Here’s How Kone Is Coming Up with Solutions for the New Normal

Despite the fact the SARS-COV-2 coronavirus continues to rage around the planet, many countries are now trying to return to some semblance of normality. While many are electing to continue working from home, many employees are returning to their places of work and we are starting to see more and more businesses open to the public once again.

With many workplaces being located in tall buildings, this unfortunately means elevators have become a necessary part of life once again. Two years ago, we would not have thought twice about stepping into a small box with a handful of other humans, but that has all changed and the need for more sensitive elevator use and service models is being keenly felt within the industry.

Kone

As an industry leader in the business of elevator and escalator installation, service, and maintenance, Illinois based Kone Corporation is all too aware of the need for innovative solutions to the so-called new normal.

Balancing the importance of keeping people safe with the need for them to feel once again comfortable in public spaces, Kone has been working on several innovations which will help the users of its elevators get back to their lives in the most convenient and responsible way possible.

One challenge is how to keep people moving freely through buildings and other public spaces while reducing crowding and encouraging social distancing. Well, thanks to Kone’s digital people flow planning and consulting service, building managers can now answer this question. Using digital data to predict human traffic, areas can be kept clear, and people kept moving.

"Kone People Flow Planning and Consulting is a custom service that can support the safe return of people to buildings," said Kone in a blog post. "Using expert knowledge, data, and simulation tools, the service provides an understanding of how physical distancing measures impact people flow in a specific building, and what measures could help reduce crowding and bottlenecks. Using artificial intelligence, human behavior models and mathematical modeling, Kone’s People Flow Simulator enables the visual simulation of different scenarios for and journeys within buildings."

Other innovations being deployed by Kone’s service personnel include a phone app which can be used to call elevators and therefore reducing the need to contact potentially contaminating buttons. Improved air filtration systems including an "advanced photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) process developed by NASA for air control on spaceships – to improve air quality in the elevator car by destroying most potential pollutants, like bacteria, viruses, dust and odors," are making it safer to spend time inside elevators.

Kone has also developed KONE Handrail Sanitizer Premium which automatically sanitizes the handrails on its escalator products, preventing users from having to choose between keeping steady and touching a potentially contaminated high traffic surface.

Predictive Maintenance

All these new COVID inspired innovations are supported by Kone’s advanced and proprietary predictive maintenance service.

With so many moving parts in the workplace of the new normal it’s more important than ever to keep everything running smoothly. Nobody in the post-COVID world is going to want to spend a prolonged period of time in a small box with other people should an elevator break down and self-sanitizing handrails and smartphone-based elevator call buttons are only useful so long as they keep operating at maximum effectiveness.

"Predictive maintenance is a smart way to bring peace of mind for people using the equipment, and enjoy a positive business impact," writes Kone. "Consider, for example, the benefits already delivered by Kone 24/7 Connect predictive maintenance service: 40% reduction in maintenance callouts, a 50% reduction in elevator entrapments, and better insights into traffic flow. Now, Kone 24/7 Planner gives customers the chance to use their equipment data to make informed and timely decisions about repairs and modernizations."

Not only does Kone’s predictive maintenance offering make sure everything keeps running as it should but can also provide detailed reports and insights into factors such as building energy consumption, which will help organizations meet their sustainability targets and enjoy the cost savings which come with more efficient buildings.

Final Thoughts

Getting back to something resembling normal life can be a daunting prospect following the last couple of years. However, with the kinds of innovative technologies being deployed by brands such as Kone, we can enjoy a higher level of confidence that the buildings we are returning to are as safe as they possibly can be.

The challenges of post-pandemic building management are certain to be part of the conversation at Field Service Palm Springs 2022, taking place in April at the JW Marriott Desert Springs.

Download the agenda for more information and insights.