AI will only create value in FM when it is connected to business purpose, not treated as a standalone technology project.
This theme captures one of the clearest messages from the European Executive Roundtable. Participants did not frame AI primarily as an IT implementation issue. Instead, they connected AI to business strategy, operating models, value creation, organizational change and the future positioning of FM.
One participant comment captured this directly: “AI is a business model/strategy topic, not an IT project.” Another emphasized that “business systems & digital transformation” need to be “combined, not separate.” Together, these comments suggest that AI should not be treated as another layer of technology added onto existing FM operations. It should be understood as part of a broader transformation in how FM creates value.
For FM leaders, the risk is not simply that AI will be ignored. The risk is that AI will be adopted in a way that is disconnected from business purpose.
Organizations may introduce AI tools, pilots, dashboards, chatbots, analytics platforms or automation projects without first asking what problem they are trying to solve. If AI is treated as a technology first initiative, it can create activity without transformation. It may produce more data, more outputs and more experimentation, but not necessarily better decisions or stronger value.
Roundtable data suggests that AI needs to be framed through a business lens. This means asking how AI can support service quality, cost effectiveness, workplace experience, sustainability, resilience, risk management, space planning, asset performance and strategic decision-making.
This matters because FM has often been positioned as a cost center. AI creates an opportunity to challenge that perception. If used well, AI can help FM demonstrate its contribution to business performance, organizational agility, employee experience and long-term value creation. However, that opportunity will only be realized if AI adoption begins with business problems and desired outcomes, not tools.
FM leaders should begin by defining the strategic role of AI in their organization. This does not need to be a complex strategy document at the beginning. It should be a clear statement of intent that explains why AI matters for FM, what outcomes it should support, and how it connects to the wider goals of the organization.
A practical first step is to move from tool-led questions to business-led questions.
FM leaders should also develop use cases that are clearly connected to strategic priorities. These could include predictive maintenance, energy optimization, space utilization, service request triage, asset life cycle planning, supplier performance, workforce planning or sustainability reporting.
The priority should not be to use AI everywhere. The priority should be to use AI where it helps FM solve meaningful problems and demonstrate value.
The first theme shows that AI-enabled FM must be led as business transformation, not technology deployment. Participants repeatedly connected AI to business strategy, value creation, digital transformation and the future role of FM.
AI will only become meaningful when leaders define where it creates value, how it supports organizational goals, and what problems it is intended to solve. For FM, the opportunity is not simply to adopt AI. It is to use AI to reposition FM as a stronger contributor to business performance, sustainability, experience and strategic value.
International Facility Management Association (IFMA) supports over 26,000 members in 140 countries. Since 1980, IFMA has worked to advance the FM profession through education, events, credentialing, research, networking and knowledge-sharing.
