Facility Managers, AI and the ‘Soft’ Skills 

10/7/2024

Some parts of maintenance and engineering management come easy, such as reading schematic drawings and troubleshooting too-hot and too-cold calls. But other parts of the job — communication, staffing, marketing, time management and other so-called soft skills — often are more challenging. 

For managers who struggle with these aspects of their jobs, help might be on the way from a surprising source — artificial intelligence (AI). Since AI’s rise two years ago, managers often have viewed it with skepticism. Many openly wondered if the technology eventually would replace them. 

The answer to that worry is no. In fact, AI actually might be able to help managers where they need it most, says Ryan Small, vice president with FEA, a facilities management consulting firm, who also leads the FEA’s data analytics program. 

Many beneficial AI applications are not specific to facilities management and day-to-day operations. Instead, Small says, they can help managers address challenges related to the soft skills: 

“Can my meetings run more efficiently? Can my presentations be smoother? Can my ability to analyze the data set get faster? There's a lot to that side of it which is not facility-management specific. It's just broad efficiency gains for any organization.” 

In time, AI is likely to deliver benefits that will help managers make decisions that improve the operations and performance of their facilities. Until then, savvy managers can take advantage of AI to improve the soft skills that will help them be more effective leaders. 

Dan Hounsell is senior editor for the facilities market. He has more than 30 years of experience writing about facilities maintenance, engineering and management.