In episode 184 of the Asset Champion podcast, host Mike Petrusky speaks with Monisa Manju Nagarajan Gomathi (“MJ”), Senior Project Manager for Facility Services at Terracon and Immediate Past President of IFMA Greater Phoenix. Drawing on her experience in facility condition assessments (FCAs), asset management, and facilities operations, MJ explains why effective asset management starts with understanding what assets you have, what condition they are in, and how they support long-term operational goals.
Together they explore the growing role of facility condition assessments as the foundation for capital planning, preventive maintenance, inventory management, and technology integration. MJ shares how organizations can use FCA data to justify budgets, improve decision-making, and create stronger maintenance programs. She also discusses the opportunities and limitations of artificial intelligence, the importance of facilities expertise in an increasingly technology-enabled industry, and why organizations should focus on connecting data across systems rather than adding more disconnected software.
Agenda
- Role of facility condition assessments in capital planning and asset management
- FCA data and why is helps with preventive maintenance, inventory management, and forecasting
- Impact of AI and technology on facilities and asset management workflows
- Skills facilities professionals will need as technology continues to evolve
- Integrated platforms and how they help eliminate data silos and improve decision-making
What you need to know: Facility and maintenance takeaways
Takeaway 1: Asset management starts with knowing what you have
MJ believes the first responsibility of any facilities or asset management team is developing a clear understanding of the assets under their care. Without reliable inventory and accurate asset information, organizations struggle to make informed decisions about maintenance, replacements, and long-term planning.
It’s only once organizations know what assets they have, they can build maintenance programs, forecast replacement schedules, and make smarter investment decisions based on facts rather than assumptions.
Takeaway 2: Facility condition assessments help facilities leaders make the case for funding
One of the most persistent challenges for facility managers is securing adequate budgets for maintenance and capital replacement projects. MJ explains that facility condition assessments provide the data required to move budget conversations from opinion to evidence.
Instead of relying on annual requests that may or may not be approved, facilities teams can use FCA data to demonstrate asset conditions, document replacement needs, and forecast future costs. As MJ notes, the solution is having “facts and data speak for them instead of trying to ask for it and just not receiving it every year.”
By documenting asset conditions, expected service life, and replacement costs, organizations can develop five-, ten-, or even twenty-year capital plans that create greater confidence for financial decision-makers and improve the likelihood of securing necessary funding.
Takeaway 3: FCA data has become much more valuable than a capital planning tool
While facility condition assessments were traditionally associated with capital forecasting, MJ says organizations are now finding additional ways to leverage the data they collect.
What begins as an assessment of building systems and equipment often evolves into a foundational asset database that supports preventive maintenance planning, inventory management, spare-parts tracking, barcoding programs, and CMMS implementations. Organizations are increasingly using FCA data to streamline daily operations and create stronger maintenance processes.
In MJ’s view, FCA has grown well beyond its original purpose as a capital planning exercise. Instead, it is becoming “the fundamental foundation for a good facilities organization” because so many operational decisions now depend on having reliable asset information.
Takeaway 4: AI can improve efficiency, but experience remains essential
Today’s platforms can help organizations identify maintenance requirements, recommend service schedules, support capital planning, and analyze large amounts of asset information faster than ever before.
MJ also points to emerging capabilities that can use equipment information or nameplate data to recommend maintenance activities, establish service intervals, and even connect asset information directly to long-term capital planning, which can significantly reduce the time required to analyze data and build maintenance programs.
At the same time, MJ believes facilities expertise remains irreplaceable. Experienced professionals bring context, judgment, and practical knowledge that cannot always be captured by technology alone. While AI can simplify analytics and improve efficiency, facilities organizations still need people who understand how equipment operates, how buildings function, and how to recognize issues that technology may overlook. In her view, AI should strengthen the foundation of facilities management, not replace it.
Takeaway 5: Better integration creates more value than adding more software
Organizations often operate separate systems for building automation, lighting controls, maintenance management, asset tracking, and facilities operations. While each platform may serve a purpose, disconnected systems create silos that prevent organizations from getting the full value of the information they collect.
Rather than continuously adding new software, MJ encourages facilities leaders to assess their existing technology stack and identify opportunities to connect systems through integrations, APIs, or enterprise platforms that consolidate data into a single source of truth. When data can move seamlessly between systems, organizations gain better visibility into operations, improve decision-making, and create more value from existing technology investments.
She encourages facilities teams to “think about how you can get new software that will bring all the data together using API platforms or one big IWMS that brings everything into one.”
Done well, that approach delivers far greater value than maintaining disconnected platforms and “keeping multiple silos, which is not giving enough benefits out of all the subscriptions you’re paying for.”
Maintenance management insights
- Asset management programs are most effective when organizations maintain an accurate inventory of facilities and equipment.
- Facility condition assessments provide the objective data leaders need to support long-term capital planning and budgeting.
- FCA data can support multiple operational initiatives, including preventive maintenance, inventory management, barcoding programs, and CMMS implementation.
- AI can improve efficiency, automate analysis, and enhance maintenance planning, but experienced facilities professionals remain essential to decision-making.
- Integrated systems provide greater business value than disconnected technologies operating in silos.
- Facilities leaders should evaluate existing technology investments before purchasing additional software and focus on creating a unified view of asset data.
Do a deep dive into more asset management insights by exploring all Asset Champion Podcast episodes. Watch the full video here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSkmmkVFvM4H3pwnlU2AuqynuRDpvnh4J
