Dean Stanberry, IFMA’s immediate past chair, explores six emerging trends reshaping facility management: circular economy, climate change, ESG, PropTech, AI, and workplace wellness. He highlights how facility managers are driving sustainability and resilience in a rapidly evolving industry.
Today, Dean Stanberry, the immediate past chair of IFMA's Global Board of Directors, delves into the critical emerging trends reshaping the facility management industry. Drawing insights from IFMA's report, 'Evolution is Never Finished,' the episode covers six transformative topics: circular economy, climate change, ESG reporting, PropTech, AI, and workplace wellness. From legislative actions enhancing circularity to AI-driven innovations in predictive maintenance, Dean highlights the evolving responsibilities of facility managers in driving sustainability and resilience.
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Dean Stanberry: [00:00:00] The facility management profession is at a crossroads.
Shaped by powerful trends that demand new skills, strategies, and perspectives, we navigate these evolving changes, whether through circularity, climate action, ESG alignment, digital transformation, AI integration, or wellness initiatives, facility managers have the opportunity to lead the way in building a more sustainable, resilient, and human centric future.
Host: Welcome to Connected FM, a podcast, connecting you to the latest insights, tools, and resources to help you succeed in facility management. This podcast is brought to you by IFMA, the leading professional association for facility managers. If you are ready to grow your network and advance in your career, go to ifma.org to get started.
Today, Dean Stanberry, the immediate past chair of IFMA's Global Board of Directors, delves into the critical emerging trends influencing the [00:01:00] FM industry. Drawing insights from IFMA's report, Evolution is Never Finished, he covers six key topics including circular economy, climate change, ESG reporting, prop tech, AI and workplace wellness from legislative actions, enhancing circularity to AI driven innovations. Dean highlights the evolving responsibilities of FMS in driving sustainability and resilience. Now let's get into it.
Dean Stanberry: Hello. I want to welcome everyone to this episode of the Connected FM podcast. This is Dean Stanberry, the immediate past chair of IFMA's global board of directors. Today, we're continuing the exploration of the critical emerging trends reshaping the facility management industry. These insights originate from IFMA's 2023 report, Evolution is Never Finished.
Which highlights six transformative topics, including circular economy, climate change, ESG [00:02:00] reporting, prop tech, AI, and workplace wellness and well being. Since the report's publication, significant developments have unfolded globally and in the U. S., reflecting rapid changes that demand our attention.
So first, let's dive into circular economy. The report emphasized the circular economy as a model designed to minimize waste and maximize resource use. However, recent data from the 2024 Circularity Gap Report, Reveals a concerning trend, the global rate of circularity has dropped with a secondary materials accounting for only 7.
2 percent of all materials consumed down from 9. 1 percent in 2018. In the U. S. circular economy is gaining momentum but faces challenges in scaling up due to fragmented recycling systems and limited market incentives. for secondary materials. Legislative actions are crucial to advancing circularity. The EU is [00:03:00] leading with policies like the right to repair and bans on planned obsolescence, setting the precedent that the US is beginning to follow.
California, for example, recently introduced the Right to Repair Act, aiming to extend the life of electronic products. Globally, there is a push for stricter environmental product standards, banning the destruction of unsold goods, and developing certifications for recycled materials that validate their safety and quality.
Facility managers are central to this transition, championing the circular procurement practices, and advocating for policies that prioritize sustainability across supply chains. The integration of the circular principles in building operations from design to deconstruction will be a defining challenge and opportunity for the FM profession.
Next up is climate change. The original report identified climate change as a critical disruptor with direct [00:04:00] impacts on facilities, operations, and occupant health. The urgency around climate action continues to grow. The European Union's New Green Deal and similar U. S. initiatives such as the Inflation Reduction Act are driving aggressive policy changes to reduce carbon emissions and increase energy efficiency.
The U. S. Green Building Council has updated LEED standards to emphasize climate resilience, decarbonization, water conservation reflecting their evolving priorities of the built environment. Facility managers are now responsible for implementing comprehensive climate risk assessments and adaptive measures.
This includes integrating renewable energy enhancements energy efficiency, and using sustainable materials. Globally, companies are setting science based targets to achieve net zero emissions, compelling FMs to develop new strategies that not only mitigate climate impacts, but also align with broader organizational goals.[00:05:00]
The challenge ahead is two fold. Reducing the environmental footprint of buildings and ensuring the resilience against climate risks such as extreme weather events. Facility managers must advocate for climate action within their organizations, pushing for investments in sustainable infrastructure and technologies.
On the steady march for ESG reporting, environmental, social, and governance reporting has evolved from a compliance, risk, and driven task to a strategic imperative for organizations worldwide. The IFMA report highlighting the growing focus on ESG today, and today, both the U. S. and global regulators are tightening the requirements for transparency and accountability.
