Unifying a Building’s Technologies for Success in 2025 and Beyond

The past few years have seen a surge of growth in the building technology industry. From building management systems to digital twins, facilities managers have a whole host of resources to help manage buildings with increased efficiency and accuracy. Despite these innovations, many buildings are still suffering from inefficiencies.

In the coming year, facilities managers will be tasked with a higher and more complex workload than ever before. We now have a wealth of sophisticated and advanced technologies at our disposal, and the potential to manage buildings with ease and create high-quality tenant experiences. Many, however, have yet to fully embrace these advancements and invest in the right technologies that will transform the environmental and financial efficiency of a building.

To make the most of these opportunities and thrive in 2025 and beyond, a holistic and unified approach to a building’s technology is essential. Change should be embraced, rather than avoided.

Looking ahead to 2025, we’ll see data play an even greater role in informing decisions regarding the future of buildings and businesses. Though the value of data to make better decisions is well known, many buildings fail to capture or make the most of the insights available. It’s reported that only 32% of data available to enterprises is used, leaving the remaining 68% wasted, along with the time and money invested into gathering it.

This can be caused by the wrong sensors and dashboards being used. This is especially the case if they aren’t aligned with the aims and objectives of the facilities management teams. Even if the right systems are used, data silos can occur if systems aren’t connected and speaking to each other.

To harness the true potential of a building's data and insights, a unified approach is needed. A master systems integrator (MSI) can work to select the most relevant data collection and analysis tools, ensuring that they all work harmoniously to render the most valuable and relevant insights possible.

It’d be impossible to ignore the buzz around AI in the past year. Behind some of the more shocking headlines, there is a huge opportunity for buildings to leverage AI to succeed. The growth we’ve already seen in building management software with AI will continue to develop. One of the key areas for development is AI-powered predictive technology, which can gather information about how assets are used, reducing costs.

AI can also help deliver adaptive climate control to enhance temperature and lighting, providing an elevated experience for tenants. A building’s systems must be unified and connected to make the most of the powerful AI insights available.

Despite much noise around energy efficiency and sustainability made by real estate, the industry is still falling short. It's estimated that the average building wastes roughly a third of the energy it consumes in the US. In Europe, it's reported that up to 75% of building stock is currently energy inefficient. There is clearly a long way to go. Real changes are needed if the industry hopes to reach net zero. Many have made ambitious claims about reaching net zero emissions by 2050, or even 2030, however, more action is needed.

To best meet these challenges and efficiently decarbonize, in 2025 I hope we’ll see more facilities managers taking a bolder and more divisive approach to building technology. The right platforms integrated correctly provide facilities managers insight into a building's energy usage and how to reduce it. These are best utilized in a connected framework.

As building technologies grow in number and sophistication, we will start to see a more consolidated approach to how technologies are deployed. Facilities managers have the most to gain from unifying all of the systems used in a building to ensure that insights and investments in technologies are maximized. I hope more facilities managers embrace technologies like MSIs to make the most of the systems and insights on offer.

This year, the right building technologies will be seen as a must-have, rather than a nice-to-have. Systems that enhance a building's operational, environmental, and financial efficiency will be recognized as key, as expectations around tenant experience, efficiency, and sustainability continue to mount. Increasingly, smart building systems will hold more weight in a property's overall value. Enhanced data and asset management capabilities will be held in higher stead by both tenants and investors.

Overall, 2025 will see an acceleration of the progress the building technology industry has already made. With a vast array of powerful technologies available, the greatest opportunities lay in embracing change and ensuring that systems are connected in a harmonious framework to yield the greatest results.