The AI revolution is coming to facility management. 77% of buildings and facilities managers plan to add AI to employee experience workflows within the next 12 months, while 68% hope to add it to visitor management, according to Eptura’s 2025 Workplace Index report. Successful implementation starts with understanding what AI can deliver and how organizations can overcome the most commonly reported challenges.
What facility managers need to know about AI
For facility managers, AI can simplify existing tasks and streamline existing workflows. For example, a maintenance technician can use voice commands instead of manually entering data in an app with AI integration. AI can also improve desk and room booking by automatically suggesting locations close to teammates, for example.
This closely matches how others are using AI, and in our opinion, Gartner’s “Predicts 2025: Empowering Workers With Intelligent Applications” describes many cross-industry similarities.
According to Gartner®, “49% of respondents in the 2024 Gartner Digital Worker Survey use everyday AI tools or applications for work purposes.” These can include automating routine tasks, providing real-time insights, and offering personalized recommendations. AI-driven chatbots can assist with scheduling, answer common questions, and provide quick access to information, for example, reducing the time employees spend on administrative tasks.
The introduction of generative AI promises to do much more than simplify repetitive administrative tasks, though.
“In the point-and-click era, which has dominated for the past 30 years, digital workers must know their goal and understand and manipulate computer systems to get their desired result. In the era of generative AI, it’s increasingly viable to simply state intent and have the AI produce the results,” according to the Gartner report.
AI for leveraging large data sets
AI can also significantly enhance overall operations by analyzing vast amounts of data, including from workplace and facility management systems, sensors, IoT devices, and digital twins to provide valuable insights and recommendations for facility managers.
“By leveraging AI, facility managers can make data-driven decisions, optimize energy consumption, and predict equipment failures, leading to substantial cost savings and improved operational efficiency,” according to the International Facility Management Association (IFMA).
Use Case: Optimizing maintenance at a corporate office
AI can help analyze maintenance and repair records to predict equipment failures and optimize maintenance schedules, reducing downtime and extending the lifespan of assets. By identifying patterns and trends in repair data, AI provides FMs with actionable insights to proactively address issues before they become critical.
Work order pattern recognition
Using AI, the FM sees the third-floor break room has a higher frequency of plumbing issues compared to other floors. Looking more closely, they discover an issue with the design of the break room’s plumbing system, leading to frequent leaks. The FM decides to renovate the break room, adjusting the plumbing to prevent future issues, reducing maintenance costs and improving the overall employee experience.
Predictive maintenance for HVAC units
Using the AI to analyze the maintenance schedules and breakdown history of the building’s HVAC units, the FM can now predict that one of the units on the fifth floor is likely to fail within the next six months based on its performance trends. They schedule a preventive maintenance check and find the unit has a critical issue. By addressing it proactively, they can avoid a costly emergency repair and ensure the fifth floor remains comfortable for employees, who can focus on being productive.
Vendor performance evaluation
Using the AI to look at the performance metrics of the facility’s service providers, the FM can flag an issue with a vendor. It’s the one responsible for electrical repairs, and there’s a history of delayed responses and higher costs. The FM decides to terminate the contract and source a new one, leading to a significant reduction in downtime and maintenance costs.
Use case: Strategic space and resources use at a university
AI can help transform occupancy data into actionable insights, enabling organizations to optimize space usage and reduce operational costs. By analyzing real-time occupancy patterns, AI helps FMs identify peak usage times and adjust resource allocation, such as lighting, heating, and cleaning, to match actual demand. A data-driven approach not only enhances employee comfort and productivity but also leads to significant energy savings and more efficient facility management.
Historical occupancy for space optimization
Using AI, and FM analyzes historical occupancy trends and finds the library is consistently underutilized during the early morning hours but sees a surge in usage during the evening. So, they extend the library’s operating hours to accommodate evening users and repurpose some of the early-morning space for other activities, such as study groups and workshops. The adjustments not only improved resource utilization but also enhanced the student experience.
Departmental occupancy for customized maintenance
Using AI-backed workflows, an FM has a breakdown of occupancy by department that shows the engineering department has higher occupancy during weekends and late nights. So, they adjust the maintenance and cleaning schedules to ensure that these areas are well-maintained and comfortable for students and faculty working during off-hours, leading to a more productive and satisfied engineering community.
