Research Overview

People flow solutions (PFS) is a term newly introduced in the building systems industry. It generally defines the technologies or solutions applied for people flow control and management in and outside of a building. PFS has an increasingly significant role to play in conjunction with the rapid urbanization, where human and road traffic are getting dense, along with the advancement of digital technology, which drives PFS implementation. PFS are best applied in scenarios such as smart cities, which have the aim to build sustainable, energy-efficient, and livable cities, despite the growing urban population. However, there are several concerns for PFS adoption, namely system costs, suitable implementation policies, and data privacy (some PFS systems publicize users’ data for crowd analytics and city planning purposes).

In this study, 7 types of PFS have been discussed, together with their respective technology trends. Overall, the progress of PFS is becoming smarter in term of user identification and personalization, with improved speed and accuracy, than the conventional manual mechanisms. A section of the study profiles 8 key PFS providers in the market, covering the type of PFS they offer, their end users, and their strengths. A value chain diagram featuring the stakeholders involved in PFS market is also included.

In the context of Asia-Pacific smart cities, PFS becomes relevant in addressing the challenges that come with increasing people density and traffic congestion, while maintaining the cities’ economy competitiveness in the region. PFS are foreseen to have flourishing implementation in countries such as Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, and South Korea in the near future. This is mainly attributed to factors such as maturity of the ICT network for city-scale operation and the IT literacy of their citizens.