Competitive tendering and price pressures in new building continue to focus attention on capital costs. This is in spite of the evidence that operating costs typically amount to almost three times the capital required in acquiring the building. Moreover, the figures do not reflect the maintenance costs that can also be twice the capital build costs. The time to invest in equipment and systems that reduce operational costs is clearly at the time the building is commissioned. This can be achieved without increasing the capital expenditure only if a convergent approach is adopted from the beginning. A further consideration, which is never considered in any value chain, is that for most commercial buildings, the staff that reside in it make up about 80 percent of the operational costs. Intelligent building schemes can significantly improve the performance of this massive operational investment, through an improved environment and greater efficiency within the workplace infrastructure.
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