By leveraging these insights, the FM is able to optimize the university’s space and resources, improve safety, and enhance the overall campus experience. The AI system not only helped identify and solve immediate issues but also plan for long-term improvements and capital projects, ensuring that the campus remains efficient and functional.
Use case: Enhancing property management at a commercial office building
By providing insights into occupancy rates and lease expiration dates, AI enables FMs to make data-driven decisions that reduce costs and improve efficiency. Leveraging AI to monitor and predict space utilization trends, companies can negotiate more favorable lease terms and adjust their real estate portfolios to better align with their business needs.
Lease terms for strategic planning
Using AI, an FM generates a detailed timeline of lease expirations and renewal options and notices several leases are set to expire in the next six months, so they proactively reach out to tenants to discuss renewal options and offer competitive rates to retain them. A strategic approach helps maintain a high occupancy rate and avoid potential vacancies.
Cost details for budgeting
The AI provides a breakdown of lease costs, revealing that some tenants were paying significantly more than others for similar spaces. The FM uses this information to negotiate more equitable lease terms with existing tenants and to set fairer rates for new leases. Improved tenant satisfaction helps with retention, reducing the costs associated with turnover and allowing for easier forecasting.
How to successfully implement AI for facilities and workplace management
The Gartner report makes a series of recommendations based on the assumption that “…80% of digital workers will rely on multimodal interfaces with generative AI by 2028, there will be several significant implications for end users…”, including:
“Training programs: Develop training programs to familiarize employees with new AI driven tools and interfaces. This will ensure a smooth transition and maximize the benefits of these technologies.”
This is good advice, and in our opinion, it directly addresses a key finding in the 2025 Workplace Index report. The most commonly reported barrier to deploying AI is insufficient employee AI skills and knowledge.
Addressing skill and knowledge gaps: Training for AI implementation
To maximize the benefits of AI, organizations can create a comprehensive multi-step training program that:
- Assesses current skills: Begin by conducting a thorough assessment of the team’s current skills and knowledge. Identify areas where employees may need additional training, such as data analysis, machine learning basics, and AI tool usage.
- Develop a tailored training plan: Create a training plan that is tailored to the specific needs of your organization. It can include a mix of online courses, workshops, and hands-on training sessions.
- Provides hands-on experience: Provide opportunities for employees to gain practical experience with AI tools and platforms with pilot projects and internships, where employees can apply what they’ve learned in a real-world context.
- Encourages mentorship and support: Pair less experienced employees with more knowledgeable colleagues or external mentors to foster a supportive learning environment and accelerate the adoption of AI skills.
- Includes feedback and adaptation: Regularly gather feedback from employees to understand what is working and what needs improvement.
By taking these steps, organizations can equip their employees with the necessary skills and knowledge to effectively implement and utilize AI in many departments and roles across the organization, especially those directly connected to facility and workplace management.
AI makes facility management more about the “the human touch”
These new technologies will empower facility managers to take a more human-centric approach to their work. Because FMs can spend less time on reactive work and manual data capture and analysis, they’ll be able to invest in delivering services and adding value with more of a human touch, according to Christine Mueller of Capital Group in episode 343 of the Workplace Innovator, “’Honing our Ability to Listen’ – Facility Management Leadership and the Evolution of Workplace Experience.”
“We can use AI to help us with some of the day-to-day tasks and reporting, which could save us time to then be spending more time with those we support and talking with them and learning what they need to kind of move forward,” she explains. “As much as AI and these other technologies can help support us, there’s always going to be a need for our value, our empathy, our way of supporting the people who work in our spaces.”
Gartner, Predicts 2025: Empowering Workers With Intelligent Applications, 15 January 2025
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By Erin Sevitz
Erin has 15 years of experience, including 10 years in thought leadership on workplace management and the built environment. In her current role she oversees teams responsible for worktech insights and engaging Eptura’s 16,000 customers worldwide. Previously she led communications for the International Facility Management Association, a global industry nonprofit dedicated to professional development for workplace strategists, building managers, and corporate real estate.
