Outsourcing facility management services has become an increasingly emerging trend due to its proven ability to not only be valuable but also a goldmine of savings. How are organizations currently managing their facility services?
With technology and innovation constantly evolving, it’s crucial for facility managers to stay on top of facility management (FM) trends and incorporate them into your business models. Embracing these trends can unlock potential for greater operational efficiency and it can position your business with a competitive advantage by being seen as a cutting-edge leader in FM solutions.
But when looking at all the new technologies and innovations out there, it can be overwhelming to know where to start or which product or software to adopt for your business. Let’s break down the 5 facility management trends you should be aware of and the pros and cons for each of them.
Staying Up to Date with Facility Management Trends
Adopting new trends allows for greater operational efficiency and can position your business with a competitive advantage. This benefits the overall landscape of the future of facilities management and creates the opportunity for productive growth. It’s vital for facility managers to do research and be knowledgeable about FM trends so they can make a selection that’s best suited for their business.
Awareness of Facility Management Trends is Important for Productivity
Let’s start with why the awareness and implementation of trends is beneficial. Simply put, adopting emerging facility management trends can reduce total operational costs and improve productivity. This further enhances the opportunity for strategic sales, communication, and marketing plans.
Top 5 Innovative Facility Management Trends
Let’s break down the top 5 facility management trends that should be on your radar, including their pros and cons:
Drone Technology
A drone is a term that refers to an aircraft that operates autonomously with minimal human assistance. Robotics, specifically drones, are no longer reserved for science fiction. They’re quickly proving to be game changers from the future. They allow building owners and facility managers opportunities to reshape facility management practices with precision and safety like never before. This new facility management technology may be the solution to reducing manual operations for increased productivity.
Data Analytics & AI
A recent survey conducted with 500 facility decision makers from various industries showed that 78% deployed smart building technology, and the same percentage (78%) saw an increase in energy efficiency and cost reduction as a result of using data and technology. Data analytics and AI can complement each other to deliver real-time data to gain awareness into how various systems within a facility are optimizing performance while also lowering their carbon footprint. Identifying trends and behaviours in energy usage and operations can help facilities generate solutions to improve productivity.
Integrated Mobile Cloud Solutions
Integrated mobile cloud solutions allow operations to collect, integrate and view data in one centralized system to ensure a seamless workflow. Implementing an IoT solution can help facility managers scale their businesses efficiently, have a closer pulse on the safety and environment of their space, reduce operating costs, and create an overall agile working environment.
Autonomous Equipment
Autonomous equipment can be used for a variety of tasks to manage a facility and requires minimal supervision. It has proven to be beneficial for facility management because these types of equipment can roam completely wirelessly and independently. This can result in higher productivity for human workers and potential cost savings over time.
Hybrid Work Approach
Hybrid work has existed for many years but has progressively grown in scale due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This approach is predicted to continue to gain momentum because it offers flexibility for employees. This can have a fundamental influence on workplace capacity and space planning for facility managers. The balance between remote and in-office hours provides facilities the opportunity to reduce energy and save on overall building costs.
Which FM Trend Should you Implement?
As new facility management best practices and trends continue to emerge in the market, choosing the right solution for your facility and industry can be challenging. When determining any new trend or solution be sure to do adequate research and know the pros and cons ahead of implementation so that you are adopting the best solution for your business.
At Dexterra Group, we continue to consistently analyze trends and areas of improvement within our operations to determine the most productive solutions for our clients.
Learn more about how we stay on top of new facility management trends!
