Across industries, facility and workplace leaders are actively embracing AI-backed solutions. 68% of buildings and facilities managers plan to implement AI in visitor management within the next 12 months, and 67% of professional and financial services organizations have already hired a digital workplace leader. Yet most are still caught in the early stages, “primarily deploying it for chatbots, dashboards, and diagnostics,” according to the 2025 Workplace Index report.
What’s holding these companies back isn’t a lack of interest. It’s the challenge of integration. “Instead of driving efficiency, fragmented tech stacks create decision-making bottlenecks, making it harder to streamline workflows, analyze data effectively, and adapt to evolving business needs,” explains Eptura Chief Executive Officer Brandon Holden in the report.
By moving to a unified solution, organizations can fully leverage cross-platform data analytics and embedded AI, while also addressing the other lost opportunities that come from trying to manage multiple single-point systems.
What are the consequences of having so many single-point systems?
According to the report, 50% of businesses are using an average of 17 separate technologies to handle workplace operations. Because those systems are silos, companies must spend significant resources trying to leverage their data. In fact, about 37% of organizations employ 11 or more full-time staff to gather, analyze, and report on worktech data.
Even with all those resources invested, organizations still struggle to create the data sets they need to effectively implement AI. When asked, “What challenges do you face implementing AI across your organization?”, two of the three top answers were “Insufficient cross-platform integration” and “Inconsistent data for AI to deliver meaningful values.”
The problem of too many platforms extends beyond implementing AI, though, affecting various departments and business processes through additional opportunity costs.
As a general concept, opportunity cost is when a company allocates resources to one project and gives up benefits that could have been gained elsewhere. Every hour an organization spends on one task is an hour lost to another. If a manager focuses heavily on one project, they might neglect strategic planning, team development, or urgent issues elsewhere.
Specifically related to the report, more than a third of companies said they have 11 or more full-time employees dedicated to trying to extract value from worktech data. If the systems were unified and the processes automated, those same 11 workers could be delivering more strategic value to the organization.
Every single-point system requires a separate selection process
The selection process for any software solution is a multi-step cross-departmental project that requires the time and attention of key stakeholders from across the organization.
The selection team identifies the specific needs and requirements of the business, which often involves extensive stakeholder consultations and a thorough analysis of existing systems. Once the requirements are clear, the team researches and evaluates various solutions on the market, considering factors such as functionality, compatibility with existing systems, and security features. They then conduct detailed technical assessments, including pilot tests and demonstrations, to ensure the solution meets the company’s standards. Finally, they must work closely with the chosen provider to ensure a smooth implementation, which includes training sessions, system integration, and ongoing support.
For the legal department, the selection process involves a detailed review of all contractual and compliance aspects. They might start by reviewing the terms of service and end-user license agreements to ensure that the solution complies with all relevant laws and regulations, including data privacy laws, industry-specific regulations, and any internal compliance policies. The legal team must also negotiate the terms of the contract, focusing on areas such as data ownership, liability, and service level agreements. The legal department must also coordinate with the IT team to ensure that all legal requirements are met during the implementation phase, and they must monitor the ongoing relationship with the provider to ensure continued compliance and adherence to the agreed terms.
Every time you add a new single-point system, the organization repeats the entire selection process, diverting time and attention from other projects.
Every single-point system comes with its own set of idiosyncrasies
Each solution comes with its own support system, requiring IT teams to navigate different help desks and support channels, which can lead to delays in issue resolution and a higher risk of system downtime. Each provider has its own update schedules, which can create a cycle of maintenance and compatibility checks. This not only increases operational costs but also diverts valuable IT resources away from strategic initiatives.
The legal team must monitor compliance across all the different systems, while the finance team deals with the additional complexity of tracking invoices and payments for many different providers. Even at larger organizations where many of these processes are automated, departments have to invest time and talent into setting up workflows every time the company adds a new system to its existing workplace tech stack.
For the employees who use the different systems as part of their everyday workflows, every new system means additional training. Because they are jumping between so many different systems, there are many opportunities to become confused or frustrated with system-specific requirements or idiosyncrasies.
Unlocking the value chain starts with a single key
By implementing a unified solution with key worktech features like visitor management, desk booking, and asset management, organizations can significantly improve operational efficiency. With real-time insights, organizations can optimize resource allocation, space planning, and maintenance schedules, leading to more efficient and cost-effective operations. In an episode of the Workplace Innovator podcast, Dean Stanberry, past chair of the IFMA Global Board, explains the benefits of AI-backed workflows. “When AI has access to good quality data it can start giving you indications to say when a piece of equipment is reaching end of life … it can actually give you that crossover point where the cost of maintaining it is now more than the cost of replacing it. AI can do in milliseconds what would take humans potentially hours of analysis,” he says.
Implementing a unified solution is about more than what you gain. It’s also about what you can avoid. Moving to a unified solution helps organizations avoid the common opportunity costs of trying to manage multiple single-point systems, reducing the need for software selection teams and additional administrative work from the IT, legal, and finance departments.
By Jonathan Davis
As a content creator at Eptura, Jonathan Davis covers asset management, maintenance software, and SaaS solutions, delivering thought leadership with actionable insights across industries such as fleet, manufacturing, healthcare, and hospitality. Jonathan’s writing focuses on topics to help enterprises optimize their operations, including building lifecycle management, digital twins, BIM for facility management, and preventive and predictive maintenance strategies. With a master's degree in journalism and a diverse background that includes writing textbooks, editing video game dialogue, and teaching English as a foreign language, Jonathan brings a versatile perspective to his content creation.
