Tech Operators Led by California Transform Facilities Through AI
Workplace occupiers are embedding AI within their facilities operating model not only to drive efficiency, but also to create new capabilities and productivity gains to deliver against an elevated mandate.
The tech industry, much of it rooted in California, is setting the pace. There, 69% of tech occupiers rank AI and tech-enabled productivity gains among their top three FM (facilities management) success metrics, far ahead of any other metric, according to Wei Xie, head of strategy and research of workplace management at JLL.
Some 53% of tech occupiers are already scaling or optimizing across their portfolio and those still piloting plan to reach scale by 2030, Xie told GlobeSt.com.
"The question is no longer whether AI belongs in FM, but how quickly mandate, platform and workforce can align to keep pace with it," she said.
JLL's Global State of Facilities Management 2026 Report, based on responses from 1,321 organizations across the Americas, EMEA and APAC, highlights the rapid transformation of facilities management (FM) through artificial intelligence (AI), automation and robotics. Currently, 45% of organizations are scaling or optimizing AI in FM operations, a figure expected to reach 86% by 2030.
As technology adoption accelerates, FM is increasingly recognized as a strategic business function, with 50% of respondents viewing it as a significant competitive advantage, projected to rise to 82% by 2030.
Workforce Readiness A Major Challenge
Despite this progress, workforce readiness remains a major challenge. Nearly 70% of respondents experienced operational disruptions over the past year due to skilled trades shortages and gaps in AI or technical skills, while fewer than 45% feel prepared to manage these risks over the next three-to-five years.
Organizations are increasingly combining skilled technicians with intelligent workflows and robotics to improve productivity, responsiveness and service delivery. Robotics adoption is expected to nearly double, increasing from 37% today to 71% by 2030.
Organizations that view FM as a competitive advantage are investing in its growth rather than reducing resources. Among these respondents, 64% expect FM budgets to increase, 58% plan to expand their workforce and 45% anticipate growth in both areas over the next three to five years.
Success metrics vary by industry, reflecting different priorities, including AI-enabled productivity in technology, asset uptime in data centers, productivity and compliance in manufacturing and safety and risk management in government and education.
Source: GlobeSt/ALM