Harness the IoT with Our New Restroom of the Future CEU

Welcome to the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

You’ve probably heard the term “Internet of Things,” often abbreviated as “IoT.” Many of the objects in our lives—cars, phones, wearable devices, and kitchen appliances, to name a few—now communicate with each other, transmitting and storing data that’s transforming virtually every industry.

Many commercial architects and designers are enthusiastically embracing this ongoing digital transformation, and its technological advancements are changing the way commercial restrooms are designed.

Sloan’s new continuing education course—The Restroom of the Future: Designing Connected, User-Friendly, and Sustainable Commercial Restrooms—will guide you and your team to a better understanding of how IoT technology is transforming commercial restroom design. It will:

• Review the three “I’s”—Intelligence, Insights, and Interaction—that IoT facilitates and the role that IoT plays in privacy and sustainability.
• Describe why IoT will become more prominent in commercial restrooms.
• Understand how IoT can improve user experience and sustainability in restrooms of the future.
• Examine how to improve restrooms through forward-thinking design and innovative technology.

This course will discuss these issues and more, with a look at innovative designs and technologies that will help you create connected, user-friendly, sustainable commercial restrooms.

The Three “I’s”—Intelligence, Insights, and Interaction

Architects and designers should have a thorough understanding of the three significant advantages IoT technology gives commercial building managers:

• Intelligence—letting them remotely monitor systems such as faucets, flushometers, soap dispensers, and hand dryers, and collect data on hours of operation, the number of activations, accumulated activation time, accumulated water usage, and battery level.
• Insight—alerting facility management to issues such as low battery power, run-on toilets and faucets, and loss of communication, so they can control water usage and optimize maintenance.
• Interaction—facilitating data collection and delivering information to facility managers that keeps them aware of issues, so they can respond in real time to improve customer satisfaction, save time, and lower costs.

Why IoT Will Become More Prominent in Commercial Restrooms

Restrooms usually comprise a small percentage of a commercial building’s budget, but they can have a significant impact on how users perceive the entire property. For instance, 73% of tenants say a bad restroom reflects poor management, and 60% say an unhygienic restroom lowers their opinion of a building.

IoT technology helps property and facility managers identify and resolve issues before they occur, sending real-time data about restroom demand via flush monitors, sensors embedded in paper and soap dispensers, and sensor faucets. These benefits don’t just keep restrooms cleaner; they also help facilities:

• Reduce costs
• Increase revenue
• Reduce risk
• Support regulatory compliance

How IoT Can Improve User Experience and Sustainability

By delivering timely, insightful, actionable data, IoT restroom technology lets facility managers respond to issues in real time. This responsiveness can improve user satisfaction, sustainability, and occupant wellness, while also saving time and lowering costs. For example, IoT sensors can:

• Send an alert to initiate a line flush to minimize the risk of stagnant water and microbial growth.
• Track total activations per flushometer or faucet, allowing for predictive maintenance.
• Detect run-ons and double flushes to conserve water.
• Track water usage by product type and restroom to identify potential water conservation measures.
• Track how many people wash their hands and for how long—which is particularly useful in healthcare and institutional facilities.

Sloan CEU courses

Sloan is uniquely qualified to help you learn the latest tactics in commercial bathroom design. Thousands of people have taken our online courses, and we’ve conducted hundreds of “lunch & learn” courses.

See our complete selection of industry-leading continuing education courses.

Sloan helps architects, designers, engineers, and building owners create stylish, sustainable commercial restrooms. Like to know more? Talk to Sloan!