ISSA Enlists Smart Building Bootcamp, Data

ROSEMONT, IL -- Buildings collect more data today than ever, and ISSA has partnered with Smart Building Bootcamp to give cleaning and facility professionals a way to turn sensor readings, occupancy numbers and connected building systems into decisions that change staffing, energy use and contract terms.

Smart Building Bootcamp is an online training and video platform founded by Michael Grant, who has spent more than 10 years working in software and proptech. Grant built the platform after noticing companies across the building services industry wanted to learn about emerging technology, but had nowhere to go for a common, jargon-free explanation.

“There was not one single place where they could go and get a common thread of information in a common language, removing the jargon,” Grant said.

ISSA members can reach the jointly branded site at smartbuildingbootcamp.com. A handful of free courses let members test the material before committing, and paid access is organized into three tracks that can be taken individually or as a full course.

Occupancy data
Grant pointed to a university client in Florida that saved $3 million on energy costs over three years simply by adjusting heating and cooling around real occupancy instead of assumed capacity.

Another client cut cleaning frequency on its quietest day after occupancy data showed a building built for 450 people regularly held only 10 on Fridays, allowing one team instead of two to cover that shift.

Robotics and indoor air quality remain two areas building service contractors often overlook, Grant said, despite falling equipment costs and mounting research linking air quality to occupant productivity.

He urged facility teams to settle on clear goals before choosing a platform, then insist on systems that share data openly rather than lock customers into a single vendor. He explained that the data a building generates belongs to the customer, not the software provider, and that any platform handling it should carry SOC 2 Type 2 or ISO 27001 compliance with annual, third-party penetration testing.

“Whatever platform people use, they should be looking at a platform that is open and connected to other platforms because you don’t want vendor lock-in,” Grant said.

Grant said Smart Building Bootcamp adds new courses based on what members ask for, including a recent course addressing workforce aging in the cleaning industry. ISSA members interested in the free courses or the partner discount can start at smartbuildingbootcamp.com.

“We’re partnering with ISSA, The Association for Cleaning and Facility Solutions, to help cleaning and facilities professionals build confidence in the technologies shaping modern buildings,” said Grant, who is offering a 10% discount code to anyone connected with ISSA; interested members can email him directly at mg@smartbuildingbootcamp.com..

“Together, we’ll support practical education on smart buildings, AI, robotics, cybersecurity, energy optimization and the future of facilities operations.

“Our buildings are getting smarter – just like the people running them.”