by Ross Abbate, CEO

Last month, engineers in Japan made headlines for their efforts to construct human faces and expressions–specifically smiles–for robots, using a mask made from human skin cells. 

So far, the results are more creepy than friendly, but the ambition is clear: Communication and empathy improve between humans and robots the closer the latter gets to human. 

In the world of facilities management, while we’re not quite at the point of skin-cell masks, we are, as an industry, currently grappling with a similar human-technology balance. 

Robotics, AI, predictive analytics, and IoT continue to deliver on the promise of better, smarter, faster, more efficient FM – a trend will only continue as our clients seek to become more agile and responsive to their markets. 

In our own work, we’ve seen the benefits of a tech-led approach in response to back-of-house and compliance challenges, and have passed powerful insights and savings on to our clients.

We’re creating enormous value from the development of a CAFM system for monitoring and managing building systems and assets, as well as a blend of IoT and AI to streamline, schedule and predict maintenance. 

All that said (and as the Japanese scientists well know), technology has its limitations. 

When it comes to customer service in FM, the expectation and desire for a genuinely human experience continues to reign supreme. For one of our clients, we have used cleaning robots successfully for years, and recently introduced a robot on reception. By and large, however, this is where our clients draw the line. 

Ultimately, people like to do business with people – and the familiarity and connection of human expression is a big part of that. 

On a visceral level, our clients recognise the distinctly emotional response that a genuine hello, a warm expression, and simple smile can have on people. They understand that when it comes to everyday excellence, technology should bolster service rather than replace it. 

In fact, we’re seeing another trend emerging in conversations with many of our clients: the desire for hotel-type service levels. The assumption is that experience, especially in the post-Covid drive to get people back to the office – is what it’s all about. It’s about blending the convenience and ease of technology, with in-person, proactive and friendly human touch. 

It’s this trend, perhaps, that suggests the future of the human vs. technology debate in FM.

Rather than integrate technology for technology’s sake or continue to innovate and scale our human beings out of the frame, we focus first on creating outward-facing authentic human experience–and much like the Japanese robots, let the technology be the engines behind it.