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The real cost of space: What your facilities data isn’t telling your team
Most organizations assume they have a handle on their facility and operational costs. On the surface, there is enough process and reporting in place to feel confident. But when leadership asks hard questions about space, the honest answer is rarely as confident as it should be.
Research from JLL found that while most corporate real estate and facilities executives estimate their space utilization between 65% and 70%, office spaces are typically only used 3%-40% of the time. That difference can carry a real financial cost that compounds quietly across any portfolio. When the information behind space utilization, lease obligations and maintenance costs is scattered across different systems, the picture that reaches leadership is incomplete.
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Solid credentials lead to great corporate FM careers posted on FMLink Job Board
Strategic leaders in FM have already shifted their mindset from reactive maintenance to proactive asset management. They know that FM is about the workplace experience, with decisions driven by data managed with the latest tools. Core competencies have been identified by IFMA and expanded by ProFM.
Earning industry credentials is proven to lead to higher-level roles. BOMI’s Facilities Management Certificate (FMC) equips you with essential knowledge and skills, and BOMI's ShortCourses and MicroCredentials provide training to solve immediate real-world problems. Well-established IFMA credentials include FMP (Facility Management Professional), SFP (Sustainability Facility Professional) and CFM (Certified Facility Manager) credentials for all levels.
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When knowledge walks out the door: Rethinking continuity in the age of AI and employee turnover
By Pablo Velazquez — Organizations lose critical facility knowledge whenever an experienced employee leaves. Rebuilding hard-earned insights into vendor history, problem-solving patterns, troubleshooting logic and undocumented processes is costly and time-consuming. Continuity plans are the logical solution but are often met with resistance because employees interpret them as preparation for replacing them.
Implementing weekly pre-meeting summaries that outline key actions and interactions can create a reference log that can be reviewed if an employee is absent or leaves the organization, which helps preserve details that would otherwise disappear.
While effective, this method depends entirely on consistent enforcement by individual managers, which makes it unreliable at scale. The larger problem remains. Organizations lack a standardized and repeatable method to retain institutional knowledge regardless of leadership style or turnover patterns. This is where AI can provide a structured solution by organizing everyday interactions into accessible reference formats that preserve the experience and knowledge of key employees.
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Certifications and knowledge hubs lead to education FM jobs on our Job Board
Shaping the experience for students, faculty and staff while influencing an institution’s reputation are among the results the higher education facility managers deliver while coordinating the systems, processes and teams that keep campuses safe, compliant, efficient and resilient. Education FMs rely on a mix of professional networks, data-driven learning tools and specialized certifications such as CEFP, FMP, CFM and SFP. While exploring professional development opportunities on the FMLink Job Board, keep an eye on higher education positions such as these:
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Facilities & Operations Manager, Harvard University, Boston, MA
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Senior Vice President for Global Real Estate, Facilities and Campus Development, New York University, New York
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Director of Contracts Administration (Facilities), Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), Los Angeles, CA
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Facilities and Data Manager, University of Georgia, Athens, GA
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Facilities Maintenance Technician, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ
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Manager, Building Automation and Commissioning, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ
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Outdoor structures foster connection and community well-being
Across workplaces, campuses and mixed-use environments, the role of outdoor space is evolving. Once viewed primarily as an amenity or visual relief, the outdoors is increasingly understood as a meaningful extension of the facility itself — a setting where culture is expressed, relationships form and community takes shape.
Structured outdoor environments are central to this shift. When thoughtfully designed and integrated into a site, outdoor structures create places where people naturally gather, linger and connect. They support focused work and informal collaboration, accommodate programmed events and spontaneous encounters, and offer the simple but profound benefits of daylight, fresh air and connection to nature.
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Facilities managers rate favorite software capabilities
Choosing the best facilities management software is no longer just about comparing product capabilities. Organizations now evaluate platforms based on usability, innovation, analytics, and long-term vendor partnership.
IDC’s SaaS Path Survey measures these factors by asking customers to rate facilities management vendors across 18 different satisfaction metrics covering product capabilities, vendor relationship, and implementation experience. Buyers increasingly prioritize analytics, integration, product innovation, and vendor transparency alongside strong core functionality. These factors reflect a shift in how facilities leaders evaluate technology investments and define long-term value.
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