Benefits of going touchless beyond the pandemic

Vaccines for COVID-19 are available now, even if they don’t offer complete immunity. Governments worldwide have become more adept at handling the virus now compared to last year. Protocols are clearer, guidelines are more scientific, and the data we have is more comprehensive.
 
This means that the security and building management industry must reconsider using touchless solutions that have become widely popular with the pandemic. Should they continue to use these solutions? Are the benefits worth it?
 
This article explores the potential benefits of using touchless solutions and touchless buildings in the longer term.

Also read: Why should retail think beyond conventional security after the pandemic 

Frictionless experience improves productivity

Sheeladitya Karmakar, Global Offering Leader for Enterprise Access at Honeywell Building Technologies, explains that creating a frictionless building experience can do more than reducing contact with frequently touched surfaces. It can create a safer and more secure environment that also encourages occupant productivity.
 
“From reducing queues to better identity verification, new technology can help create a more frictionless experience that makes life a little easier and enjoyable for building occupants,” Karmakar said. “When deploying a frictionless system, it’s important to think of the entire building experience – from a worker’s arrival and daily routine to better managing visitors.”
 
Such benefits extend to other areas as well. For example, an ANPR system to create frictionless parking access, Bluetooth readers to overcome the limitations of traditional swipe and touch card readers, touchless exit sensors to avoid manual buttons, or touchless electrical switches for lighting and other equipment. These automated switches and controls often provide the additional benefit of saving energy by adjusting usage according to occupancy.
 
Karmakar added that companies could take touchless systems further by deploying touchless vending machines or cashless canteen services supported by a mobile app in canteen areas.

Buildings and cities can become smarter

The more we can leverage technology and the intelligence that we can derive from that, the more we can improve a frictionless and operationally efficient, and effective building environment that goes way beyond pandemic concerns.

According to Jason Ouellette, Director of Technology & Business Innovation for Access Control and Video Solutions at Johnson Controls, this leads to smart buildings, smart campuses, smart cities, and more. They can enable a building to meet the needs of its occupants, allowing the businesses within it to focus more on their core mission.
 
“For example, when the last person exits the conference room, the building is aware that no other meetings are scheduled for the next few hours, so the building management system automatically locks the room and adjusts the lighting and temperature to “vacant” mode,” Oullette said. “UV disinfection technology is used to clean the conference room, and the room’s AV and other electronic equipment are automatically placed in standby mode, providing for energy conservation while ensuring a healthy work environment.”
 
The management can even track the movement of people to analyze more specific needs. For instance, potential cafeteria demand for food management as well as building configuration and safety compliance needs. All of this contributes to saving time, money, and resources, allowing an organization to reinvest more in what makes them more successful.

Lower costs, better efficiency

Reducing or eliminating parking barriers and ticketing machines can positively impact staffing levels within commercial buildings, as they drastically minimize hardware purchases and maintenance costs. According to Casey Rawlins, Technical Solutions Consultant at Security and Safety Things, less hardware also means lower chances of credential theft or damage.
 
“Another example of incorporating touchless solutions into your buildings is to provide a way for visitors or guests to offer visual feedback onsite,” Rawlins added. “For example, if visitors are attending an event at a large stadium, they can be encouraged to offer feedback with common hand gestures, such as a thumb up, neutral, or down and the video analytic application will evaluate accordingly.”
 
This offers a safe and hygienic way to gather feedback from guests – without extra touchpoints. Furthermore, touchless technology can create barrier-free environments, ultimately allowing those with disabilities to enter and navigate buildings more efficiently. 

Key take-aways 

Touchless solutions may not go away even after the pandemic recedes. Many customers have already made significant investments in this, and manufacturers are focusing their R&D in this direction.
 
To sum up, there are three major benefits of using touchless solutions even after the pandemic:
 

1. Increased productivity through frictionless movement
2. Smarter buildings through better resource usage
3. Lower costs and more efficiency