In episode 422, host Mike Petrusky welcomes Drew DePriest, MCR.w, Director of Workplace Services Vendor Management at Salesforce and member of the IFMA Global Board of Directors, for a wide-ranging conversation about the future of facility management, workplace operations, and artificial intelligence. Drawing on more than two decades of experience spanning building automation, workplace technology, facilities management, and corporate real estate, Drew shares his perspective on how AI is changing the profession. Together, Mike and Drew explore practical ways workplace leaders can begin using AI today, discuss the importance of governance and human oversight, examine how better data creates better outcomes, and offer advice for staying relevant in a rapidly changing industry through curiosity, experimentation, and continuous learning.
Agenda
- How AI is changing facility management and workplace operations
- Where FM and workplace leaders can start using AI today
- Why data quality, governance, and human oversight matter more than ever
- How curiosity and continuous learning drive professional growth and innovation
What you need to know: Workplace takeaways
Takeaway 1: AI is becoming a practical workplace colleague, not just a future technology
Drew believes the conversation around AI is evolving from hype to practical application. Across the facility management community, professionals are beginning to use AI to analyze work-order data, identify trends, uncover operational patterns, and connect information across systems that would otherwise remain disconnected.
Rather than replacing FM professionals, AI can help them work more effectively by providing additional context and surfacing insights that may be difficult to identify manually. Drew describes AI as a “colleague” that can help analyze information, recognize patterns, and support better decision-making while leaving leadership and judgment firmly in human hands.
For workplace leaders, the opportunity is not necessarily to build a fully autonomous workplace immediately. It’s in finding areas where AI can enhance visibility, accelerate analysis, and support better operational outcomes today.
He shares that workplace teams are increasingly using AI to provide “the pattern recognition, help me find the context to give me a better place to lead from as I’m delivering service to the building.”
Takeaway 2: Start small with repeatable tasks and build confidence through experimentation
One of Drew’s most practical recommendations is to begin with simple, repeatable activities. He encourages workplace leaders to identify recurring responsibilities such as preparing status reports, gathering information from multiple systems, summarizing project updates, or reviewing operational data.
By applying approved AI tools to these routine activities, teams can quickly understand where AI delivers value while building familiarity and trust in the technology.
Drew explains that many successful AI adopters begin with tasks that require gathering information and creating summaries. Rather than attempting transformational projects immediately, they experiment on a small scale, learn what works, and gradually expand their use cases.
The key differentiator, according to Drew, is curiosity. Leaders who actively explore new tools, ask questions, and test ideas tend to adapt more quickly than those waiting for perfect solutions or complete certainty.
His advice is simple: “Find a few things that you can automate and pick off and just go from there.”
Takeaway 3: Better data governance creates better AI outcomes
Facility management has long struggled with maintaining accurate information across asset inventories, building systems, maintenance records, vendor databases, warranties, and operational documentation. AI can help identify gaps and inconsistencies, but it still relies on the underlying quality of available data.
Using asset management as an example, Drew explains that organizations must consistently maintain records about equipment replacements, warranty information, vendor relationships, and asset histories if they want reliable outputs from AI systems.
He notes that AI can often infer missing information, but those inferences still require validation. Poor data quality can create inaccurate conclusions, making governance and ongoing data stewardship critical capabilities for workplace organizations.
As AI adoption grows, organizations that invest in strong data foundations will be better positioned to achieve meaningful results.
“AI thrives on high quality of information,” he says.
Takeaway 4: The “human at the helm” remains essential
Rather than thinking about “human in the loop,” he describes a future where professionals act as the “human at the helm.” In this model, workplace leaders define goals, establish guardrails, direct AI systems, evaluate outputs, and decide what actions to take next.
AI can perform analysis, synthesize information, and generate recommendations, but accountability remains with the human leader. Drew compares the process to managing specialized team members. Different AI agents may excel at different tasks, but they still require direction, supervision, and validation.
For FM and workplace professionals, he says, the objective is to use AI as a force multiplier while maintaining ownership of decisions and outcomes. It’s particularly important for workplace leaders.
“At the end of the day, it’s still your output. It’s still your deliverable. Your name is tied to it.”
Takeaway 5: Curiosity may become the most important professional skill
Technology will continue evolving rapidly, but Drew remains optimistic about where the profession is headed. He sees growing energy in workplaces, increasing interest in innovation, and expanding opportunities for facility management professionals to influence business outcomes.
He encourages leaders to actively learn, ask more questions, challenge assumptions, and remain open to new ideas. He also recommends using AI tools as constructive challengers rather than simple validators, helping professionals test assumptions, identify weaknesses in plans, and strengthen decision-making.
For Drew, the future of workplace management belongs to professionals who embrace learning, adapt to change, and view technology as a tool for improving service and outcomes rather than an end goal itself.
“Stay curious, keep learning, ask more questions. Yeah, let’s keep on moving,” he says.
Workplace management insights
- AI can help workplace teams analyze work-order information, identify trends, and uncover operational insights that would otherwise be difficult to find.
- Starting with small, repeatable tasks is often the fastest path to successful AI adoption.
- Strong data governance and data quality are essential foundations for successful AI programs.
- The concept of a “human at the helm” emphasizes leadership, accountability, and guidance rather than automation alone.
- AI tools can help professionals challenge assumptions, strengthen ideas, and prepare for stakeholder questions.
- Curiosity, adaptability, and continuous learning are becoming increasingly important skills for FM and workplace leaders.
- The future of facility management is likely to combine human expertise with AI-enabled operational intelligence.
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