Space Management Isn’t a Floor Plan Problem. It’s Bigger.
Facilities teams have poured money into booking platforms, sensors and space‑planning tools, yet many offices still suffer from empty reserved desks, crowded collaboration zones and low adoption. Industry reports show 38% of facilities leaders rank space utilization as a top priority and 55% of employees feel disconnected from the physical‑digital workplace. The root cause is behavioral – culture, visibility gaps and fragmented communication – rather than technology alone. Experts argue that shifting to team‑centric design, IoT‑driven occupancy validation and cross‑functional coordination will turn space management from reactive firefighting to predictive optimization.
District Energy and Data Centers: A Strategic Partnership for the Future
Data center expansion is hitting power, water and community limits, while a shift to liquid cooling concentrates waste heat at 50‑80 °C. District energy systems can capture that heat, delivering chilled or hot water through underground networks and eliminating on‑site chillers....
5 Best Practices for Balancing Security and Data Privacy at Facilities
Facilities generate massive streams of security data—from video feeds to access logs—making privacy and security inseparable concerns. The article presents five best practices: continuous cybersecurity hygiene, privacy‑by‑design technology choices, clear internal data‑governance policies, digital evidence management systems, and a responsible...
Loss Prevention Report Explores Top Threats for Retail Facilities
Interface Systems released its 2026 Retail Loss Prevention Benchmark Report, analyzing 1.6 million remote‑monitoring events across 18,258 U.S. stores and 51 brands in 2025. The study identifies location theft, disturbances and loitering as the highest‑volume threats, and shows that incidents surge...
From Hype to Outcomes: Revisiting AI for Facilities Management
Artificial intelligence is reshaping facilities management, but many teams still see hype without measurable results. Rising operating costs and lean budgets force FM leaders to demand practical, cost‑containing AI solutions. The article outlines a problem‑first approach, emphasizing predictive maintenance, energy...
Lowe’s Foundation Commits $250M to Skilled Trades Training
Lowe’s Foundation has increased its commitment to $250 million to train 250,000 skilled‑trade workers by 2035 through its Gable Grants program. The expansion builds on a 2023 $50 million pledge and $53 million already invested, putting the initiative ahead of its original schedule...
Beyond Facility Surveillance: The Rise of the AI ‘Video Supervisor’
Facility managers are shifting from passive video recording to AI‑driven “video supervisors” that can interpret visual data in real time. Advances in video language models from firms like Google and OpenAI enable cloud‑based analytics that replace costly edge hardware while...
Common Overhead Door Failures That Create Safety and Compliance Risks
Industrial facilities rely on overhead commercial doors, yet failures such as fatigued torsion springs, misaligned tracks, auto‑reverse sensor faults, and frayed cables are common and often overlooked. Each failure mode can turn a routine entry point into a safety hazard,...
Turning Vacant Big-Box Stores Into Pickleball Facilities
Big‑box retailers are shuttering locations, creating large vacant shells that entrepreneurs are repurposing as indoor pickleball venues. Converting these spaces demands more than court markings; structural clearance, column spacing, and code‑compliant egress are critical first steps. Flooring must be leveled,...
5 Critical Post-Flood Environmental Risk Assessments
The article outlines five essential post‑flood environmental risk assessments—mold and fungal testing, indoor air quality analysis, Legionella and other waterborne pathogen testing, fecal contamination tracking, and asbestos/lead surveys. It explains how targeted testing documents damage, safeguards occupants, and satisfies insurance...
Faces of Facilities: Stephen Odom on Trades-Based Leadership
Stephen Odom, a senior facilities manager at Papa John’s, leverages two decades of mechanical‑trade experience to oversee roughly 250 restaurant sites. He argues that deep technical knowledge improves contractor management, asset data collection, and rapid problem solving under pressure. Odom highlights...
Electrical Preventive Maintenance: A Four-Tier Audit Template to Avoid Downtime
Unplanned downtime costs U.S. facilities a median $125,000 per hour, with electrical failures accounting for a large share. The 2023 NFPA 70B revision now mandates a documented electrical maintenance program, yet most firms still rely on generic checklists that overlook...
