How AI is supporting facilities management in the corporate workplace

February 9, 2024

The corporate landscape is evolving at a rapid pace, driven by innovations, and technology, including Artificial Intelligence (AI). While many industries face challenges and concerns around the use of AI day to day, facilities management teams are embracing it and the opportunities it presents.  

Enabling proactive productivity

In response to new hybrid ways of working, Anabas’ facilities management teams have turned to a data-driven approach and implemented AI with additional sensors and technology to track office usage, footfall and environmental factors to proactively improve the overall workplace experience.  

For our cleaning operations, the insight from AI and smart technology is extremely valuable and useful for effective service delivery. Our teams can now understand footfall and employee behaviours, to monitor when refills such as soap and paper products need replacing. Additionally, they can control and clean washrooms only when it requires their attention, as well as identify areas that need extra levels of cleaning.  

Another great example of how we use AI and other smart technology is within our strategies to improve indoor air quality in our clients’ buildings, in line with industry wellness standards. Intelligent systems enable our facilities teams to measure the impact of the office environment on employees and make changes and improvements to optimise their health and productivity. The associated dashboards, visualisations, and threshold analyses assist our teams in investigating the current situation and long-term trends.   

Supporting sustainability in the workplace

Sustainability is no longer just a buzzword, it is a necessity for most businesses, including corporate office occupiers. Businesses are now seeking ways to improve processes in the workplace to reduce their impact on the planet.  

To support this, AI-powered systems can monitor energy consumption and environmental conditions, which can inform facilities managers and suggest adjustments to lighting and heating systems in the workplace based on employee usage and behaviours. This translates to reduced energy costs, a smaller carbon footprint, and an optimal working environment.  

Optimising space utilisation

Using AI’s advanced analytics, facilities management teams can gain unprecedented insights into space utilisation in the modern hybrid workplace to improve their service delivery.  

AI can provide insights into how people are using office spaces, and how employees move through the building, which areas are underused, and which are experiencing congestion. This level of intelligence will allow facilities managers to create flexible workspaces that can be adapted and future-proofed based on changing team sizes, project requirements, and workstyle preferences. This could mean adapting existing workstations to support collaboration in places with more footfall or implementing quiet zones or pods for focus with less employee traffic.  

Maintaining the human touch

The human element, however, remains paramount. At Anabas, we use modern technologies to support our service delivery, but not to replace our people. Embracing AI will free up time and enable our facilities management teams to focus on what truly matters in the corporate office: creating thriving, sustainable, and human-centric workspaces that are worthy of the daily commute.