Insights
Authors: Kieran Duffy and Dante Barile
The Workplace Futures Conference, hosted in London on Tuesday 25 February 2025 attended by Account Lead Kieran Duffy and Bid Manager Dante Barile, was a thought-provoking and engaging event that brought together a diverse range of voices to discuss the future of Facilities Management (FM) in the age of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
With 16 presentations covering everything from AI’s potential to its limitations, the conference offered a wealth of insights on how technology is reshaping the workplace. Below are the key takeaways and reflections from Kieran and Dante, and how they’re shaping the future of FM.
Data is the new gold
As the conference highlighted, data is often referred to as “the new gold.” The importance of data in AI-powered facilities management cannot be overstated. The question of ownership, regulation, and accuracy is central to this new age of data-driven decision-making. Who owns the data? Who is ensuring its integrity? And most importantly, how is it being used to optimise operations? These are the burning questions FM providers must address as they move forward with AI implementation.
AI and human expertise: Finding the balance
A recurring theme was the concept of “Techquilibrium” - the balance between AI automation and human expertise. The conference clearly outlined that AI in FM should be viewed as a tool to augment human work, not replace it.
While AI applications such as predictive maintenance and occupancy tracking can streamline processes, it’s crucial to maintain the human element in decision-making, especially when it comes to frontline workers who are integral to the workplace experience.
The integration of AI should always circle back to helping clients achieve their goals. AI must be deployed thoughtfully, ensuring it doesn’t overshadow the human touch that remains essential in many aspects of FM.
Does AI have a carbon footprint?
Another insightful takeaway from the conference is the carbon footprint of AI itself. As businesses push for Net Zero goals, the question arises: Are we accounting for the carbon impact AI has? Is AI’s carbon footprint being considered in the broader sustainability conversations. As AI continues to evolve, it’s crucial that businesses integrate responsible practices to ensure that their use of technology aligns with environmental goals.
Head of Sustainability Attiya Khan explains “Today we understand that an AI query online produces a larger emission pull compared to a search engine; potentially up to ~4.32 g of CO2 (ChatGPT), compared to a Google search of 0.2g. Plus we have the life cycle implications of the assets needed, many contain conflict minerals. We therefore must adopt a realistic approach and balance, in the spirit of sustainability. We need to find the niche where AI and sensorisation are adopted once all organic options are deemed inviable or pose a risk to wellbeing.”
AI’s role in problem-solving for businesses
Throughout the conference, the central question of "What business problem are you solving?" was posed repeatedly. It’s clear that AI should be a solution to specific challenges within FM, rather than a trend to jump on for the sake of novelty. Whether it’s reducing inefficiencies , improving asset management, or enhancing the workplace experience, AI needs to be implemented with a clear purpose in mind.
AI isn’t just about ChatGPT
While ChatGPT has undoubtedly captured the world’s attention, AI in FM extends far beyond conversational AI. AI is about real-world optimization at scale, and its potential to drive improvements in everything from energy efficiency to security is vast.
Predictive maintenance , for instance, can save businesses significant amounts of money by preventing breakdowns before they happen. We’re currently trialling a remote lift monitoring solution a UK based healthcare client which tracks the number of rides, how often doors open and peak operating hours to stage an intervention at an optimum point.
AI-driven sustainability efforts can optimise energy usage and support decarbonisation strategies, an initiative we have supported a UK Public Sector client in achieving 300 tonnes of annual carbon savings in FY24 alone.
The challenges of AI adoption
Despite its potential, AI adoption in FM faces significant hurdles. The industry is currently divided into four groups:
Kieran explains “Macro currently sit firmly within the 'Fixers' and 'Doers' categories, with new and existing partnerships evidencing our strong performance in delivering everyday excellence, outstanding experiences and everlasting impact. We can develop solutions tailored to our client requirements and challenge data norms to provide insights into operational delivery.”
Where AI is making a difference for Macro and its clients
The conference highlighted many areas for improvement and wider adoption, but it’s clear AI is having impact already. Some areas we are seeing first hand at Macro.
Operational efficiencies - Predictive maintenance and remote control of assets like lifts and HVAC systems are reshaping the FM landscape. These innovations allow us to move from traditional Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM), often reliant on frequent site visits and manual inspections to more dynamic, data-driven approaches.
This initiative is proving to be of high interest for clients with an extensive property portfolio. We’re supporting both Public Sector clients in the UK and global businesses, which currently require monthly site visits for manual PPMs in remote and low occupied locations and this has a direct impact our maintenance expenditure.
Workplace experience - Technology is redefining how employees and building users interact with their workspaces. We have seen how AI-powered chatbots, which handle routine inquiries and requests, are improving communication and response times. These applications are often integrated into digital reception and helpdesk solutions, streamlining operations and supporting Front of House teams in managing work orders more efficiently.
Sustainability - Together with our in-house Responsible Business team, we’ve partnered with several software platforms using AI to optimise energy efficiency. These platforms analyse usage trends and integrate with Building Management Systems (BMS) to adjust HVAC systems and lighting accordingly, reducing energy consumption and operational costs
Internal efficiencies - We’re leveraging AI to streamline and enhance key process in group enabling functions, such as in the recruitment process to mitigate unconscious bias and to efficiently filter large volumes of applicants circa 70,000 CVs per year
A great knowledge share at this years Workplace Futures conference, we look forward to next years event!
