Workplace is an open system and thus data source independent. A variety of standard connectors to both open and proprietary data collectors (see list below) is provided. These data collector connections are maintained within Workplace. New technologies are first evaluated by the Workplace product team and if found to be value-adding, they are added to the portfolio. Even non-approved solutions can add data to the system by means of the standard data import API or via a manual data import.

Data is collected via various channels:

• Directly via country-wide IoT networks such as Lora & Sigfox

• Trough standard integrations with proprietary sensor vendors or smart item vendors (examples: Vergesense integration, Pointgrab integration, smart lighting like Plenom)

• By a 3^rd party posting data immediately to the Workplace API end-point in a standardized format. This 3^rd party is potentially an edge processed device, communicating directly to the Workplace back-end (see Generic Endpoint)

• Direct integration with BMS (building management system)

• Direct integration with a CAFM (Computer aided facility management): supported IWMS are Axxerion & MCS

• By manual import of (any kind of) data.

Various software tools have been implemented to clean-up and enrich poor data. For example:

• Machine learning algorithms are used for filtering out anomalies in the data.

• Workplace dashboards can, via the Workplace Data Warehouse, show data in aggregated time blocks (example: 15 minute-, 30 minute- & 1 hour- time blocks) in order to filter out real time data quality glitches.

• Via the front-office touch points (mobile apps, kiosk, room display) users get a hint on the current certainty that our sensing is still accurate.

Seen the fact Workplace is data source independent, the ability to handle events coming in at different frequencies is native to the system.

• Connectivity to other data sources:

  • Directly via country-wide IoT networks such as Lora & Sigfox

  • Trough standard integrations with proprietary sensor vendors or smart item vendors (examples: Vergesense integration, Pointgrab integration, smart lighting like Plenom)

  • By a 3^rd party posting data immediately to the Workplace API end-point in a standardized format. This 3^rd party is potentially an edge processed device, communicating directly to the Workplace back-end (see Generic Endpoint)

  • Direct integration with BMS (building management system)

  • Direct integration with a CAFM (Computer aided facility management): supported IWMS are Axxerion & MCS

  • By manual import of (any kind of) data.
    

• Connectivity in terms of “internet connectivity”:

  • Internet connectivity is an additional service provided by Spacewell in cases where:

    • General country wide coverage of for example LORA is insufficient or non-existing.

    • Data collected via a proprietary system needs to be send to the cloud.

    • The local customer’s network cannot be used because of privacy concerns.

  • Spacewell has internet connectivity solutions to support IoT sensor roll-outs. These sets include routers with SIM cards that can be activated globally.

• Building occupant data is gathered in various ways:

  • Via the Workplace mobile app

    • Available on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store

  • Via the Kiosk app (Room Display app)

  • Via a web interface

  • By mail
    

• Types of occupant data being gathered:

  • Reservation data (rooms, workplaces, services & equipment)

Workplace has native support for two proven IWMS systems: MCS & Axxerion. The native connection to both systems enables Workplace to make optimal use of the transactional IWMS data gathered in MCS & Axxerion.

• Workplace makes smart building data actionable via the IWMS system

  • Example: If no occupancy is detected in a room whilst a reservation was made for the room, the booking responsible receives a text message asking if the reservation can be cancelled.

• Workplace uses the IWMS data to take better informed decisions

• Workplace enriches IWMS data

Workplace is a multi-tenant Cloud SaaS platform and is not deployed at the customer’s premises. All data is hosted in our IBM data center in France.

Elasticity and scalability is managed via our private data centers. Seen Workplace’s big data set-up; only limited hardware is needed to accommodate for the + 1000 K data points received every day.

• The current load of around 1000K data points a day only consumed a fraction of the foreseen hardware capacity.

• The system is setup in high-availability mode and is highly distributed. Additional data nodes can be added to the big data cluster to accommodate for larger volumes at any given time.

• Given the architecture of the application is it therefore impossible to give a theoretical upper limit on data write speed.

Workplace offers a wide variety of off-the-shelve products which can be configured and fine-tuned. Workplace does not include any development tools to customize the application. In case customization is needed, Spacewell goes in contact with the customer to see if the creation of a new standard product or an extension of an existing product is required.

See Brain rules repository

• Users can have one or multiple roles.

• A role consists out of:

  • A set of permissions: Things users with this role can see, do, change & remove.

  • A scope: a filter on what type of data a user can see. For example: only data relevant to location X.
    

• Administrators can create, name and delete roles. Within a role, they can assign and revoke permissions and adjust the scope.

See Roles & Profiles

• Workplace provides an open API to insert structured data coming from external data sources. The data that can be send to the system needs to be of a know data and data-type format.

