Combining digital and traditional FM
The first way technology can help is in analysing the potential risks to your buildings and assets. Smart technologies can rapidly analyse data to accurately identify the risk of flooding for particular sites and buildings. AI technologies can also be used to assess wider climate-related risks to assets, buildings and estates. By understanding the risks posed by flooding, storms, fires, water shortages and other climate impacts, building managers can make plans to mitigate those risks. 

Predictive risk analysis 
Alongside this, we can deploy technology to predict when climate-related events are likely to impact our buildings – so we can prepare appropriately. That means analysing data from sensors and IoT devices around our buildings – combined with information from the Met office, Environment Agency and other data providers – to understand when buildings are most likely to be at risk. 

Optimising buildings for a hybrid workforce 
As technology advances, building managers also need to adapt to new working practices. It’s widely recognised that technology and the automation of tasks are reducing the need for physical presence in the workplace. In some cases, AI is replacing many administrative and process-related jobs altogether. In addition, new augmented reality applications are enabling the benefits of in-person meetings to be replicated more accurately for remote workers. 

This has implications for the way we manage our workplaces and deliver our workplace services. It means workplaces may be occupied less frequently and at different times throughout the working week. Building managers need to find more efficient ways of optimising the work environment to suit these flexible working patterns. 

AI driven automated monitoring and maintenance 
Facilities managers are already familiar with using smart building management systems to manage heating, lighting and other building assets in the most efficient way – to provide comfortable, well-serviced workplaces while minimising energy wastage. It’s now increasingly possible to automate many monitoring and control tasks within buildings, to improve efficiency and minimise the need for manual intervention. Assets such as boilers, pumps and meters can be monitored remotely, and optimised for energy efficiency. 

AI can help to take this optimisation even further. Through constant monitoring and analysis, it can track the performance of building assets, detect anomalies and identify faults at an early stage before they cause a problem. It can help building managers carry out maintenance tasks more accurately and efficiently, while reducing the need to send out engineers to fix problems. 

Reskilling for digital building management 
As demand for space in the workplace decreases, and technology is deployed to help us operate buildings more efficiently, there will be a need to reskill the facilities management workforce. Retraining and upskilling employees with data and digital skills will be an important part of preparing to manage the workplaces of the future.