What are the common mistakes made when buying smart urban furniture?
Smart urban furniture is not just a new generation of products for municipalities; it's an integral part of public space management, energy planning, digital infrastructure, and long-term operational strategy. However, field reality shows that many municipalities make purchasing decisions based on superficial rather than technical criteria. This approach leads to systems that appear to work at first glance quickly becoming obsolete, failing to produce the expected benefits, and resulting in inefficient use of public resources.
clearly addresses the most common technical mistakes municipalities make when purchasing smart city furniture
1. Treating Smart Urban Furniture as a "Product" Instead of Seeing It as a "System"
The most fundamental mistake municipalities make is considering smart urban furniture as a standalone product. However, a smart bench, bus stop, or public facility is a holistic system .
Purchases made solely based on design, the presence of a USB port, or Wi-Fi capability often fail in the field. This is because the true performance of such systems lies in unseen components: energy balance, battery life, electronic protection level, and remote monitoring infrastructure.
Field experience shows that smart city furniture installed without a systems approach generally experiences performance degradation within the first six months. The main reason for this is the failure to balance energy production and consumption, and the lack of upfront planning for maintenance.
should evaluate the product not based on whether it "works when first installed," but whether it is sustainable in a 10-year usage scenario
Propysalford's approach treats smart urban furniture not as a standalone object, but as a system integrated into urban infrastructure. This distinction directly determines the quality of the purchasing decision.
2. Not basing energy and battery calculations on actual usage
One of the most common technical mistakes in solar-powered smart city furniture is basing energy calculations on theoretical data. The mere fact that a product is labeled "solar-powered" does not guarantee year-round stable operation.
In many projects, solar panel area, battery capacity, and daily energy consumption are determined based on catalog data rather than actual usage scenarios. This often leads to systems being completely out of service, especially during winter months.
The correct approach is to calculate the energy budget based on the worst-case scenario . Low sunshine duration, short days, cold weather conditions, and increased energy demand must be considered together. Otherwise, the system may work flawlessly in the summer months but be perceived as "malfunctioning" in the winter months.
Similar mistakes are made in battery selection. Batteries chosen solely based on capacity value experience a rapid loss of performance because cycle life, temperature resistance, and deep discharge tolerance are not taken into consideration.
In Propysalford projects, energy and battery calculations are performed taking into account regional climate data and actual usage periods. This ensures that the systems remain operational throughout the year.
3. Failure to Plan Maintenance and Operation Processes During the Purchasing Phase
Another critical mistake is thinking of smart city furniture as systems that are simply "installed and left." However, all smart systems require regular monitoring and planned maintenance. Despite this, many municipalities fail to define how this process will be managed during the procurement phase.
If maintenance schedules, spare parts access, software updates, and remote monitoring infrastructure are not clearly defined, systems will eventually become unmanageable. Failures are often only noticed through citizen complaints, at which point the cost increases significantly.
In products without a modular design, a minor electronic malfunction can cause the entire system to shut down. This creates operational difficulties and leads to a loss of trust in the public sphere.
The correct procurement approach is to make maintenance and operation criteria an integral part of the tender and technical specifications . Which components are replaceable, maintenance intervals, and remote monitoring capabilities should be clearly defined from the outset.
Propysalford's smart city furniture is designed with maintenance and operation processes in mind. The aim is to reduce the operational burden on municipalities.
4. Preparing the Technical Specifications Like a Marketing Text
Another common mistake made by municipalities is using marketing terms instead of measurable criteria in technical specifications. Terms like "durable," "long-lasting," and "smart" are expressions that have no technical equivalent.
A sound technical specification clear and verifiable criteria .
Otherwise, products of different quality levels will look the same, making a healthy comparison impossible. This can lead to errors right from the start of the purchasing process.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the most common mistake municipalities make when purchasing smart city furniture?
Evaluating smart city furniture as a single product rather than as a system.
Why don't solar-powered smart benches work in winter?
Because of incorrect energy budget calculations and insufficient battery capacity.
Why is maintenance critical for smart city furniture?
Systems that are not properly maintained quickly become unusable, leading to a waste of public resources.
What criteria must be included in the technical specifications?
Energy balance, battery life, modularity, electronic protection, and remote monitoring criteria.
Related: Glossary of Smart Urban Furniture
