Facility management professionals with expertise in managing and operating advanced building systems are in greater demand as our world becomes increasingly digitized and automated. To stay competitive in 2022 and beyond, you should stay on top of seven of the most important facility management trends: 1. A Growing Need for Predictive Maintenance 2. The Focus is Shifting to Mobile Apps 3. Environmental and Social Responsibility is Becoming Increasingly Important 4. Connected Devices, IoT, and AI 5. Cloud-based Data Collection and Advanced Analytics 6. The Monitoring of FM Remotely 7. Continually Searching for New Technologies
Trend 1 – A Growing Need for Predictive Maintenance
With predictive maintenance, costs can be reduced and efficiency improved. As we move toward sustainability, we will see this trend become more prevalent.
Although proactive maintenance has experienced growth in recent years, many organizations still use reactive maintenance practices, which are less efficient and more costly than planning ahead.
When maintenance teams have FM software in place that understands how assets are performing, they can predict how to maintain them.
Whenever an asset fails, it must be replaced – manufacturing new replacements and disposing of old ones require a lot more resources. It is possible to reduce this waste significantly with predictive maintenance.
Trend 2 – The Focus is Shifting to Mobile Apps
Facilities management has become increasingly dependent on mobile technology, which is not a new development. In order to enable more comprehensive facility management, apps that combine CAFM and CMMS capabilities are on the rise. This year, mobile apps will be used even more intensively, and they will be equipped with more innovative features.
Facilities managers, maintenance employees, or vendors especially benefit from mobile apps for the following reasons:
- Processes for managing facilities that are faster and more efficient,
- It saves time and effort by not requiring manual labor or lengthy telephone calls.
- The team’s communication is streamlined,
- A more productive FM team – with everything at their fingertips
Managing a facility via a mobile app, like for example Singu FM, can reduce time-consuming phone calls, improve communication among team members, and speed up processes and increase efficiency. This explains why 83% of FMs say mobile technology is beneficial.
Maintenance and FM teams now have access to mobile solutions that provide greater flexibility, better visibility into their schedules, real-time updates on work orders, and better communication between them.
Ensure you choose only real estate software vendors who provide mobile apps for CAFM and CMMS.
Trend 3 – Environmental and Social Responsibility are Becoming Increasingly Important
There has never been a time when environmental issues and climate change have been more prominent than now. Regulations will continue to be introduced as a result of an increasing awareness of the need to protect our planet.
Managing sustainability is becoming increasingly important for facility managers, as it reduces costs, enhances marketability, improves health and safety for occupiers, and enhances the reputation of your facility.
In order to comply with these regulations, buildings and organizations must reduce their carbon footprints. From 2022 onwards, it is expected that FM organizations will increasingly incorporate ESG into their strategy. Software solutions will be used by these companies, for example, in order to reduce energy consumption. Real estate will require an increased use of technology such as the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence, or connected devices.
Trend 4 – Connected Devices, IoT, and AI
By 2022, investments in the Internet of Things (IoT), AI, and connected technologies will become even more prevalent. There are billions of physical devices connected to the Internet of Things, which collect and share data, as you are probably aware.
Facilities management is among the industries that use the technology. IoT-connected devices and sensors can be leveraged by FM departments to, for example:
- Automation of operations,
- Energy efficiency improvements in buildings,
- Improvement of the maintenance processes
The implementation of these tools not only allows FM teams to improve their efficiency and efficiency, but also significantly reduce their carbon footprint. This goal can be achieved by 2022 if you:
- Use intelligent IoT sensors to, for example, to detect when a room is occupied, to only activate lighting, heating, and other climate control systems when people are present
- Utilize an energy management software that tracks real-time energy consumption and identifies ways to reduce it
- Invest in asset management software to extend component lifetimes and reduce component manufacturing costs
Trend 5 – Cloud-based Data Collection and Advanced Analytics
There has been tremendous growth in cloud computing in the past few years, and it is transforming industries around the world. By allowing employees to connect to the internet from anywhere, remote working has become more convenient. As well as faster communication, collaboration, and decision-making, cloud-based applications allow for more efficient collaboration and decision-making.
The facility management profession requires such applications because it coordinates facility maintenance with other business functions. Using a cloud application, for instance, you could submit a service request to alert the appropriate people of a malfunctioning piece of equipment.
The amount of data we generate is increasing, and data analytics is becoming more and more important. Facility managers can take advantage of this trend in several ways:
- Through the use of data analytics, you can streamline business processes and enhance efficiency efforts across your facilities portfolio by generating actionable insights that can be applied to decision-making and preventative maintenance practices
- Cloud computing allows you to analyze data collected across multiple platforms and locations in real time
- Data collected from one building can be used to determine maintenance decisions in others if you manage a portfolio of buildings. This could also lead to AI-based predictive maintenance.
Trend 6 – The Monitoring of FM Remotely
The ease, accessibility, and affordability of remote monitoring have increased in recent years, and many organizations have adopted this technology (additionally impacted by COVID-19).
Water consumption, building security, air quality, temperature, and other systems can be monitored from a single location through wireless sensors, cameras, and other technologies. Managing dispersed real estate portfolios will require remote FM monitoring even more.
By utilizing these data, organizations can better manage assets by determining how space is used and maximizing utilization. Identifying patterns will allow asset management to be more efficient, planning maintenance in accordance with actual needs rather than following a fixed schedule, and measuring environmental impacts to make sustainability programs more effective.
Trend 7 – Continually Searching for New Technologies
New technology solutions will be more likely to be considered by facilities teams facing labor shortages or wishing to enhance service quality.
In spite of a labor shortage, IT solutions can help you manage it and still deliver excellent service.
The use of technology can boost team productivity and streamline workflows. Make sure your facility’s staff is trained on the latest technologies so that you can make the most of your facility’s operation. For this reason, look for experienced software vendors with the right support and implementation teams that can provide instructional materials that make understanding the software solutions easier.
Conclusions
Running a business involves many aspects, including facility management, but it is often overlooked. This includes everything from maintaining the building and grounds to managing office equipment and supplies, all in order to create and maintain a safe and productive work environment. Facilities management has undergone several changes in recent years that businesses should be aware of.
The article examined some of the latest facility management trends. Facility managers and building owners need to keep up with changing technology so that they can remain competitive. Get in touch with Velis Real Estate Techif you want to learn more about Singu FM – facility management system to try it out.
