Clear need for action in smart building management
A recent ZHAW study shows that despite high expectations, only 35% of buildings use smart building solutions. The newly developed SBM Index Real Estate & Facility Management Switzerland 2025 is at 51 out of 100 points - a signal that there is a need to catch up.
Smart Building Management (SBM) is seen as the key to increasing energy efficiency, cost-effectiveness and transparency in building operations. However, a recent study by the ZHAW shows that despite high expectations, implementation in practice is often fragmented.
Great potential is recognized
The study is based on an online survey of 478 specialists and managers from real estate, facility management and related functions in Switzerland. 78% of respondents see a high or very high potential for SBM, particularly in terms of increasing efficiency in facility management and reducing energy consumption and CO₂ emissions.
«Smart building management has arrived in practice, but not yet where it could be,» says Prof. Dr. Andrea González, head of the Smart Building Management competence group at the ZHAW. «Many organizations use individual digital solutions without systematically linking or strategically managing them.»
Gap between aspiration and reality
At the same time, there is a clear gap between aspiration and reality: SBM is currently only used in around 35% of known buildings - often selectively and not across portfolios. The level of maturity also remains low in many organizations: isolated solutions predominate, while data-driven, integrated approaches are the exception.
The newly developed SBM Index Real Estate & Facility Management Switzerland 2025 is at 51 out of 100 points: a clear signal that there is a need to catch up. With the SBM Index, the ZHAW has for the first time created an instrument that maps the implementation status of smart building management in a structured and comparable way. It serves as an orientation framework for owners, operators and facility management organizations.
High investment costs as an obstacle
The main obstacles cited by respondents were high investment costs, technical complexity and integration into existing systems. In addition, the benefits of smart building solutions are often not systematically measured. «Without clear target images, measurement concepts and sufficient expertise, the actual added value of smart building management often remains invisible,» says González.
«Our results clearly show that the higher the degree of maturity of the implementation, the more energy savings, efficiency gains and regulatory targets are actually achieved,» the head of the study continues.
Source and further information: www.zhaw.ch
