Brett Plant does not have a background in geographic information systems (GIS) but is, nonetheless, one of the biggest champions of GIS in the estates management field. Working at The University of Warwick, he instigated the development of a GIS-based digital twin that is transforming the way the University manages its estate and plans for the future. Now, Brett is proactively sharing his experiences with GIS, demonstrating the potential of the digital twin and encouraging other organisations to adopt this new approach to estates and facilities management.
A pioneer of digital twins
Brett has fourteen years’ experience in estates management roles at three universities in the UK. He was at the University of Worcester for eight years, followed by Coventry University for three years, and has been with Warwick since August 2021. As Head of Estates Information and Systems, he has a wide remit covering everything from data analytics and visualisation to technical support for the estates service.
When he joined Warwick, he instantly saw the potential for using GIS to create a digital twin of assets and buildings across the University’s 200-hectare site. He had read about digital twins in the context of construction projects and single buildings and could clearly see how the same concept could be applied across an entire estate. One of the University’s key priorities was to develop an energy-efficient, biodiverse and ‘green’ campus and he was convinced that a digital twin could help it achieve this goal.
From the outset, Brett was full of enthusiasm for the project. He drew on support from colleagues and Esri UK’s Professional Services Team and used Esri’s ArcGIS technology to build a digital twin, now known as the University’s Digital Campus. It consolidates dozens of data sets on natural and man-made assets, including trees, wildlife species, underground pipes, streetlights and buildings, previously held in multiple systems and spreadsheets. “We’ve come such a long way in a short time,” he notes, adding modestly, “I couldn’t have done it without the support of the wider team and senior management.”
It is not an overstatement to say that the Digital Campus has been transformational. Now, access is being widened for facilities and estates management staff, so that they can visualise data on everything from buildings and underground services to biodiversity sightings and energy usage, all in one place, and make better informed decisions. For example, they can easily see where solar panels have been installed, over time, and evaluate how this contributes to the University’s carbon saving targets. They can also see models of where tree roots might be encroaching on underground pipes and proactively address maintenance issues.
Positive change in estates management
Inspired by the success of Warwick Digital Campus, Brett has now embarked on a mission to encourage more people to discover the benefits of using GIS-based digital twins in estates and facilities management. “If I can inspire people to look into GIS and start out on a GIS journey – that, for me, is the most important thing,” he says.
Recently, Brett had the opportunity to deliver a presentation in front of hundreds of GIS professionals and users at the Esri UK Annual Conference, along with his colleague Jo Bishop. “I was nervous at first, but so proud to represent The University of Warwick,” he recalls. “The ability to show what we do to the wider GIS world was such a privilege.”
Following this conference, several organisations have reached out to Brett for advice, from industry sectors including healthcare, local government and construction. “Any organisation that manages an estate or a portfolio of properties can learn from what we have done at The University of Warwick,” he says. “Organisations will have different challenges depending on their particular setting, but we all have very similar requirements when it comes to estates and facilities management.”
Brett is not just a champion for GIS in estates management; he also works to share best practices in Building Information Modelling (BIM). He is Co-Chair of a forum called BIM4Estates, which is affiliated with NIMA (formerly known as the UK BIM Alliance) and supported by the Association of University Directors of Estates (AUDE). So, whether he is organising events through the BIM4Estates forum or sharing his GIS experience with the GIS community, he is actively supporting and encouraging positive change in estates and facilities management.
Clear focus on the user
What is remarkable is that when Brett first envisioned Warwick’s Digital Campus, he was entirely new to GIS. He had experience of creating and managing BIM data of single buildings but had never had any formal GIS training.
Brett has a degree in business management with IT and initially worked at Sainsbury’s where he gained experience in retail, customer service, human resources, payroll and business systems. It is, perhaps, this broad business background that has given Brett his ability to envision the broad uses and benefits of GIS. “I always approach projects, not from the perspective of the technology, but from the perspective of colleagues or customers,” he says. “My focus is on how I can improve the day-to-day lives of the people I work with and enable them to deliver a fantastic experience for staff and students.”
This clear focus on the user is one of the reasons why Brett is so good at communicating the benefits of GIS in estates and facilities management. He can share his experiences and his vision in a very applied way, that other people can understand and relate to. As he recalls, “I was speaking with someone recently who worked at a local authority, and he said that my presentation at the Esri UK Annual Conference spoke to him. When I asked why, he said it was because I wasn’t talking about estate management from a GIS perspective; I was talking about it from the perspective of improving a service for users.”
When talking with people in the estate management and facilities management fields, Brett often finds that they are daunted by the task of adopting GIS. “I spend a lot of time telling people not to be scared,” he explains. “Esri’s ArcGIS Online solution, in particular, has such a user-friendly interface that organisations can start to gain huge benefits from combining and visualising datasets across their estates very easily.”
Ambitious without limit
Brett does not underestimate the challenges that organisations face but has a practical approach to addressing them. “People in estate management are often under-resourced and have little time,” he acknowledges. “It’s easy to think, my data’s in too much of a mess or it’s too much to take on. I always tell them not to be deterred and to break it down into manageable steps. That’s the great thing about a digital twin; you don’t have to do it all at once. Organisations can break it down into manageable steps, start with trees and then add streetlights or something else and build up the benefits gradually.”
In Brett’s opinion, the higher education sector, in particular, has much to gain from using Esri’s ArcGIS suite of solutions for estates and facilities management. “I know the challenges that are faced across the higher education sector, including the lack of funding, resources and time. But the Chest Agreement allows the university sector to access ArcGIS technology at a relatively low cost. Universities and colleges can, therefore, start using ArcGIS quite inexpensively and easily to really transform their estate and facilities management.”
Having led the way in creating one of the UK’s first Digital Campuses, Brett plans to continue to push ahead, by growing the University’s in-house GIS skills and advancing the capabilities of its digital twin. “My colleagues and I want to make the leap to real-time and use dashboards to monitor live data on energy performance, estate usage, compliance data and more,” he enthuses. “Then, for example, if the facilities team can see that a building is unoccupied, it can turn down the heating and turn off the lights. The potential cost savings that could come from real-time data are huge.”
For now, Brett’s ambitions have no limit. “I want to push myself as far as I can go!” he exclaims. “I am keen to share my knowledge as I progress through my career and help lots of people to make places efficient and sustainable. I would never class myself as an expert in GIS, but I’m definitely a champion of it. I can absolutely see the benefits of using GIS in estates management and I’m passionate about sharing my experiences, so that others can benefit too.”
Brett Plant - University of Warwick