Practical Facilities Tips, News & Advice.
Facilities managers have a storied history of relying on spreadsheets to keep track of tools, parts, and supplies. And that worked perfectly fine until buildings became more complex, maintenance demands multiplied, and the margin for error got slimmer and slimmer until nearly disappearing. Today, the migration toward automation is reimagining how facilities handle their inventory. […]
Facilities Management Advisor’s “Under Construction” series highlights some of the latest, most interesting facility project announcements every month. $1B Meta Data Center Campus The data center market is booming, thanks to the meteoric rise of artificial intelligence (AI). Case in point, social media giant Meta recently announced it is investing more than $1 billion in […]
The facilities management (FM) industry continues to expand, with total global spend expected to exceed the $3 trillion mark in 2026—a figure comparable to the annual GDP of France, the world’s seventh-largest economy. However, the massive sector faces mounting pressure, according to a new report from JLL. The “Global State of Facilities Management Report 2025” […]
What’s one major piece of advice that Marshall MacFarlane, an industry veteran and celebrated IFMA Fellow, would give to both new and established facilities managers? Make sure to network. According to him, building a support system could be “career-changing.” MacFarlane currently serves as a facilities senior project manager at Bell Bank, the largest family- and […]
The facilities management industry is facing a labor crisis, with about half of today’s professionals approaching retirement. To help fill that workforce gap and provide career development opportunities, higher education institutions across the country are increasingly offering degrees in the FM field. One of the latest examples is Dunwoody College of Technology, a not-for-profit school […]
On Sept. 17-19, thousands of industry professionals converged on Minneapolis for the International Facility Management Association’s (IFMA) 2025 World Workplace Conference and Expo. Marking the organization’s 45th anniversary and the annual event’s 30th year, the show offered educational sessions, networking opportunities, and more. IFMA kicked off the event with a celebratory program reflecting on the association’s […]
The talent and labor shortage in facilities management (FM) is a top concern today, as shown in the National Fire Protection Association’s Industry Trends Survey and ManpowerGroup’s 2025 Global Talent Shortage Survey. In ManpowerGroup’s survey of 40,413 employers across major industries in 42 countries, 74% of global employers said they are struggling to find the skilled […]
Back to Basics is an article series that highlights important but possibly overlooked information facilities management professionals should know. Roof systems play an essential role in waterproofing a commercial building’s envelope. As part of the comprehensive roof system, single-ply roof membranes serve as the first line of defense against the elements, protecting critical equipment in warehouses, […]
Incorporating everything from hands-on labor to leadership roles, facilities management is a versatile industry that has a lot to offer professionals with different skill sets. That’s why Mike McGraw is happy his career path led him to FM over 20 years ago. McGraw currently serves as a unit director at ESFM USA, the corporate facilities […]
Public-private partnerships (P3s) continue to evolve as an increasingly important component in the toolkit of public institutions facing complex infrastructure challenges. JLL’s latest research, “Redefining Public Delivery One P3 at a Time,” examines facility-related P3 projects completed since 2019, providing insights into geographic trends, facility types, capital market considerations, construction costs, and funding strategies. “Public institutions […]