Leading UAE-based IT smart Facilities Management (FM) solutions company HITEK Services, which is part of the Farnek group of companies, is to start a pilot project with the Bank of Khartoum (BOK) to digitalise it’s facilities operations.

Working with HITEK’s Khartoum-based partner, TAD FM, the pilot will start at BOK’s branches in Khartoum East Sector. Initially, to complete the pilot project BOK has ordered five CAFMTek licences and will install eight IOTek sensors to monitor footfall, temperature, vibration and voltage, amongst others. Once the pilot is completed and if successful, it will be rolled out across BOK’s 140 branches to help digitalise and integrate all of their facility operations.

These state-of-the-art connected, automated and intelligent FM solutions complement a leaner and more sustainable operational process, improving productivity, lowering costs and reducing energy consumption. The solution digitalises, connects and automates facilities management, using innovative technologies that integrate people, process, assets and facilities logically and seamlessly.

One unique feature is HITEK’s WhatsApp AI Chatbot, which provides connectivity to onsite project teams wherever they are, through an integrated mobile CAFM, streamlining service requests and once complete an automated closure notification. This provides real-time visibility across various services and can also monitor, escalate and report dynamically through mobility, web portal and automated email reports.

Commenting about the project, Javeria Aijaz, MD – HITEK Services, said, “This landmark project will digitalise BOK’s conventional FM, into smart, sustainable and secure digital facility operations, monitoring and controlling their assets as well the performance of their FM teams.”

“With a centralised and dynamic AI dashboard, our cloud-based solution will provide continuous management and transparency for BOK’s operations, across all 140 sites.”

Headquartered in Khartoum, BOK is the largest and oldest bank in Sudan managing assets worth USD 2 billion. It was established in 1913 and by 1954 it was rebranded as Barclay’s Bank. Almost fifty years later, after the bank had been nationalised by the Sudanese government, in 2001 the bank was privatised, with UAE-based Dubai Islamic Bank, taking a 60% share.

Across the group it has almost 3,000 employees with 150 branches and cash offices and over 325 ATM /CDMs, the largest branch and ATM network in Sudan, offering services to corporate, retail, microfinance and investment business sectors.

HITEK signed an agency agreement with Khartoum-based TAD FM in July 2022. It is one of largest FM companies in Sudan and has a workforce of over 1,500 employees spread across Sudan, Egypt and the wider North and East African regions.

Also headquartered in Khartoum, award-winning TAD, which focuses on delivering a both hard and soft FM services, has grown five-fold over the last five years to become one of the most prominent facilities management companies in the region.

“Given Sudan’s geography, HITEK’s mobility solution will make BOK’s operations more cost-efficient and sustainable. Their unique WhatsApp Chatbot will make it simple to submit and automate support requests. Whether it’s service requests, audits, or management reporting, the mobile solution ensures technicians and supervisors can communicate with each other in real time, efficiently and effectively,” said Mohamed Abdelhamied – CEO TAD.