Organizations are under increased pressures to control and cut costs while maintaining high levels of services and quality. With increasing work order volumes, shrinking budgets, and a shortage of qualified labor, facilities management (FM) teams are turning to automation and innovative technology to streamline processes and boost productivity, according to a new report from JLL.

For its “State of Facilities Management Technology 2024” report, the company surveyed more than 230 FM practitioners primarily in North America representing multiple industries, including technology, education, financial services, manufacturing, and retail. The report highlights the key trends and priorities currently shaping the FM industry and reveals how automation and innovative technologies will play a crucial role in overcoming challenges FM teams encounter.

“Facilities managers and their teams are facing the growing challenge of doing more with less in 2024 while also grappling with ballooning expectations for better efficiency and performance, increased work orders, and understaffing,” said Sharad Rastogi, CEO of JLL’s Work Dynamics Technology. “Technology can help alleviate some of these pain points and are key to providing dynamic facilities management services that cater to a modern workforce.”

Key Takeaways

Increasing focus on work orders and assets is one of the key findings of the report: 56% of respondents expect their work order volumes to increase in 2024. As work order volumes continue to rise, 43% of respondents report their FM teams are understaffed. Hiring freezes, competition, lack of qualified candidates, and a generational shift caused by mass retirement of aging facilities managers are all contributing to unfilled FM positions.

According to the report, teams can leverage facilities management software to automate repetitive tasks, such as work order dispatch and invoice approvals. By automating these processes, FM teams can free up valuable time and resources, which allows them to process more work orders and improve overall productivity.

The report stresses the importance of preventive maintenance in 2024. With declining capital budgets, facilities managers are recognizing the need to extend the life of existing equipment. FM software and related technologies provide insights and scheduling capabilities for optimized preventive maintenance, reducing costs and improving asset performance.

Underscoring the growing interest in, and its potential impact on, facilities management operations, the report also covers artificial intelligence (AI). While 59.1% of respondents expressed interest in AI, 25% of respondents acknowledge concerns about how AI could change facilities management roles, and only 10.4% reported already using AI in their facilities management operation.

“Technology skills are becoming even more critical to facilities management roles,” Rastogi added. “As AI technologies mature and prove their value, more facilities managers will adopt them to drive efficiency and enhance decision-making.”

Sustainability is a top priority for FM teams in 2024. Energy efficiency was identified as the leading sustainability focus (69.4%), followed by workplace experience (54.1%) and waste reduction (38.8%). FM teams are increasingly leveraging FM software and business intelligence to track and manage energy consumption, improve indoor air quality, and reduce waste, contributing to a more sustainable future, according to the report.

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