The Impact of Artificial
Intelligence on the Facilities
Management Industry
Chris Hoar, Katie King and Brian Atkin
AIinFM
www.aiinfm.com
@AIinFM
#AIinFM
Join us on LinkedIn
Scope of this presentation
• Background:
• Existing challenges facing the facilities management industry
• Artificial intelligence (AI) – a global and socio-economic perspective.
• AI in the FM industry:
• Current examples
• Results of a recent survey.
• Impact on the FM industry:
• The future for service providers
• Concluding remarks.
Background
Existing challenges
• The image of the FM industry – one of low esteem and a mismatch
between self-perception and that of wider industry and the public.
• No ambassadors to grab the headlines or create role models.
• Few trust-based relationships.
• Intelligent client function (ICF) not well developed.
• Difficulty in attracting and retaining talent – limited career pathways.
• Low barriers to entry and low profit margins.
• Dependency on cash flow by service providers – few fixed assets.
Like this?
Or like this?
Or even…
…this?
to this…
From this…
Role
models?
And now another challenge…
• Artificial intelligence (AI) has already made inroads into all
sectors even if we fail to recognise it (e.g. Siri and Cortana).
• A definition:
A field of computer science dedicated to the study of
computer software making intelligent decisions,
reasoning and problem solving.
What is Artificial Intelligence?
Human Intelligence
• Intuition, common sense,
judgement, creativity, beliefs
etc.
• The ability to demonstrate
intelligence by effective
communication
• Plausible reasoning.
Artificial Intelligence
• Ability to simulate human
behaviour and cognitive
processes.
• Capture and preserve human
expertise.
• Fast response – the ability to
comprehend large amounts of
data quickly.
Recent media headlines
• “Robots set to replace workforce as AI to ‘eliminate’ all
human work by 2040” – robots and artificial intelligence will have
almost entirely replaced human workers within just 20 years, a worldleading expert on the subject has claimed.
• According to Gartner, “Machine learning is a top strategic trend for
2016” and “autonomous agents and things will continue to be a huge
trend”.
Socio-political impacts of AI
• Employment/unemployment – large-scale lay-offs in manufacturing
from more advanced automation and robots.
• Health, safety and security – increased protection from harm for
workers, pedestrians and vehicle drivers.
• Healthcare – more and more routine surgical procedures performed
by robots, reducing waiting lists.
• Education – reduced need for university teachers and administrators.
• Transportation – more driverless cars, trucks, buses and trains.
• Crime and punishment/rehabilitation – greater security and safety.
AI in the FM industry
Current examples
Floor cleaners
Cleaning and
waste disposal
Service delivery – 1
Service delivery – 2
Catering
Actroids
at your
service
Software and smart apps
• Smart apps are capable of searching and matching information, problems
and solutions and can explain their reasoning.
• They can learn and, in time, out-perform a human because they have
acquired more knowledge.
• Many repetitive managerial decisions will be replaced by smart apps
within a few years.
• Example apps include deciding on the optimal strategy for managing
facilities, maintenance regimes and manpower deployment.
• Users will put their questions in plain language and receive a response in
a similar manner.
Results of a recent survey
Impact of AI
Impact of AI
(5 years from now)
4%
12%
Negligible
38%
46%
Some
Significant
Transformational
15%
Impact of AI
(10 years from now)
Some
50%
35%
Significant
Transformational
Nature of impact
5 years from now
4%
27%
69%
More negative
than positive
More positive
than negative
All positive or
mostly positive
AI is an opportunity
to increase profit margins
4%
12%
Disagree
19%
65%
Neither disagree
nor agree
Agree
Totally agree
Responsibility for monitoring and
acting upon developments in AI
12%
42%
23%
23%
Top management (e.g.
CEO, CIO or CTO)
Senior manager - business
development
AI-supported workplace –
FutureOffice
Service
Area
Individual
Service
AI
Solution
Design
Change
CAPEX Impact
Operational
Change
OPEX
Impact
Cleaning
Floors
Horizontal surfaces
Windows – internal
Autonomous guided vehicles
(AGVs), supplemented by
unmanned aerial vehicles (drones)
for external window cleaning
Design to take account of
mobility for AGVs and the
need to enclose cubicles
Low
Occupants need to adopt
the discipline of a tidy
office
Significant cost
saving
Autonomous guided vehicles
(AGVs)
Waste collection points and
services for transfer to
disposal site
Low-medium
Create centralised
collection and disposal
points
Moderate cost
saving
Smart apps, UHD and thermal
imaging cameras, drones,
autonomous guided vehicles
(AGVs) and actroids
Increased use of sensors,
cameras and high-speed
communications
Medium
Awareness training for
personnel
Significant cost
saving and
reduction of risks
for personnel
Smart apps, thermal imaging
cameras, actroids, autonomous
guided vehicles (AGVs) and 3D
printing of parts
Easier access to fittings and
equipment for spare parts
replacement
Medium
Greater need for
maintenance
management, especially
PPM
Moderate cost
saving
Actroids/robots and autonomous
guided vehicles (AGVs)
Dedicated spaces for food
pre-serve and eating
Medium
Occupants encouraged to
use centralized catering
Cost saving
Actroids and smart apps
None
Low
None
Significant cost
saving
Waste Disposal
Security
M&E Services
Maintenance
Catering
Reception & Helpdesk
Windows – external
Toilets/showers
Food stuffs
Paper
Other recyclable
Non-recyclable
Intrusion detection
Remote diagnosis
Patrolling/detection
Guard
Measurement
Optimization
Fault diagnosis
Parts replacement
Food preparation
Pre-serve
Serving/dispensing
Clearing/washing
Front of house
Back office
Condition Survey
Façade and roof
Structural frame
Unmanned aerial vehicles
(drones) with thermal imaging
cameras
None
Low
None
Minor cost saving
and reduction of
risks for inspection
personnel
Logistical Support
Deliveries
Porterage
Autonomous guided vehicles
(AGVs) and actroids
None
Low
None
Significant cost
saving and
reduction of risks
for personnel
Concluding remarks
What does this mean for service providers?
• Labour-intensive services are among the easy targets for AI, because
they are based on operations that can be replaced by machines with
sufficient intelligence for the job in hand.
• Cleaners and maintenance engineers are unlikely to disappear, but
they will not be required to the same extent as now.
• Where is the moral dilemma for owners/clients deciding to move
from a labour-intensive to a machine-intensive workforce that never
takes holidays or sick leave?
Some questions for owners/clients
• What is the extent of core business processes currently supported by
some form of AI-based solution?
• To what extent is any change in the boundary between core and noncore business likely as a result of AI?
• What is the extent of work or services currently supporting the core
business that utilise some form of AI?
• To what extent could AI-based solutions be introduced in substitution
of, or complementary to, existing labour-intensive service delivery?
Some thoughts for this audience
• What is going to be left of the FM industry if what we have heard
comes true?
• Are there some specific actions that your organisation could take to
capitalise on the opportunities (or threats) of AI?
• Are there some actions that the Government should take in terms of
a policy on the use of robots, especially actroids, in the workplace?
Q&A
Thank you!
Visit us at: www.aiinfm.com
@AIinFM
#AIinFM
Join us on LinkedIn