78% of FM professionals are stuck in firefighting mode, and 52% base their budgets on last year’s numbers. Are you stuck on autopilot?
Everyone is worried about the future of FM, trying to predict what it will look like while keeping one foot firmly planted in the past. One thing is for sure: humans always gravitate towards what feels safe and known. FM is a prime example.
Recycling old budgets, relying on outdated tools like spreadsheets, manual scheduling or even worse—verbal work orders. We highlighted numerous die-hard habits and how they’re impacting your operations. Our survey makes it clear: it’s those ingrained habits—not the unknown future—that should be your biggest concern.
Download the report to learn how to break free from the status quo and drive progress in your FM operations.
Straight from the heart of the FM comfort zone, here’s a non-exhaustive list of old habits that are costing you more than you think.
- Focusing on emergencies and maintenance only
78% of professionals say operational efficiency is their biggest concern, which in FM terms means “Sorry, we’re too busy patching holes to build a future.”
FM teams are stuck in a relentless loop—constantly reacting to emergencies and losing hours to tedious admin work. That overload keeps them focused on short-term fixes, leaving no space for strategy or future planning. Which only intensifies the very chaos they are fighting.
But beneath the surface of the day-to-day grind lurks the “dark side of FM”—the performance failures, the breached SLAs, the frustrated customers, the offline data, the invisible costs. These deeper issues affect your bottom line and your reputation. And without the right processes or tools, they remain out of control.
- “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”
With FM teams totally missing the bigger picture, the consequences of reacting instead of predicting result in very inefficient maintenance practices.
We know for sure predictive maintenance is the best bet. It is a smart investment, offering cost savings of 8% to 12% over preventive methods and as much as 40% when compared to reactive maintenance (Source: U.S. Department of Energy).
But predictive maintenance needs you to, well, predict things and keep an eye on them, analyse patterns and make strategic decisions—all the proactive moves that simply don’t happen when you’re stuck in a reactive loop.
As a matter of fact, our survey indicates a significant 38% still face resistance to preventive maintenance approaches. Here again: “We’re wired for crises. If it’s not in imminent breakdown, it’s simply not on our radar.”
- Copy pasting budget from last year
Does your FM budget look like a carbon copy of last year’s? If so, you’re not alone—52% of respondents admit to using last year’s numbers. But here’s the problem: When you recycle old budgets, you’re recycling bad decisions.
Overpriced contracts and underperforming services get renewed year after year, draining resources without delivering results. And by defaulting to the same contractors, you’re missing the chance to build strategic and more innovative partnerships.
In short, old budgets don’t account for future risks, opportunities, or emergencies. If you want to hit your FM goals, you need to focus on performance metrics and forecasting, not just past expenses.
- Manual scheduling and outdated tools
Manual scheduling is still the go-to for 43% of FM professionals—an outdated approach that kills productivity and invites miscommunication. And while 29% of teams have turned to CMMS solutions, they’re only solving part of the equation. Maintenance is critical, no doubt, but true success comes when technology is integrated into your asset management strategy—not just your operations.
Setting maintenance aside, what about managing supplier relationships or improving client collaboration? Or what about making sure your services continue to impress and stay modern for your clients? These strategic opportunities are often overlooked.
Meanwhile, the most competitive FM teams haven’t missed a beat. They’re using technology as a driver for growth, alignment, and a competitive edge.
60%. That’s the gap between leaders and everyone else in digital and AI maturity. If technology is not your priority now, you’re already losing ground. But remember, this is not a call to jump from one extreme to another: from old-school spreadsheets to shiny new tech.
The most successful teams don’t chase trends—they leverage technology as a strategic enabler, using it with intent to fuel their growth and vision.
The FM industry is evolving—are you ready to move with purpose? Get the full report to keep up with all the important FM trends and stay one step ahead of industry changes.