How can we begin to leverage AI to optimize our facilities?

At ConnexFM this year, we heard from expert speakers, covering all aspects of facilities management. One issue stood out: if we want to leverage AI – which we do – then we need to get our foundations right.

This isn’t a new issue. You’ve almost certainly heard of Agentic AI and the advance it brings over Generative AI models. Instead of simply answering questions, Agentic AI enables AI to both answer questions and to process actions – it can make decisions and execute tasks.

In other words, it can support greater automation in workflows, under human guidance – and, in time, Agentic bots will communicate to build new workflows and connect different processes.

All well and good, but as consulting firm McKinsey has noted, “to function reliably, at scale, Agentic AI needs a steady flow of high-quality data.”

This means that data is foundational. In the same article, the authors note that “Agentic AI depends on a data architecture that can support increasing levels of autonomy, coordination, and real-time decision-making. This often looks like modular, interoperable frameworks that give agents reliable access to the data they need to operate safely.”

All the data, in the right place, in the right format

That’s a clear message – before we can really leverage AI in general and Agentic AI specifically, we need to be able to provide the right data, in the right format – and to obtain it from all relevant sources.

That’s the view in theory, from the eyes of well-known consultants, but ConnexFM brought us lessons from practitioners who are seeking to build those foundations in their organisations.

For example, we heard one speaker describe a project to implement software gateways at over 16,000 locations. What happened in practice? Getting the right IT infrastructure and coordinating deployment introduced significant unexpected delays.

So, the ambition is right, but the practical implementation was problematic – and increased overall costs before value could be delivered, pushing out ROI.

In another great example, we learned from a lively panel discussion that, despite our expectations for the benefits AI of all kinds can deliver, we’re still at the early stages of seeing those benefits.

Why? Because the task of data collection and digitization is incomplete, patchy – and an ongoing challenge.

While there may be many reasons for capturing asset data across your different sites – like building an accurate, centralized inventory, for example – capturing data, structuring it and standardizing it for downstream use is fundamental to that and any other use to which you might want to put it. Including the application of AI.

Early wins – but more data harmonization needed

We also heard that early projects are showing strong rewards. For example:

• Improving first-time repair rates for service calls
• Automating document preparation for work orders
• Cleaning and structuring work order information and proposals

So, the rewards are there, even though it’s early days – but getting there requires a concerted effort to create the data foundations for widespread and meaningful AI deployment.

Others spoke about similarly practical applications – and advised listeners to focus on workflow-level AI rather than advanced automation, with several applications highlighted:

• the use of AI to optimize and automate work orders
• video-based inspection of facilities equipment
• embedding some asset information in data collection and control devices

Despite the successes, then, the view from the conference theaters was that, today, AI is offering practical and incremental benefits rather than the transformative impact we all expect.

How to obtain the harmonized data fabric for AI innovation

And that’s because data is the foundation. It’s clear that many organizations are struggling to connect sources of data into a unified, structured and normalized system that can then be parsed effectively by AI to deliver transformative as well as practical benefits.

This process has been fraught with difficulty, largely due to:

• Installation and deployment challenges
• The sheer diversity of different data inputs
• The difficulty of creating the structured data lake that AI needs

Luckily, there is already a solution to these problems that are holding back facilities managers from enterprise-wide transformation – and it was right there at ConnexFM, in the NexRev booth:

Nexus.

Nexus – the data harmonization layer for AI

Nexus, the revolutionary new solution from NexRev, is essentially a local device that connects to remote sensors and data sources and wirelessly connects to the NexRev Freedom Enterprise facilities management solution. The wireless connectivity reduces the costs of deployment – through both labor and materials. AI tools provide the most seamless access to what facilities and energy managers need to run their buildings.

Cellular connectivity also delivers consistent, high-performance data links – and doesn’t require IT infrastructure integration locally, with a clear airgap to ensure there’s no disruption or security impact on the existing LAN.

As a result, the kinds of deployment challenges that were reported in the session we described earlier are avoided.

The solution already supports a huge array of device profiles, so connecting those remote sensors and data sources is simplified – a few clicks using our tools and libraries mean that a site can be commissioned in just a few hours, not days – and you don’t need complex configuration or integration skills to accomplish that, so your labor costs are minimized, reducing total system installation by up to 50% compared to traditional methods.

Nexus comes with NexiAI, which gets to work on your data right away – so you can accrue benefits even while connecting more facilities to capture more data.

It enables a modular approach to expanding building systems. As new equipment is introduced due to evolving technology or operational changes, Nexus devices can seamlessly integrate with new or existing assets. Nexus gives you the flexibility and scalability you need to expand the platform over time.

In short, it’s the data fabric that McKinsey and experts from the facilities management profession say you need – but it’s available, today, so you can build the foundation of AI and start securing the transformative benefits your board expects.

Whether you are responsible for a single site, or thousands of sites, you get the insights and control you need to take care of your responsibilities for optimization and cost management.  The power of the AI tools is equally important and effective. 

So, you get the tools you need locally – and nationally, with the essential data foundation delivering benefits to all stakeholders – and meeting functional and corporate goals.

Interested? Talk to us about how Nexus delivers the data foundation for your facilities, across your nationwide infrastructure.