Colliers

Q: What are some of the advantages of the current technological revolution that we see in industry 4.0?

A:  Over the past decade, the facility management industry has progressed tremendously in terms of technology. But now, automation technology has taken over the industry. The automated systems provide valuable data to facility managers (FMs), which helps them take care of their facilities better. And by integrating automation with IoT, FMs are now able to produce smart data and then use it for smart alerts and metering systems, which eventually help achieve better operational and financial outcomes.

For instance, FMs were previously required to visit the site and inspect plant rooms, buildings, and assets when encountered with an issue. Today, FMs are able to manage the issues even from a remote location and yet more effectively. Also, it is now possible for FMs to calculate and work on the outcomes and redirect the focus to more significant tasks by automating the majority of the maintenance functions.

Q: What are some of the inherent challenges that are plaguing the facility management landscape? 

A: In my experience, I have worked with landlords who expect to achieve a better neighbor rating and reduced tenant churning. But they still work with decades-old assets and technologies. It is hard to achieve the quality and standard of the current innovation with older technology. However, getting the building owners to invest in these modern technologies can be quite tricky. So it is essential to approach the owners convincingly. Since working with older technology is riskier in terms of the quality of the assets, making the owners understand why improving and upgrading the processes can benefit their larger goals is a must.

  ​By integrating automation with IoT, FMs are now able to produce smart data and then use it for smart alerts and metering systems, which eventually help achieve better operational and financial outcomes.   

In addition to this, most building owners are yet to accept the concept of having a facility management team for a project. For instance, there was an asset I worked on years ago. It was a building with a commercial and residential tower, a hotel, and a retail outlet. The asset had designing issues that were not detected early because the project didn't have a facility management team, resulting in further complications. From this experience, it is safe to conclude that engaging with a facility or a building management expert right from the designing phase is important. After all, what looks good on paper might not be the outcome for the end-users.

Q: What changes would you like to witness in terms of technology for improved communication and project completion? 

A: In my opinion, there must be a standard when it comes to basic requirements in facility management. There should be a certain standard configuration or integration of your critical systems, like BMS (Building Management System), utility, etc. And I suggest investing more in BMS systems and using the technology for better communication and standard. If building owners are willing to spend money on smart metering and alert systems, they should focus on BMS systems too. By upgrading your BMS systems, you can achieve a tier-one quality and standard. And interestingly, all prominent names in the industry can be seen following this idea. Besides this, if there is a setup where you can collect and analyze data from one platform, then that can be a key focus area for all facility managers. 

That being said, the matter of cybersecurity in this field should also be emphasized. The attacks are stronger and common than before, and I recommend working on effective and robust cybersecurity strategies.

Q: Based on your personal experience, what advice would you like to share with new facilities managers or other stakeholders involved in this space? 

A: In the earlier days, there was not necessarily a need to know the technical side of a new project. But now, that's not the case. As I mentioned before, facility management is a technology-driven industry now. And even though you might already have an expert IT specialist team in place, having the fundamental knowledge of everything related to technology can help FMs control a situation from going out of hand. I have faced issues where it would take hours to understand the problem and solution due to a lack of technical expertise. So it is necessary to know and understand your IT systems, design, networks, and servers.

That being said, my personal advice to all FMs is to avoid having attachments towards the assets you are working on. Once we are onboard with an asset, we dedicate our blood, sweat, and tears to that development, which takes a toll on our mental health. It is important to understand that they are not your assets at the end of the day, and you go back to your life once the project is done. So I strongly advise setting the boundaries while working on a project.

I would also like to stress the topic of the quality of the facility management talent pool. Companies tend to be biased toward candidates with experience, where a potential talent can go unnoticed due to less experience. Companies should address this issue and should plan and strategize to future-proof the industry. They should be willing to recruit juniors regardless of their job experience. Moreover, companies should take the responsibility to build the new recruits and strategize how to train them. Experienced managers should be willing to train the juniors and familiarize them with the technologies as well as the system. This way, we can ensure a great future for facility management. In the same vein, I think facility management should focus on recruiting ex-navy engineers more. I think the skills of an ex-navy engineer can be transferable to the facility management environment. In a ship, a navy engineer is supposed to know all the systems and how it works. These skills can be of high benefit in the area of facility management.