Executive Summary: What You Need to Know
Facility organizations will enter the next six months with a generally higher workload, modest budget growth and a more deliberate approach to staffing and project risk. A central feature of this report is the new Facility Management Workload Index (FMWI), which condenses workload expectations into a single number on a scale from −100 to +100. The index is calculated from a question asked of facility professionals worldwide about whether they expect their overall workload to increase, decrease or stay about the same. Scores above zero mean more respondents expect increases than decreases, and the farther from zero, the stronger the lean. The FMWI provides a consistent barometer across sectors, regions and future survey waves, giving FM leaders a simple way to compare conditions and track change over time.
The inaugural FMWI reading is +43, which means more facility professionals expect overall workload to rise than to fall. Workload expectations are not uniform. Respondents in Latin America, Africa and parts of Asia-Pacific report the highest FMWI values, indicating stronger expected workload increases. North America sits in the middle, while Europe is somewhat lower. By sector, higher FMWI values appear in transportation and warehousing; utilities; public administration; manufacturing; and professional, scientific and technical services. Lower values appear in information and accommodation and food services. Workload expectations also climb with portfolio size and leadership responsibility, peaking among very large portfolios and multilevel managers.
Facility Management Workload Index
The FM landscape is gearing up for more work, measured budget increases, and widening regional differences.
Budget expectations are steady to slightly higher. Roughly four to five in ten respondents anticipate increases in both operations and management (O&M) and capital expenditure (CapEx) budgets, most often in the 5%–10% range. Around one-quarter expect no significant change, and just over one-quarter foresee reductions. O&M shows a slightly stronger upward trend than CapEx, suggesting that funding for day-to-day operations may have more room to grow than do new capital programs. Regionally, Africa respondents report the strongest increase signals; Europe and North America cluster near “no change,” with a balance of increases and cuts; Asia-Pacific leans modestly positive; and Latin America has the most downward pressure on both operating and capital budgets.
Staffing plans emphasize stability and targeted growth. Backfilling only (24%) and increasing net headcount (24%) are the most common responses, followed by using none of the provided options (21%),freezing hiring (17%) and reducing headcount (14%). Vacancies are generally modest but uneven. Housekeeping and technician roles in educational services and the other-industries category have the highest estimated vacancy rates (often above 8%), whereas finance and insurance, manufacturing, and public administration sit at the low end. The average time to fill a critical role is about 3.7 months, and nearly half of organizations report that it typically takes more than three months. Regionally, Africa, Latin America and parts of Europe face the longest hiring timelines and higher vacancy levels, whereas North America remains comparatively well staffed and Asia-Pacific is closer to the global average.
To manage workload and skill needs, many FM teams continue to lean on contractors. For example, 37% of respondents report increasing their use of outsourcing, 43% report no change and 18% report a decrease, resulting in a net shift of +19 percentage points toward more outsourcing. The trend is strongest in utilities; health care; educational services; and professional, scientific and technical services and in regions such as Africa and Latin America, where more than half of respondents report increased use of outside providers. This pattern reflects a strategy of using contractors to cover gaps in staff capacity, access specialized skills and manage peaks in workload.
On the financial decision side, approval cycles have become more cautious. Over half (54%) of respondents say budget-approval times are unchanged, but about one-third (33%) report longer cycles and only 11%report shorter cycles; a small share cite frozen approvals. The resulting approval-cycle balance is −21 points, indicating a net shift toward slower approvals. Capital-project pipelines are more stable: 34% of respondents describe their pipeline as stable, 24% as expanding and 16% as shrinking, for a pipeline expansion balance of +8 points. Vendor respondents reinforce this view, with about 53% expecting a slight increase in client demand over the next year.
Tariff and trade shifts have affected most facility programs. Roughly two-thirds (65%) of respondents report at least one impact in the past six months, whereas about one-third report no changes. The top responses are increased project budgets or added contingencies (33%), rescoped projects (30%), deferred projects (26%), changed vendors (21%), shifted sourcing to domestic or regional suppliers (20%) and accelerated orders ahead of expected changes (17%). These results point to active risk buffering and supply adjustment rather than widespread cancellations.
Project delivery and risk remain a significant concern. Only 10% of organizations report that all projects are on schedule. Most report that 1%–40% of projects are delayed, and about 17% report that more than 40% or all projects are delayed. The leading causes of delay are scope changes (51%) and supply chain issues (49%), followed by permitting and regulatory approvals (34 %) and funding delays (32%). Quality issues and safety incidents are rarely cited as primary drivers. In response to delays, organizations are updating contract terms to better manage volatility and digital risk, most often by adding data security or cybersecurity requirements (55%); price-escalation clauses (47%); sustainability or environmental, social and governance (ESG) provisions(45%); and shorter price-hold windows (30%), along with strengthening bonding, incentives, and digital-information clauses.
What the Findings Mean for FM Professionals
FM leaders must plan early, protect budgets, and align sourcing to stay ahead of the rising demand.
Plan for Steady Workload
Use the FMWI with the approval and pipeline balances to decide how quickly to release O&M and CapEx work, especially if in a region or sector with a higher activity score.
Plan for Long Hiring Timelines
Because the average time to fill is nearly four months and technician vacancies are elevated in several sectors and regions, stage backfills and critical hires early. Use targeted outsourcing to bridge gaps in skills and capacities.
Protect Budgets and Project Schedules
Expect cautious approvals and moderate budget growth. Tighten scope control; build realistic material and lead-time assumptions into plans; and use price-adjustment mechanisms, shorter holds and data-security clauses where volatility is high.
Match Sourcing Strategies to Tariff and Supply Exposure
Maintain backup suppliers and domestic or regional options when trade exposure is significant, and reserve contingencies for projects that are sensitive to lead time and cost swings.
Monitor Regional and Sector Hotspots
Respondents in Latin America, Africa, and parts of Asia-Pacific report stronger workload growth and more outsourcing, whereas Europe respondents report slower activity and higher staffing challenges. Education and the other-industry sectors carry more vacancy and delay risk, whereas transportation, utilities and public administration have stronger workload signals.
What the Findings Mean for FM Professionals
FM leaders must plan early, protect budgets, and align sourcing to stay ahead of the rising demand.
Plan for Steady Workload
Use the FMWI with the approval and pipeline balances to decide how quickly to release O&M and CapEx work, especially if in a region or sector with a higher activity score.
Plan for Long Hiring Timelines
Because the average time to fill is nearly four months and technician vacancies are elevated in several sectors and regions, stage backfills and critical hires early. Use targeted outsourcing to bridge gaps in skills and capacities.
Protect Budgets and Project Schedules
Expect cautious approvals and moderate budget growth. Tighten scope control; build realistic material and lead-time assumptions into plans; and use price-adjustment mechanisms, shorter holds and data-security clauses where volatility is high.
Strategies to Tariff and Supply Exposure
Maintain backup suppliers and domestic or regional options when trade exposure is significant, and reserve contingencies for projects that are sensitive to lead time and cost swings.
Monitor Regional and Sector Hotspots
Respondents in Latin America, Africa, and parts of Asia-Pacific report stronger workload growth and more outsourcing, whereas Europe respondents report slower activity and higher staffing challenges. Education and the other-industry sectors carry more vacancy and delay risk, whereas transportation, utilities and public administration have stronger workload signals.
Overall, this quarter’s report presents a profession that is preparing for continued workload growth and measured budget support, tempered by slower approvals, selective staffing gaps and persistent delivery friction. Facility leaders who sequence work carefully, line up capacity early and strengthen contracts and sourcing will be best positioned to convert near-term demand into reliable outcomes.
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