September 1, 2025
How VM Elevators’ predict AI will shape the future of lifts.
The lift industry is experiencing a transformative shift, driven by artificial intelligence (AI) and predictive technologies. These advancements will redefine how lift callouts are managed, moving from traditional reactive responses to proactive, data-driven solutions. By leveraging AI, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, and advanced analytics, predictive callout systems enhance lift reliability, safety, and sustainability. This speculative article explores how AI may shape the future of lift callouts, focusing on its potential to revolutionise the industry.
What is Predictive Lift Callout Management?
Predictive lift callout management will use AI, IoT sensors, and real-time data analytics to monitor lift performance and anticipate issues that would trigger service callouts before they occur. Unlike traditional reactive callouts, which address problems after they happen, or scheduled maintenance checks, predictive callout systems will continually analyse data from critical lift components, such as motors, cables, pulleys, and control systems, to detect anomalies and predict potential failures. This approach minimises unknown callouts as you’ll be able to inform the lift company the problem before arrival, extends equipment lifespan, reduces operational costs, and ensures compliance with stringent safety standards, setting a new standard for lift management.
How AI Detection Systems Are Transforming Lift Callouts
AI detection systems are set to revolutionise lift callout management by enabling proactive, data-driven strategies. The key components of this transformation include:
Real-Time Monitoring: IoT sensors will continuously collect data on critical lift components, such as vibration patterns, motor efficiency, cable tension, and door operations. These sensors detect deviations from normal performance, providing early warnings of potential issues that could lead to a callout.
AI-Driven Analytics: Machine learning algorithms analyse sensor data to forecast potential issues, such as mechanical wear or electrical faults, with high accuracy. These predictions enable service teams to address problems before they necessitate emergency callouts.
Proactive Interventions: By calculating the Remaining Time to Downtime (RTD), AI systems prioritise and schedule callouts at optimal times, preventing disruptions and reducing the frequency of urgent service requests.
Universal Compatibility: AI-driven systems are designed to integrate seamlessly with all lift brands and models, ensuring flexibility across diverse building types and lift configurations.
Benefits of AI-Powered Predictive Lift Callout Management
AI-driven predictive lift callout management can offer significant advantages, reshaping the industry’s approach to lift service:
Reduced Downtime: By detecting issues early, AI prevents unexpected breakdowns, reducing the need for emergency callouts and ensuring lifts remain operational for tenants and visitors.
Potential Cost Savings: Proactive interventions set to minimise urgent callouts.
Enhanced Safety: Ideally, real-time monitoring ensures safety features, such as emergency brakes, door sensors, and overspeed governors, function optimally, protecting passengers and meeting European and British safety standards. Although this has yet to be tried and tested.
Environmental Responsibility: AI to optimise lift performance, monitoring energy consumption to support sustainability goals.
Transparency and Insights: Digital dashboards to provide real-time performance data, enabling building managers to monitor lift health, anticipate callout needs, and help the contracted lift company make informed decisions.
Tailored Callout Strategies: AI to customise callout plans to the specific needs of each lift system and building, optimising service for various applications, from residential blocks to commercial high-rises.
Why AI is the Future of Lift Callout Management
The integration of AI into lift callout management addresses several limitations of traditional approaches. Reactive callouts often lead to downtime and emergency repairs. AI-driven predictive callout management overcomes these challenges by:
Anticipating Issues: AI identifies subtle patterns in data, such as early signs of component wear or system inefficiencies, enabling pre-emptive action to inform the designated lift services provider.
Optimising Callout Schedules: By predicting when issues are likely to occur, AI eliminates callout with unknown reasons. Engineers can attend the site fully prepared.
Enhancing Efficiency: AI could ensure lifts operate at peak performance, minimising energy waste and supporting greener building operations.
Adapting to Complexity: As lift systems become more advanced, AI’s ability to process vast amounts of data ensures a lift company is armed with vast amount of data, supporting the technological innovation agenda.
The Future of Lift Callout Management with AI
Speculatively, AI is poised to redefine the lift callout landscape, offering a proactive, efficient, and sustainable approach. AI will not be able to physically fix lifts or solve problems that may arise – but as AI technologies advance, predictive callout management will become increasingly sophisticated, with improved algorithms, more precise sensors, and seamless integration across lift systems. Future developments may include:
Advanced Predictive Models: Enhanced machine learning will enable even more accurate predictions, identifying potential issues further in advance and optimising callout schedules.
Integration with Smart Buildings: AI-driven callout systems will integrate with broader building management systems, coordinating lift performance with energy, security, and occupancy data for holistic efficiency.
Automated Responses: AI could guide automated diagnostic tools or robotic systems.
Sustainability Focus: By tracking energy use, AI will support the lift industry’s shift towards greener, more sustainable practices and modernised lift components.
For building owners, managers and lift companies alike, these potential advancements are set to have a huge impact on the lift industry. As AI continues to evolve, one might think that predictive callout management will become the industry standard, allowing lift companies to be armed with a continual flow of data, ensuring lifts always remain safe, efficient, and future-ready.
If you’d like to discuss your lift and escalator service requirements with VM Elevators call us on 0800 448 8615 or obtain a free service quotation via our online form.
