The Future Of FM


Consolidation, AI And Data-Driven Decisions: What’s Next For Facilities Management


Facilities management has embraced digitisation in recent years. Despite this, many buildings are still suffering from inefficiencies.CEO of OTI, Brian Turner, discusses how facilities and space managers can best harness technology to thrive in 2025, and what’s next for the industry.


With two decades of experience within the building technology industry,


I’ve seen the sector grow from its infancy, to the


sophisticated landscape we have today. Despite this progress, many buildings are simply not harnessing the full potential of digitisation, wasting precious time and money. Looking forward into the next twelve months, we’re likely to see further consolidation within the smart buildings space, more demand for Master Systems Integrators (MSI), the continued growth of AI and an increasing emphasis on data.


Facilities managers Survey are


complex workload than ever before. RICS 2024 UK Facilities Management


found


tasked a


net balance expectations of increased workloads within the sector1 with a heavier and more


of +65% for . From


tightened budgets to increased pressures to meet regulatory and sustainability requirements, facilities and space managers need the appropriate technology to rise to these challenges.


Fortunately, alongside this increased technologies are becoming more advanced.


It’s impossible to ignore the impact of AI in the building technology space, which will only continue to grow in 2024. The progress we’ve seen in the last few years with AI-driven predictive maintenance, data analytics and space optimisation will continue to flourish. Overall, facilities management still has a lot to gain from the added efficiency and heightened tenant experience AI can enable.


The building technology landscape today is unrecognisable from 20 years ago when I entered the space. There’s a plethora of technologies available from digital twins to BIM and IoT sensors, all designed to enhance the efficiency and experience of a space. Despite the wealth of innovative software and hardware services on offer, many buildings aren’t making the most of this technology.


08 fmuk pressure, building


Even when deploying the right technologies, if systems aren’t fully integrated, efficiency will be stifled. Using a collection of disparate, incohesive systems creates data silos. This prevents facility managers from gaining a holistic insight into their buildings and the information to make the necessary changes. Without a unified integrated approach, investment even in the best technology will be wasted.


Next year, we’ll see a trend towards further consolidation of smart


building technologies. The growing complexity of


facilities management and buildings necessitates the use of Master Systems Integrators. MSIs can enable facilities managers to unlock a building’s full potential. By integrating each system within a building, spaces can benefit from enhanced security, sustainability, access to data, increased efficiency and an elevated tenant experience.


As smart buildings become increasingly popular and advanced, in the coming year we’ll see this technology play a key role in a building’s overall value. Especially buildings that benefit from MSIs, will be increasingly valuable due to elevated data analysis and enhanced asset management capabilities.


Whilst data has long been crucial for facilities management, data availability and transparency will increasingly drive decision- making in the coming years. With growing operational and sustainability demands on facilities managers, consolidated, in-depth and easily usable data is more important than ever. An MSI which facilitates a centralised and automated approach to data insights will be essential for future-proof decision-making.


Overall, next year will see a wider and more sophisticated adoption of technologies, particularly MSIs, within facilities management. A unified and holistic approach to building technology will enable facilities managers to rise to the regulatory, environmental, financial and operational challenges of 2025 and beyond.


1: RICS UK Facilities Management Survey, (2024), https://www.rics.org/content/dam/ricsglobal/documents/market-surveys/uk-facilities-management-survey/q1-2024-rics-facilities-management-survey.pdf


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