IFMA Releases AI Guide for Facilities Managers

The International Facility Management Association (IFMA) recently released a guide to understanding and using AI in built environments, according to a news release. “Gamechanger: A Facility Manager’s Guide to Building a Relationship with AI” is available to IFMA members through IFMA’s Knowledge Library, and it serves as a roadmap for facility management professionals looking to adopt AI solutions into built environments.

“With AI dominating much of today’s technological discussions, FMs must learn to harness its capabilities and applications,” said Dean Stanberry, former chair of IFMA’s Global Board of Directors and member of the association’s AI in FM Working Group. “This guide serves as both a roadmap and a compass for facility managers. It offers step-by-step guidance on starting, scaling and sustaining AI initiatives. The insights shared are drawn from industry research, expert opinions and practical experiences, making it a valuable companion for any FM looking to stay ahead of the curve.”

“Gamechanger” covers facility management applications including predictive maintenance and energy efficiency optimization, the news release reports. It also offers guidance into AI deployment, how to align AI strategy with business goals, how to manage organizational changes, and how to ensure infrastructure readiness. The guide’s ultimate goal is to help facility management professionals improve building efficiency while reducing cost and boosting the tenants’ experience.

“AI in FM brings many questions from the C-suite to rank-and-file employees, and rightly so,” said Lynn Baez, IFMA Global Chair. “‘Gamechanger’ equips FMs to take the lead in answering those questions and turning those inherent challenges into opportunities to prepare their organizations and people to succeed.”

The guide will also be part of a panel discussion at the IFMA World Workplace 2024 Conference and Expo at 3:15 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 10, in San Antonio, Texas.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Spaces4Learning Launches 2026 Education Design Showcase Awards

    Spaces4Learning has opened submissions for the 2026 Education Design Showcase! The awards program launched in 1999 with the goal of celebrating innovative, practical solutions in the planning, design, and construction of K–12 and higher-education facilities. EDS recognizes new developments that help achieve optimal learning environments, as well as the architecture firms that brought the ideas to life.

  • Massachusetts K–12 District Selects Architect for New Junior High

    Swansea Public Schools in Swansea, Mass., recently announced that it has selected Finegold Alexander Architects to design a new junior high school for the district, according to a news release. The firm will create the Feasibility Study and Schematic Design for Joseph Case Junior High School after a lengthy selection process by the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA).

  • University of Kentucky Receives $150M Gift Toward New Arts District

    The University of Kentucky’s Board of Trustees recently received a $150-million gift from The Bill Gatton Foundation, according to a university news release, to build a new arts district on the campus in Lexington, Ky. The new district will feature a new College of Fine Arts building and a multi-hundred-seat theater, among other amenities.

  • El Paso District Breaks Ground on New Elementary School

    The Canutillo Independent School District in El Paso, Texas, recently announced that construction has begun on a 119,000-square-foot elementary school, according to a news release. The district partnered with Pfluger Architects, Carl Daniel Architects, and LDCM Solutions on the new Davenport Elementary School, which has an expected completion date of 2027.