MIT Sloan Management Review Article on Driving Operational Cost Savings With the Internet of Things

Facilities maintenance has long been overlooked by proponents of the internet of things. That’s changing — and the potential savings for companies that adopt data-based operations management is enormous.

For many retailers, facilities management has become a significant part of their customers’ overall brand experience. Based on my experience and recent interviews with a number of store managers and facilities executives at major global retailers, more and more CEOs, chief operating officers, and chief marketing officers are doing spot “walk-throughs” of individual locations, paying close attention to the critical, yet unglamorous, elements of retail. Operations executives are facing scrutiny if anything in renovations, maintenance, or repairs disrupts or denigrates the overall customer experience.