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Top 5 Trends in Facilities Management
Top 5 Trends in Facilities Management

December 20, 2021

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Facilities managers are increasingly becoming strategic partners and taking on leading roles when it comes to setting the direction for corporate workplace planning.

Factors driving this change include shifts in expectations for what a workplace can deliver to its employees, advancements in workplace and facilities management technology, and changes in health and wellness-based requirements propelled (in part) by the COVID-19 pandemic. According to one CBRE report, facilities management is transforming from a building and equipment-focused activity to one that focuses on users and results.

So, how do facilities managers keep their fingers on the pulse of this rapidly changing industry? And how can they prepare for new challenges while also helping shape the strategy of their organizations’ workplace planning?

To navigate it all, facilities teams are increasingly adopting software solutions. In fact, in one Verdantix study, about 40% of organizations surveyed either plan to replace existing software, invest in new software, or extend the deployment of their facility management software in the near term.

The following article walks through some key trends that facilities managers should keep an eye on, and it focuses on the technologies and other factors driving these trends forward.

Trend 1: Revisiting Real Estate Portfolios

With the workplace changes brought about by COVID-19, many organizations are taking another look at their office and corporate real estate portfolios. This includes both rethinking costs and also incorporating hybrid working models into their plans. Plus, with the sudden increase in remote workers throughout 2020 and 2021, businesses are looking at permanently incorporating flexible working scenarios into their long-term plans. The same Verdantix study shows about 48% of organizations say they’re planning on evaluating the use of flexible office space. And in fact, about 58% of organizations say increasing agile and hybrid working is a high priority for them.

Because of this, space and room reservation technology is becoming increasingly important, as it helps facilities teams manage hybrid working scenarios in which employees can either work remotely or in the office. Space reservation software solutions provide employees with a cloud-based interface—often with interactive maps—where they can view and reserve a space right from their desktops or mobile devices. This means they can book the desks, rooms, and equipment they might need ahead of time, so they’re able to work more efficiently when they’re in the office. Facilities teams have clearer insights into which rooms are being used, and whether a space needs to be prepared or cleaned.

Trend 2: Asset and Vendor Management Software

As Verdantix noted in the study cited above, companies are expanding their use of tech to have better insights and more control over operational costs. This includes investing in Asset and Vendor management software. 

Asset Management

Instead of tracking all assets in separately maintained spreadsheets, facilities teams get a much more comprehensive view into the lifecycle of their equipment when they use a single asset management platform like an IWMS or CMMS. With these kinds of cloud-based asset management platforms, facilities teams can seamlessly perform tasks such as:

  • Accessing their entire inventory in one place
  • Scheduling and auto-assigning preventative maintenance
  • Submitting work requests in a single, easy-to-use portal
  • Completing pre-defined checklists specific to individual assets or pieces of equipment

When everything is in one platform, facilities managers have the historical data to better set up preventive maintenance schedules—and even track ongoing preventive maintenance contracts.

Vendor Management

In addition, organizations are increasingly investing in vendor management software to help manage vendor relationships, workflows, and contracts. Cloud-based vendor management solutions enable facilities teams to integrate with other business processes, and they provide full visibility into contracts and performance. This provides a clearer picture into vendor data alongside other key operational data, so teams can make more informed data-driven decisions.

Trend 3: Mobile Applications

As employees become more likely to work remotely, the use of mobile applications is increasing.

Mobile-friendly software solutions that enable employees to reserve workspaces right from their devices or tablets are gaining popularity. Features like mobile wayfinding (where employees can locate equipment, locations, and people in real-time directly from their phones) are becoming essential.

Additionally, mobile-friendly IWMS or CMMS systems allow facilities teams to schedule maintenance and update inventory information directly from the field. This means the system can be updated in real-time, so the data is more accurate.

Trend 4: Sustainability Initiatives

Firms are putting increasing importance on robust initiatives to track, visualize, and understand their carbon footprint and energy usage. According to one national survey by Honeywell and The Business Journals, 93% of respondents saw sustainability as being a lasting priority for their organization, and 87% viewed it as an investment rather than an expense.

Software solutions that enable facilities managers to track heating, cooling, and waste management costs are vital to these initiatives. Many of these technology platforms enable teams to connect to smart meters in order to ID anomalies. Teams can also set thresholds for alerts, look at spikes in usage, and visualize energy expenses quickly. Plus, if building usage data is tracked within the same platform, teams can more accurately forecast lighting and heating costs—making it much easier to build reports and identify energy saving measures.

Trend 5: OT Cyber Security

The last facilities management trend focuses on securing network-connected operational technology (OT) devices — such as HVAC systems, energy pipelines, and medical devices. Hackers are increasingly targeting this vulnerable equipment, causing significant disruptions to businesses and consumers.

Unfortunately, organizations often have hundreds or thousands of OT devices, making it difficult to monitor and track it all. However, the right IWMS or CMMS software platforms can help: When facilities teams track all their devices, assets, and equipment in one centralized solution, it becomes much simpler to monitor and identify vulnerable equipment, especially when paired with device discovery tools. And when additional context for each device (such as network information, work history, and more) is stored in the same place, it becomes easier to work with IT to make decisions and remediate issues as they arise. These security orchestration and automated response (SOAR) technologies help organizations identify and respond to events quickly.


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Nuvolo is a global leader in modern, cloud-based IWMS software. Our Connected Workplace solution is built on ServiceNow™ and offers a single platform to manage all people, physical locations, assets, and work, enabling all aspects of enterprise service management for an organization. It encompasses all the components required for an organization to plan, deliver, operate, and control the enterprise services offered to their employees and customers. Nuvolo is headquartered in Paramus, NJ, with a global workforce located throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. We are one of the largest and fastest-growing independent software vendors globally. The industries we serve include healthcare, life sciences, financial services, retail, government, higher education, and enterprise.

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