In a challenging economic environment, every pound spent on facilities management must demonstrate a clear and measurable return on investment (ROI). While the pressure from rising costs is immense, the market intelligence offers a glimmer of opportunity: almost four out of five respondents (78%) report a budget increase in the past three years. This signals that the importance of FM is being recognized at the C-suite level, but the expectation for accountability is higher than ever.
The data shows a healthy strategic pivot in how these budgets are allocated: they are leaning slightly more towards planned maintenance (56%) rather than reactive fixes. Furthermore, a substantial portion—nearly half of the average budget—is being allocated directly to software and technology.
What this signifies for FM leaders is profound: Technology spending is now viewed as a strategic necessity, not a luxury. You have the budgets to spend, but the expectation is that these investments must yield immediate, clear, and quantifiable returns, driven by efficiency, compliance, and risk reduction.
Modern FM leaders are already highly data-literate. The vast majority of leaders (88%) are actively leveraging data to optimise cost efficiency in critical areas like energy usage, predictive maintenance, and supplier performance. This confirms that data-driven decision-making is no longer an aspiration; it is a core competency for successful, modern FM operations.
The path to digital transformation is not if, but how. Our research shows that the human element of change management is highly manageable: a significant 82% of respondents have already adopted smart building or IoT technologies, and three-quarters (76%) of leaders rate staff adoption of new technologies as "strong." Staff are ready and willing to embrace new tools.
The problem lies with the systems themselves. The most significant obstacles cited by leaders are:
This highlights a critical need: the industry is past the point of needing powerful but complex, isolated solutions. It requires solutions that are not only effective but also highly user-friendly and immediately interoperable with the existing tech stack. Your next technology investment must enhance the entire ecosystem, not just add another isolated tool.
Ensure your technology spend is a strategic investment that yields clear ROI. Download the report to understand how to allocate budget to solutions that deliver the most immediate and lasting impact.