What do you know about smart units? What IS a smart unit? This is a new and evolving term that could end up defining the future of self storage.
In this Gabfocus Spotlight, Hayden Buettner (Janus International) and Kristi Adams (OpenTech Alliance) tell us their views on what constitutes a smart unit.
Question: "What is a smart unit?"
Check out the video clip below to hear their answers:
In this Gabfocus Session: Security, Gates, and Smart Units, we talked about all things security with experts Kristi Adams (OpenTech Alliance), Hayden Buettner (Janus International), and Kevin Alvarado (Storable). Our panelists talked about key security features to include at your facility, what security means to them, and more!
Check out the full Session to dive deeper!
Don't want to watch the clip? Here's what Hayden and Kristi had to say:
It's definitely a flexible definition.
Really, I just think in regards to units that offer levels of benefits beyond just traditional self storage management.
So things that offer data reporting, enhanced security, preferably all in one as a solution. Really anything I think that offers just those added benefits kind of falls under the classification of smart unit.
And again, there's gradations there because some providers offer features geared more towards a specific market than others. I really just think it's unit-level solutions that offer enhanced data reporting, enhanced security features to one extent or another."
—Hayden Buettner
"And I might back it up a layer or two using what we call an IOE or IOT of smart devices that are all collecting data.
I know someone said we've collected more data in the last two years than ever. That can track from anywhere in the world.
You can let somebody in. You can open the gate. You can change your climate control through your HVAC.
We have a whole section of smart devices that you can purchase today. We have one called Smart Door, and it will tell you if anybody comes to the door and tries to open it. If it's open, it will count as door open. If it's a contact that's not open.
So you can see "I'm missing customers."
"Oh, my gosh. That was when the manager was at lunch."
So I would say, look at the smart technologies in our space. Start there because there's so much you can learn about how tenants are using your facility and or maybe gaps that you're missing them.
You're missing: ten customers came to our door at 06:00 P.M. And we close at 5:30. Let's extend one more hour.
So I think smart facilities is a really great concept. We've seen operators that run that model, and it's certainly been beneficial to them."
—Kristi Adams