• Workplace also comes with a Data Warehouse. The Data Warehouse enables users to ingest both structured and unstructured data from various sources. This data can be used to make dashboards and perform machine learning exercises to learn about the data correlations.

The process of connecting to (smart)meters varies from country to country. Additionally, meter data can be collected via centrally managed clouds (possibly regulated by governments), or directly via meters. Given this diverse and complex landscape Spacewell has opted to invest heavily in partnerships of energy data capture specialists. Through these partners Spacewell is capable of connecting to a wide variety of standard and smart meters across the USA and Europe. 

• Spacewell connects to BMS systems in 3 different ways:

  • Direct connection to the BMS system

    • High-level API connection the a BMS system

    • Low-level building automation protocols: Bacnet, Modbus, …

      • Spacewell does not actively chase these kinds of integrations

  • Indirection connection to the BMS systems

    • Using 3^rd part middleware solutions handling the communication & complexity and providing a high-level API for easy integration.
      

• Example integrations: Helvar, PRIVA, Signify, Siemens, Schneider Electric

Workplace has no standard connection to any security systems. These connections can be established on project basis.

Since Workplace is data source independent, there is also no dedicated solution Spacewell puts forward as preferred indoor-positioning technology. Spacewell believes the market of indoor-positioning is still evolving at high pace without any clear winners, furthermore we believe robust & accurate solutions are too expensive to be of a real added value in an office context. European GDPR ruling doesn’t make the case on indoor positioning much easier.

Nevertheless, Spacewell is open to integrate with Indoor positioning systems on project basis. The Workplace smart building system is ready to capture data from various types of the indoor positioning technologies:

• Scan to position: Scan a QR code attached to the wall to learn where you are.

• Wi-Fi based system: HP ARUBA

• BLE based systems: Estimote

Data Exports are possible in different formats:

• Rest API

• Sensor Devices (see https://spacewell.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/KB/pages/60653569/Configure+devices+add+remove+import+export#Import/Export)

• Sensor Data + Location Grouping export in CSV (see https://spacewell.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/KB/pages/491806/Workplace+web+Go#Data-Export)

• Workplace Users export (see https://spacewell.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/KB/pages/492560/Users+Groups#Batch-import/modify-Workplace-users)

• Workplace mobile app (Available on Google Play Store & Apple App Store)

• Kiosk app (Room Display app) (Available on Google Play Store & Apple App Store)

• Web interface

• Outlook (after Exchange Sync configuration)

  • Outlook Roomfinder Add-in

See https://spacewell.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/KB/pages/9830406/The+Workplace+App#FAQ

• Workplace has no standard software to collect data from the customer’s IT system or WIFI connection. These connections can be established on project basis.

• In reality we notice only a very small number of customers allow a 3^rd party organization, like Spacewell, to access and process this type of information. Especially after GDPR ruling, which states a (dynamic) IP address is private data, gathering WIFI data has become more and more difficult.

• Sensors are prepared in Spacewell’s local branches and warehouses as much as possible before they are being shipped to the customer. This practice simplifies the installation and commissioning process.

• Various tools are made available by Spacewell to assist our internal team of implementation consultants, our team of external integrators and our do-it-yourself customers:

  • Manuals, including movies on how to install & commission sensors.

  • An online platform to easy add a sensor to the system

  • Batch sensor import tool (via Excel)

  • A helpdesk team providing assistance when needed

See Motion sensor

See PointGrab

See Bosch Parking Sensor

In different places in many Workplace touch points, pictures/images that are uploaded in IWMS are visible in Workplace:

• Picture of site, building, floor room

• Picture of (reservable) room

• Picture of employee/contact

• Picture of reservable services

• Picture of equipment

• ...

What is the optimal format (portrait or landscape) and optimal size for the pictures that the customer can place in the IWMS and that then are shown in Workplace touchpoints?

The way pictures are displayed varies per touchpoint, the available space and the usage. For example, a room picture is displayed as a background on a MRD (landscape) but also displayed as small squares on the rooms list in “All rooms” of the Workplace app. The same is true for other object types .

To ensure consistency, “center crop” approach is used while adjusting pictures for various touchpoints. Therefore, whatever image is uploaded, it is recommended to have the subject in the center of the image to ensure it’s displayed in all scenarios.

Remember that Axxerion and Workplace are 2 different environments.

• Changes made to reservable yes/no should be visible under 2h

• Changes made to an already existing Axxerion hierarchy will take up to 24h to be visible in Workplace e.g. adjusting the name or picture of a workplace

As a rule, it's safe to say that your modifications made in Axxerion should be visible in Workplace after 24h.