5 main trends in Facility Management for 2020

In this article, I’ll show you some significant changes in consumer habits and trends in Facilities that will impact its management in 2020 – and how you can prepare for them! 

The year is getting to a close, and most of the companies are already immersing themselves in the planning for the coming year.

This moment is essential to analyze major economic, social, technological, and behavioral trends that are impacting business and how they can be opportunities or threats.

Generally, companies observe trends focusing on how they directly impact sales and revenues. However, it is essential to note how working environments are modernizing and innovating.

In this article, I will show you five trends that can impact the work in facilities management, and how you can prepare for this.

1. Building Information Modeling (BIM) for Facilities

Building Information Modeling is having an immense impact on the design, construction, and management of projects and buildings.

It is a concept of modeling the projects’ development for buildings. Instead of working with 2D plans, it works with 3D models, facilitating visualization and generating a preview of a building even before it is built.

But how is this relevant to Facility management? Although initially designed for use by architects and engineers, BIM has evolved to include improvements in infrastructure maintenance plans and facility space management.

In essence, a BIM can create virtual libraries of equipment data, electrical connections, security requirements, and more.

A trend applied to Facilities management in some countries, it includes a manager having a much broader view of facilities, and their decision making is then much more data-based and reliable by using BIMs.

2. Machine Learning for Facilities

A concept that is spreading more and more, machine learning is a branch of Artificial Intelligence that allows a system to be able to learn by its own experience and thus change its behavior.

This learning allows a system to learn how to perform new functions autonomously, even if they are functions not planned initially.

Solutions with machine learning resources can be precious for Facility management. Building management systems with machine learning can automate data collection and analysis to predict results and avoid risks.

In practice, Facilities Management would be able to have a more intelligent and preventive control of assets. The solutions would be able to notify the status of equipment and facilities based on their usability and real devaluation, enabling preventive maintenance of these assets.

3. Privacy and Individualization

It is not a big novelty of how individualization in personal communication is a significant trend in current consumption.

It was from this that laws such as the LGPD became important, ensuring the rights of privacy and freedom of consumers (and generating concerns among several companies).

The implementation of a management that is in compliance with the LGPD goes far beyond a technological trend, it is an obligation that companies must ensure until August 2020 to not suffer fines and severe punishment.

By the very obligations of the law, companies must ensure that all third-party data collected and managed by a company are treated and adequate to its requirements.

The Facilities area works directly with third-party data, such as contracts, visitor data collected at the reception, and other outsourced services. Thus, the facilities manager must seek compliance from all its suppliers.

4. IoT (Internet of Things)

A trend that is already present in many ways across businesses, the IoT concept is that systems and tools are connected, sharing data and information between them.

Today, Facility Management should no longer depend on spreadsheets and files that disconnected. Various software programs can be immensely useful for the area, accelerating processes, and facilitating decision making.

One type of software that can facilitate the management of receptions, for example, is Visitor Management Systems, which integrate the entire check-in process at reception (in addition to keeping the data in compliance with LGPD).

5. Smart Buildings

An increasingly accessible and robust trend is that of smart homes, which, through integrated technologies, enables digital automation of controls in homes and apartments.

Companies also use the smart building concept. If you have tools and software integrated into your building management, you can control and automate assets such as air conditioners, lights, and safety tools much more efficiently.

Smart building technologies collect data on the work environment. Their connection to building management systems consolidates a platform that facility managers can easily access and identify opportunities for improvement in the work environment.

It’s worth remembering that trends are just trends – you shouldn’t follow all of them blindly, but rather identify which opportunities are to be exploited and make sense with your company and your reality.

So check out our article about some of the biggest challenges in facility management and how you can use these trends to fight them!