FMJ Facilities Management magazine providing industry-specific intelligence to FM and property professionals
Intelligent maintenance management platforms, energy management systems and digital twins
Utilising accessible technology, along with available data, makes it easier to automate and optimise the entire operational and maintenance workflow. The latest FMTech solutions in operations and maintenance enhance the user experience with solutions that are as attractive and easy to use for the technicians doing the job on-site as the FM director who reports directly to the Board.
The technology is particularly useful when maintaining operations within a facilities portfolio, where service requests come in via multiple communication channels. This technology is a game-changer in streamlining and automating information flows and providing an amazing bird’s-eye overview of the status of requests and the efficiency of the maintenance teams.
For energy consumption and management, AI-based software solutions for energy efficiency delivers personalised predictions on energy demand, and the software enables HVAC installations to be set up for optimal use.
The metaverse made headlines in the last quarter of 2021 but in FM, a similar version has already been in use for several years. This is where FMTech enables the creation of digital twins of a building. Digital twins, ready-made for operational use, and thus different from static BIM models that are usually employed by architects, give facility managers a workable copy of the building, made accessible in the cloud. These can be instantly updated, on any changes in the building or the assets within them, via photos and drawn indications.
More than virtual reality, it’s augmented reality that is becoming more widely available. Images (or digital twins) can be enriched with data on the assets, via documents that are digitally “attached” to the asset. Manuals, maintenances schedules and updates can then be visualised via a tablet screen, or through augmented reality glasses, which we predict will become more popular this year.
Innovations in food and beverage access and supply
Facilities managers are turning more and more to online “corporate catering marketplaces” to ensure not only quality but more importantly the availability of food and beverages, especially in a hybrid workplace. These digital platforms, where all kinds of local catering companies offer food and beverage packages to the corporations in their city, allow FMs to offer building users the flexibility of ordering the F&B via an app on their phone at the hour that suits them best, and all with the convenience of receiving one centralised invoice. FMs do not have to worry about curating individual caterers, can guarantee diversity in food supply according to anyone’s taste and at the same time can avail themselves of an account management team to assist them with a quick and easy set-up.
CONCLUSION
The new demands wrought by the pandemic may have accelerated the adoption of disruptive innovative solutions in the FM industry but here at The Global Alliance of Facility Management Innovators, we believe that they are long overdue. With a significant projected growth and market size trajectory of $1 TN in 2019 to $2 TN in 2026 (Global Market Insights, 2019) warranting the attention of the FM industry, FM innovation and technology are surefire ways to propel the 
industry towards the future.
