Facilities managers have more tools at their disposal than ever before. Artificial intelligence (AI) is one of the most exciting of these, but organizations must learn how to use it before they can experience its full benefits. Recognizing where and how AI can enhance asset management can unlock unique workflow upgrades.
Enabling Real-Time Adjustments
One of AI’s most practical applications in facilities management is to adjust building systems in response to real-time data. For example, smart HVAC solutions monitor changing conditions to run or shut off equipment accordingly. Because AI can detect subtle fluctuations earlier than humans, this automation can yield significant energy savings.
A single smart thermostat reduces HVAC bills by 8% on average through such adjustments. That reduction leads to roughly $50 in annual savings for a home, but the effect can be much larger for a bigger facility. Extending real-time AI functionality to other systems will similarly take these benefits further.
Heating and cooling are obvious targets for AI optimization, but the technology can automate controls in water, air quality, and electrical systems, too. In all use cases, it maintains ideal conditions while minimizing power consumption with no manual interference.
Optimizing Maintenance
AI’s ability to recognize small changes in data makes it an impactful maintenance tool. Some facilities deploy it to monitor equipment health factors, alerting managers when signs indicate an impending need for repair. This practice—known as predictive maintenance (PdM)—maximizes operational efficiency and system longevity.
Experienced facilities managers understand the importance of regular care. However, while schedule-based maintenance is more cost-effective than run-to-failure alternatives, 30% of all preventive measures add no value. Disrepair is often inconsistent, so many such activities result in unnecessary planned downtime. PdM offers a more efficient alternative.
The AI models in PdM only alert technicians when there is a measurable problem, avoiding unnecessary repairs. At the same time, they recognize these flaws before they’re noticeable to humans, so managers can still fix them while they’re small. As a result, PdM is the most time- and cost-efficient model.
Uncovering Opportunities for Improvement
Facilities managers can also use AI for larger-scale optimizations. Buildings using Internet of Things (IoT) sensors will generate vast amounts of data over time. Machine learning models can analyze this information to uncover trends revealing where operations could be more efficient.
Many optimization opportunities stem from granular changes, making them difficult to spot manually. Still, even small, easily missable inefficiencies have significant effects. Unregulated air compressor usage, for example, can account for between 30% and 50% of a facility’s air demand. While a human may overlook this gap, AI’s greater precision can recognize and bring attention to it.
In addition to finding areas to improve, AI can narrow down the most impactful solutions. Facilities managers can use machine learning to simulate various operational changes to learn which options would be best without lengthy and expensive trial and error.
Accelerating Emergency Responses
Some AI applications can yield more immediate benefits, too. The same models that monitor IoT data for maintenance or real-time adjustments can detect emergencies like burst pipes or faulty circuits. Consequently, they enable faster, more effective responses.
Because AI recognizes irregularities in real time, it offers the quickest possible alerts to an emerging issue. In some cases, the technology can even pinpoint the optimal solution or suggest stakeholders or responders to contact. As a result, facilities managers can resolve the situation faster with less confusion and loss.
Such use cases have seen growing interest in large-scale electrical grids. Utility companies have found AI can make complex response decisions in just 60 seconds when they once took 10 minutes. Applying the same concept to facilities management could produce substantial savings.
Enhancing Cybersecurity
Similarly, AI is an important cybersecurity tool. As facilities managers integrate more IoT solutions and other digital technologies, they become increasingly vulnerable to cyberattacks. Monitoring networks with AI ensures they can catch and contain breaches more effectively, offsetting that risk.
AI cybersecurity solutions lead to a 12% reduction in the time it takes to respond to a breach, on average. Of the organizations using these technologies, 64% also report a drop in the costs of such incidents. The savings stem from AI enabling continuous monitoring for suspicious behavior—something a human security workforce can’t reasonably do.
Cybersecurity may not be at the top of many facilities managers’ minds, but that must change. Digital threats will grow as tech adoption expands, and when it does, AI’s benefits in the area become critical.
AI Is the Next Frontier in Facilities Management
AI has too many advantages for facilities managers to ignore its potential. The above five use cases are not a complete list of what the technology can do, either. As the AI field grows and develops, new possibilities will emerge.
Facilities managers must take advantage of AI today to prepare for a tech-driven future. Experimenting with these five applications is a solid start to that journey.
Emily Newton combines her passion for operations management with her expertise to deliver content that resonates with facilities managers. Newton has been published by several industry publications.