A Renowned Shopping Complex in Asia: Optimizing Operations and Enhancing Customer Experience through a Smart Management Platform

Spanning a vast area with numerous shops and high foot traffic, the shopping complex's intricate operations required an intelligent solution to data automate collection and analysis across various aspects of its operations. This approach would ease the management burden and improve efficiency. The IoTSuite platform, with its ability to manage diverse operational data, was the ideal choice for building the shopping complex's smart management platform. Andy Lu, Director of Tian Qi Intelligence Co., Ltd., who oversaw the implementation of Advantech's system in the mall, noted that before its introduction, the mall had a central monitoring system covering electricity, lighting, air conditioning, water supply and drainage, and security/fire systems. However, the decentralized nature of data from these individual subsystems created significant management challenges. Therefore, the first step was to implement IoTSuite's DataInsight platform to integrate and analyze the heterogeneous data from the five major systems. Next, IoTSuite's VisualSuite was used to create a visual management interface that presents the data through 3D building diagrams and various charts. This approach allows administrators to capture the operational status of each piece of equipment at a glance and make optimal management decisions. For example, if any equipment malfunctions, the system immediately notifies relevant personnel with an alarm and displays the location of the faulty equipment with on-site CCTV images on the 3D graphic control interface. This enables administrators to clearly understand the issue and respond quickly with an appropriate solution.

To optimize the customer experience, the shopping complex later developed several application systems based on its operational needs: First, it implemented Advantech's Patrol Inspection system to ensure smoother equipment operation, a cleaner environment, and enhanced safety. Nate Sun, Manager of Tian Qi Intelligence explained that the Patrol Inspection system replaces manual record-keeping with digital tools like tablets, significantly improving the accuracy of inspections and overall management efficiency. For example, when maintenance personnel detect abnormalities during inspections, they can quickly identify the cause, capture images of the issue with their tablet, and upload them directly to the system. Similarly, cleaning staff can take photos and upload them after completing inspections in each area, allowing administrators to remotely verify the cleanliness and orderliness of the shopping complex's environment, providing a clear and real-time view of operational status.

Second, the People Flow Analysis System enables administrators to monitor foot traffic at different times and on different floors, allowing them to adjust marketing strategies accordingly. Additionally, the Vehicle Flow Analysis System displays real-time insights into parking utilization within the shopping complex and integrates external data, such as available spaces in nearby parking lots and current traffic congestion levels. This integration helps security personnel make effective adjustments based on real-time conditions.   As the shopping complex transitions to a smart management model that can flexibly adapt to real-time operational needs, it has significantly reduced congestion for both people and vehicles, thereby enhancing the shopping experience. Looking ahead, administrators could leverage vehicle flow data to gain valuable operational insights, such as calculating the average spending per vehicle or analyzing differences in transaction amounts and purchasing behavior between customers who drive and those who do not. Such insights could guide future booth layouts, promotional activities, and parking discount strategies.

To achieve its sustainability goals of reducing carbon emissions, the shopping complex adopted Advantech's Intelligent Energy Management Solution (iEMS) with the ECOWatch energy management system. This system centralizes the monitoring of energy consumption across five major equipment categories. Mr. Sun explained that ECOWatch collects real-time electricity usage data from all energy-consuming devices in the shopping complex, replacing the traditional practice of manual meter readings by audit staff. This shift not only reduces labor costs but also improves the accuracy of energy consumption data. Additionally, administrators can compare historical data to proactively identify abnormal energy usage patterns.   Moreover, ECOWatch enables detailed analysis of electricity usage by individual floors and retail units, allowing administrators to understand the energy consumption of each area. This information provides a basis for subsequent operational analysis of the stores based on their energy usage ratios.

“The shopping complex in this project implemented a variety of complex systems with complicated applications, which posed significant challenges for Tian Qi Intelligence's system integration capabilities,” admitted Mr. Sun. He elaborated on the challenges faced during implementation, such as enabling the shopping complex's IT personnel to quickly perform secondary development, integrating data from the five major systems—mechanical, electrical, air conditioning, and others—into IoTSuite, and implementing the Patrol Inspection system with minimal impact on existing workflows. To address these challenges, the low-code nature of IoTSuite enabled the shopping complex's IT personnel to quickly become proficient and develop additional applications. Meanwhile, DataInsight’s robust integration capabilities allowed for the seamless merging of heterogeneous data from the five systems and open network data, significantly reducing the complexity of the system integration effort for Tian Qi Intelligence. Given the remarkable results of this implementation, the solution is well-suited for industries managing large-scale facilities. This has led to Tian Qi Intelligence extending its partnership with Advantech to replicate this application model in the healthcare sector.