Experts in action: How facilities engineering is evolving

Facilities engineering is entering a new era. John Borden, President of Engineering at ABM, says growing complexity, workforce shifts, and changing facility operating demands are forcing the industry to evolve.

Insight 1: Facilities are more complex

Engineering has never been more capable, or more complex. The systems we design and operate are increasingly interdependent. Mechanical, electrical, digital, and security functions that once lived in separate lanes now have to work as one. Today's facilities are ecosystems, where a decision in one system can have ripple effects across many others.

Why it matters: The growing complexity of facilities demands deep technical expertise that is closely integrated with operations. Engineering is no longer a supporting function. It plays a central role in business strategy, performance, and risk management.

Insight 2: The workforce is changing

As facilities become more complex, the demands on facility teams continue to grow. Yet, the workforce is in flux. According to IFMA¹, nearly half of facility management professionals worldwide are expected to retire within the next decade. The next generation of workers may be more technologically savvy, Borden notes, but they often lack the institutional knowledge and practical expertise that comes from decades of experience.

Hiring isn’t the only challenge. The old model, where engineering, operations, and services each owned their own piece and handed it off, is giving way to a more integrated approach. Leading organizations are moving toward unified ownership, with a single team accountable for performance across the entire facility lifecycle rather than within fragmented silos.

Why it matters: What many organizations underestimate is not the difficulty of the work itself, but the complexity of coordinating it. Outsourcing can help address talent shortages, but it can also introduce compressed timelines, fragmented stakeholders, and siloed decision-making. Success depends on bringing the right expertise into the process early, when planning decisions can still meaningfully influence outcomes.

Insight 3: The operating paradigm has changed

The way facilities are used today is fundamentally different, says Borden. For many buildings, occupancy and demand now peak between Tuesday and Thursday. Yet building performance must remain consistent throughout the entire week. Engineering systems must be designed to adapt to fluctuating occupancy patterns and changing usage cycles.

Buildings are more dynamic than ever before, which means operators need the ability to monitor and manage performance in real time.

Why this matters: The ability to interpret large volumes of real-time data and translate those insights into operational decisions is becoming essential. Tools like ABM Connect bring you real-time actionable metrics, robust reporting, and up-to-date KPIs that help operators optimize performance, improve efficiency, and make informed decisions faster.

As facilities become more interconnected, experienced talent becomes harder to find, and operating demands continue to evolve, engineering leaders must take a more strategic and integrated approach.

Organizations that succeed will be those that break down traditional silos, bring expertise into decision-making early, and leverage data to manage performance in real time. The future will require a combination of technical depth, operational alignment, and digital intelligence. Those who embrace this shift will be better positioned to create facilities that are resilient, efficient, and ready for what comes next.

Explore more Experts in Action with Emmet Lia as he talks about how the decisions facilities leaders make today will impact the operational performance of tomorrow.