This is often compounded by just how changeable and localised the weather can be,” said Markus Oberlin, CEO, Farnek.
“Hyper-local forecasting is very important, for example, (because the weather in) one area can differ significantly compared with the adjacent area, hour by hour. The ability to monitor hyper-local weather around specific areas creates a win-win situation for both FM companies and building managers.”
With access to advanced meteorological data, meteorologists at ArabiaWeather will alert Farnek before, during and after severe weather events. LandWatch can indicate when to re-commence work as soon as the poor conditions pass, rather than simply postponing until the next suitable day. On clear days, changes in wind speed and humidity can all be monitored using the software, said Farnek.
The statement added that armed with this knowledge, Farnek will now be the first FM company in the region able to schedule weather-sensitive work, such as façade and window cleaning, around adverse conditions, boosting efficiency as well as cutting costs for building owners. It would also avoid inconveniencing residents, tenants and people using the building.
“And it is not just exterior work where building owners will profit. If a sandstorm is forecast, one major advantage is that the fresh air intake of roof top HVAC units can be closed and switched to recycling existing air throughout the building until the storm has passed,” added Oberlin.
“This protects the filters and reduces the amount of sand and dust getting into not only the A/C unit itself, but also the building. This preserves indoor air quality and keeps the A/C working efficiently, presenting significant savings to building owners.”
Mohammed Al-Shaker, CEO, ArabiaWeather, said: “Weather conditions can change significantly between areas, therefore, timely and accurate information is very important in the weather forecasting industry and only precise forecasts can accurately detail these changes. LandWatch weather data is assessed by a team of meteorologists to give its users accurate and relevant information in real time.”