In the U. S., the Securities and Exchange Commission is proposing mandatory climate risk disclosure for public companies. marking a significant shift in how [00:06:00] businesses report their sustainability performance. Globally, the EU's Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directly, or CSRD, is expanding its scope and requiring thousands of companies to report on ESG metrics.
This push towards standardization, comparable ESG data is reshaping how companies assess and communicate their sustainability efforts. Facility managers play a critical role in this process, collecting and managing the data on energy use, waste reduction, and indoor environmental quality to meet these reporting standards.
The integration of ESG reporting into FM practices ensures that building operations contribute positively to an organization's overall sustainability goals. Facility managers must stay informed on evolving regulations and develop robust data strategies to support accurate and actionable ESG [00:07:00] disclosures.
Host: Are you ready to connect with FMs who live in your area, work in your industry, or share your interests? IFMA chapters, industry councils, and communities have opportunities for you to be involved as you want to be. Visit ifma. org to find your group.
Dean Stanberry: Next up, PropTech continues to dominate conversations from the boiler room to the board room. PropTech, or property technology, was identified in the report as a catalyst for transforming FM operations through data automation and real time monitoring. Since the report's released, the adoption of PropTech solutions has accelerated in the U S and globally.
AI driven analytics, IOT devices, and smart building technologies are becoming standard providing FM's with new tools to enhance building performance and occupant comfort. In the U. S., cities like New York and San Francisco are leading the charge with smart [00:08:00] building regulations that require real time energy monitoring and reporting.
Globally, PropTech innovations are driving the integration of AI powered predictive maintenance and space optimization tools, enabling the facility managers to preemptively address issues and optimize resources. However, this rapid digitization brings challenges, particularly around data security and privacy.
Managing these risks is crucial to realizing the full potential of PropTech. Facility managers need to stay ahead of the technological advancements and invest in training to effectively leverage these tools. The future of FM will be shaped by the ability to harness data driven insights to make building smarter, safer, and more sustainable.
And we can't forget that omnipresent elephant in the room, and that is artificial intelligence. AI is revolutionizing facility [00:09:00] management by automating tasks, enhancing decision making, and optimizing building operations. The original IFMA report highlighted the transformative potential of AI, and this trend continues to accelerate across the globe and in the U.
S. AI is being increasingly deployed for predictive maintenance, energy management, and space utilization. Notable examples include AI driven technologies such as IWMS platforms and digital twins, which are helping facilitate professionals move, improve efficiency and reduce operating costs. In addition to this technological momentum, I'm pleased to share that IFMA has just released its latest publication called Game Changer, a facility manager's guide to building a relationship with AI.
This guide is essential for facility managers seeking to navigate the transformative power of AI. It offers practical strategies for integrating AI into daily operations, [00:10:00] including predictive maintenance, energy optimization, and enhanced security measures. The guide also provides real world examples and actionable insights to help FMs improve operational efficiency and make informed data driven decisions.
AI is not just a technological upgrade, it's a game changing paradigm that will redefine how we manage and operate buildings. The interactive digital summary report is freely available on IFMA's website, offering a roadmap for FMs to looking to lead in the age of intelligent facility management.
Facility AI will be better equipped to enhance sustainability, streamline processes, and ensure buildings for our future ready. Thank you for listening. By incorporating AI tools and insights from FM's latest publication, Facility Managers can not only optimize their current operation, but also position themselves at the forefront of sustainable, intelligent [00:11:00] facility management.
We also opened Pandora's box and found workplace wellness and well being staring at us. The focus on workplace wellness and well being has intensified since the original report. Driven by the ongoing impacts of COVID 19 pandemic and the growing recognition of the role of the built environment in occupant health. In the U. S., wellness certifications like Well and FitWell have become standard for new developments and companies are investing heavily on health focused building improvements. Globally, there's a strong push towards integrating wellness into building standards with organizational priorities prioritizing air quality, natural light, ergonomic workspaces, and mental health resources.
Technology plays a critical role in monitoring these conditions, enabling facility managers to create environments that support physical, mental, and emotional well being. Facility manager is at the forefront of this [00:12:00] movement, tasked with designing and maintaining spaces that enhance occupant health and productivity.
As wellness becomes a core component of workplace strategy, FMs must develop a cross functional skill to collaborate effectively with HR, IT, and the sustainability teams to deliver holistic wellness solutions. In conclusion,
the facility management profession is at a crossroads. Shaped by powerful trends that demand new skills, strategies, and perspectives, we navigate these evolving changes, whether through circularity, climate action, ESG alignment, digital transformation, AI integration, or wellness initiatives, facility managers have the opportunity to lead the way in building a more sustainable, resilient, and human centric future.
Let's embrace these changes with the innovation, dedication, and foresight that define our industry. Thank [00:13:00] you.
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