When Safety Tech Fails Underground: How to Improve Connectivity in Parking Garages
Facilities managers report frequent loss of cellular and Wi‑Fi signals in underground parking garages, jeopardizing emergency calls and security systems. The article explains why concrete and steel structures block radio frequencies and debunks myths that Wi‑Fi can replace cellular coverage....
Report Finds Safety Concerns Top of Mind for Healthcare Workers
A new Canopy report surveying over 1,000 healthcare leaders reveals that more than one‑quarter of workers experience safety incidents daily or weekly, with nearly half facing threatening situations and 20% encountering violence. The study links these safety concerns directly to...
Visibility as a Leadership Advantage: How Facility Data Supports Better Decisions
Facility leaders are under pressure from tight budgets, scarce labor and heightened ESG scrutiny. By adopting integrated, near‑real‑time dashboards, they move from reactive reporting to predictive management. Consolidated data streams—work orders, energy use, compliance and labor metrics—enable precise budgeting, risk...
Cost Pressures, Tech, and Talent Are Top of Mind for FM Leaders
JLL’s Global State of Facilities Management Report highlights three 2026 priorities for FM leaders: cost efficiency, AI‑driven technology, and talent retention. A survey of 248 CRE and FM executives across more than 20 countries shows 84% flag rising operating costs...
Making Facilities Data Matter
Facilities leaders possess extensive operational data, yet they often convey it to finance as raw invoices, obscuring strategic value. This communication gap causes delayed investments, higher energy costs, and increased risk, as finance cannot see ROI, risk mitigation, or lifecycle...
Real Estate Power Crunch: Will Energy Availability Beat Location for Future Facilities?
JLL’s new report warns that power reliability is eclipsing traditional location priorities in commercial real estate. Tenants in data centers, advanced manufacturing, labs and healthcare are willing to pay sizable rent premiums for sites with resilient energy supplies. The study...
Why Clear Audio Is Becoming a Core Requirement in Modern Facility Operations
Clear audio has evolved from a technical nicety to a core operational requirement for modern facilities. Precise, intelligible sound improves daily productivity by eliminating miscommunication and rework. It also satisfies stringent safety regulations, ensuring alarms and evacuation messages are heard...
How AI and Other Tech Will Free Up Time for Facilities Managers in 2026
The National Fire Protection Association’s August 2025 survey shows AI is becoming a top priority for skilled‑trade facilities teams, with 35% expecting technology deployment to dominate 2026 initiatives. A striking 95% of trade workers already see AI supporting daily tasks...
Renovations and Conversions: The New Focus for University Facilities
Higher education institutions are curbing new construction as budgets tighten, redirecting capital toward renovating and repurposing existing campus assets. A 2023 report shows a 26% year‑over‑year increase in strategic investment for existing facilities, while some universities project capital budgets shrinking...
How Drones Can Improve Your Next Facility Construction Project
Construction firms are rapidly adopting drones, with industry spending reaching $4.8 billion in 2024 and projected to hit $6.2 billion by 2030. Autonomous aircraft provide continuous site surveillance, reducing the need for hazardous manual inspections and helping prevent the over‑1,000 fatalities recorded...
Texas Poised to Become Global Leader in Booming Data Center Market
JLL’s Year-End 2025 North America Data Center Report shows vacancy at a record‑low 1% for the second year, underscoring hyper‑driven demand from AI and hyperscalers. Texas now hosts 6.5 GW of construction and is projected to eclipse Virginia as the world’s...
Making the Case for Continuous Radon Monitoring in Schools
Radon can accumulate to hazardous levels in school buildings, especially those that are tightly sealed and rely on HVAC systems. Traditional charcoal test kits provide only a single average reading, missing daily fluctuations that affect exposure. Continuous radon monitors (CRMs)...
Data-Driven Water Management: Bringing Visibility and Resilience to Building Operations
Intelligent water management platforms are bringing continuous sensing and analytics to traditionally hidden building water systems. By converting raw sensor data into actionable insights, facilities can detect leaks, temperature imbalances, and inefficiencies in real time. The technology enables proactive maintenance,...
The Optimization Playbook: Lessons From the Central Plant
The piece explains how central‑plant optimization can unlock hidden energy savings by using simple observation, spreadsheet modeling, and customized control sequences. Real‑world examples from campuses, hospitals, and military bases show six‑figure cost reductions without expensive software. It links efficiency gains...