Traditional operational models are being superseded by process-driven solutions powered by the transformative capabilities of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Keerthana Sundar, Special Correspondent of Clean India Journal, chats with Atin Tandon, Regional Head Group Facility Management – AMEA, Syngenta to ascertian the need to migrate towards newer solutions for increased productivity
Despite the potential, implementation challenges do exist – requirement for skilled personnel, training, high initial investment, employee resistance to new systems… Change management & communications are powerful tools to tide over these obstacles.”
Atin Tandon
Facility management has often been reactive rather than proactive. This approach typically involves manual processes, disparate systems and a reliance on human intuition. This has led to inefficiencies, increased costs and potential lapses in service quality. In the past, due to ignorance of manpower overlooking some key activities has led to increase in downtime,” notes Atin.
These limitations highlight the urgent need for a streamlined, data-driven and proactive approach to facility management, particularly in a country like India where maintaining hygiene in diverse and high-traffic environments is critical.
Adopting process-driven solutions mark a shift to a structured and efficient approach. By defining clear workflows and standardised procedures, organisations can strategize their global operations. This entails defining core processes and documenting key FM activities such as maintenance, cleaning, security, energy and space management. This also includes establishing SOPs to ensure consistent and quality execution, implementing workflow automation using CMMS and IWMS to handle tasks like scheduling and reporting.
“We are using CMMS to roll out and manage our IFM plan which involves creating and tracking tasks as ‘preventive tickets’ within the system.” The approach also involves focusing on KPIs to monitor and improve performance and embracing continuous improvement based on data and feedback.
Benefits include enhanced efficiency, reduced costs, improved service quality, better compliance, and greater transparency. “It is working well. “It is helping us seamlessly support and operate our business operations.”
While process optimization lays the foundation, AI takes transformation to the next level. AI can analyse vast data, identify patterns, predict trends and automate tasks. “Future is AI – big agenda,” Atin asserts.
Key AI applications in FM include predictive maintenance by analysing sensor data to foresee failures and enable proactive scheduling. Besides, these it also enables
• Optimizing cleaning schedules based on occupancy and usage patterns
• Energy management by optimizing HVAC and lighting using consumption and occupancy data
• Space management to identify underused spaces and improve allocations
“This is aligned to our strategy for corporate/ commercial offices where we follow the hybrid working model by giving more to the team in terms of booking desks, booking meeting rooms or other amenities and integration with other solutions for improved performance,” affirms Atin.
Additional uses include enhanced security through AI-powered analytics that detect anomalies and unauthorized access; intelligent automation using robots and chatbots for cleaning and waste management; and improved occupant experience through AI platforms that personalize services and gather feedback.
The true power lies in combining process-driven solutions with AI. Structured processes provide the data foundation AI needs, while AI enhances these processes with automation and insights. For example, AI can generate and assign work orders based on predicted failures, matched with technician availability and tracked in real-time.
Atin notes, “Recent changes include the way FM teams were managing checklists where digital solutions are a big value addition. The idea is to move to a completely process-driven system, to have minimum disruption from a manpower perspective.”
Despite the potential, implementation challenges do exist. Many facilities lack sensor infrastructure and proper data systems. Accurate and interoperable data is key. Integrating new tools with legacy systems can be costly and complex. A phased approach is needed. AI implementation requires skilled personnel and training is essential. High initial investment requires clear ROI demonstration. Employees may resist new systems, making change management and communication vital.
“Challenges are conventional. There is a lot of dependence on people working on site where some are ignoring protocols and the data received is not very accurate. This gives rise to the need of minimum manual intervention.” Additionally, data protection and regulatory compliance must be ensured.
“With regards to efficiency and productivity; we want to give our clients the latest technology for business operations and enable them with full support through our solutions,” says Atin, outlining the desired outcomes of this transformation.
The convergence of process optimization and AI is poised to revolutionize facility management in India. By embracing data-driven decisions, automating tasks, and addressing issues proactively, FM professionals can create healthier, efficient, and sustainable environments.
“Functional objectives are on the cards for the next two years. Explore various interventions of AI in space planning and data strategy. Make it more analytical to help with different trends and leverage this data to take more meaningful decisions,” Atin concludes.