Chevalier’s dedication and capability commended at the HKB Technology Excellence Awards

Advancements in technology have created an instant-on culture in the past decade. Starting from our business environment, this expectation of immediate results is increasingly invading our homes and personal lives, bringing efficiency, speed, and convenience to our lives through the Internet of Things, cashless e-payments, and even virtual customer services, to name a few.

One shining example of how modern technology has impacted home life is InnoCell, a smart living and co-creation space located in the Hong Kong Science & Technology Parks (HKSTP). The property is dedicated to founders and employees of the parks’ companies, as well as for visiting academics, scientists, and technology professionals.

Whilst it may seem like InnoCell is your normal rental apartment, it distinguishes itself as a smart space equipped with the latest technologies that make any living space convenient. Construction of InnoCell began in early 2019 and was opened for admission in 2021. To implement the management’s dream of creating personalised experiences for and collaboration amongst its residents, Chevalier (Network Solutions) Limited (CNK) was awarded as the smart system provider of the project in January 2020, to create the InnoCell Smart Living Solution.

“When we met our client 3 years ago, we realised that they were not planning to run a traditional hotel just for staying,” said C L Lau, Senior Manager of Chevalier’s System Integration Division. “Instead, InnoCell is a co-working and co-living place for people to collaborate, share ideas, and inspire innovation. It also offers a unique smart living experience to the residents, who are mostly IT professionals working in the park. as one integrated, seamless system through a multilevel application programming interface.

“The client wanted to explore how technology can refine IT solutions to achieve their goals at InnoCell. So, standard IT deployment is not enough,” C L Lau added.

From Check-in to Check-out

The result of this close collaboration with vendors is a cutting-edge, end-to-end solution which applied to the entire spectrum of property management processes. From the moment a resident or guest is admitted through the web-based system, to checking in and finally to checking out, the convenience of this smart living experience is enjoyed by both the resident and the property operator.

Smart Living, Smooth Management

As a smart system provider, Chevalier was not only tasked with creating a smart living environment for the residents, but also developing an effective facilities management system for the property’s operator.

The scope covered the design and development of mobile applications and other software, as well as the implementation of the hardware for a gamut of functions. This included the hotel property management system (PMS), admission system, facial recognition access control, CCTV system, an e-payment gateway, home automation, IoT integration, and ICT installation.

To add to the challenge, Chevalier had to ensure that all these digital functions worked

The InnoCell Smart Living Solution features an intelligent admission system that “scores” the applications according to predefined criteria. Once approved, the successful applicant will be notified by email to make the initial e-payment and reserve a room through the property management system.

Following the InnoCell Living APP account activation, applicants are then given access to the self-check-in, face recognition, lift control, home automation control, wifi, and e-wallet with minimal manual intervention.

Residents will also be able to book InnoCell facilities, including the function hall, meeting room, music room, game zone, yoga place, and BBQ site, amongst others.

For housekeeping and maintenance jobs placed in the InnoCell Living APP, the duty manager can assign and dispatch jobs to the frontline worker, who receives, performs, and reports on their status through the Staff App.

Work automation has brought not only enhanced operational efficiency but also savings in the resources required. To date, InnoCell requires only 17 staff to operate the property.

“Chevalier’s performance has fulfilled our expectations,” said Mr Felix Tang, Director of the Project & Development Division at Hong Kong Science & Technology Parks.

“They were experienced and proactive to deliver in collaboration with the employer, consultants and main contractor whilst maintaining good quality and innovative solutions within the required timeframe.” “They have demonstrated their strong commitment, professionalism, and capability to craft the smart system for this sophisticated project. The dedicated efforts of Chevalier are remarkable and highly commended,” Mr Felix Tang concluded.