Top 5 Industry Shifts Every Facilities Manager Should Watch in 2025

The FM world isn’t what it was five years ago. Rising costs, tech disruption, and shifting expectations are putting pressure on facilities managers to be more strategic than ever. Whether you manage a regional portfolio or hundreds of sites nationwide, understanding what’s changing—and how to respond—is critical.

At Olio Group, we’re not just watching these shifts happen—we’re building solutions around them. Here are the five trends shaping 2025, and how we’re helping clients adapt.

1. AI Is Changing How Facilities Are Managed

Facilities teams are being asked to do more with less. AI and automation are stepping in to fill the gap, providing better forecasting, smarter scheduling, and real-time oversight.

What’s changing:

Naturally, there’s concern in the industry about AI replacing human jobs—but in reality, AI isn’t a replacement; it’s a tool. Facilities managers aren’t being replaced—they’re being overwhelmed. AI helps offset that burden by automating what used to be manual: tracking vendor performance, flagging inefficiencies, and helping optimize scheduling at scale.

How Olio helps:

At Olio, we see AI not as a replacement for facilities managers—but as a way to reduce the weight they carry. Today’s FM teams are expected to do more with less, and that’s where the real value of AI comes in: automating the manual, flagging inefficiencies, and surfacing insights that drive smarter decisions.

Our proprietary Olio Engine is designed to be custom-built per client, with the flexibility to integrate AI-driven insights that align with your operational priorities. Depending on your needs, this could include:

• Intelligent Snow & Ice Dispatching

  Configurable to use live weather feeds and site-specific thresholds to reduce unnecessary mobilizations.

• Service Frequency Optimization

  Built to analyze historical data across your locations and recommend right-sized visit schedules.

• Predictive Alerts & Performance Triggers

  Tailored to flag over-servicing, labor spikes, or missed service windows—before they escalate into cost or compliance issues.

  
  

We’re not just offering a dashboard—we’re offering a framework that evolves with your portfolio. The Olio Engine is built to give each client a smarter, faster way to manage facilities at scale—without adding headcount.

2. Labor Shortages Are Reshaping Service Delivery

The nationwide labor shortage is driving up costs and making reliable service harder to find—especially in skilled trades like landscaping, snow removal, janitorial, and building systems.

What’s changing:

Inconsistent vendor performance, long wait times, and last-minute cancellations are becoming all too common—especially for companies that rely on small, localized providers. The demand for qualified crews is growing, but the supply isn’t keeping up.

How Olio helps:

We’ve built a nationwide vendor network of over 6,000 trusted partners, each vetted through a strict onboarding process and evaluated by performance metrics. For every site, we match vendors based on local availability, service category expertise, and responsiveness, and we maintain backup crews to ensure uninterrupted service.

Our clients never have to worry about who’s showing up—because we already are.

3. Consolidation Is Driving Operational Efficiency

Managing separate vendors for lawn care, snow removal, pressure washing, janitorial, and HVAC often results in duplicate visits, siloed reporting, and administrative headaches. More facilities leaders are consolidating services under fewer providers to regain efficiency and oversight.

What’s changing:

The old model of “one vendor per task” just doesn’t scale. It leads to scattered communication, overlapping service calls, and redundant costs. Now, companies want streamlined communication, unified SLAs, and fewer points of failure.

How Olio helps:

We provide full-service, bundled solutions through a single point of contact. Our clients receive one invoice, one consolidated service plan, and full visibility into every line item via the Olio Engine. We manage:

• Landscaping and snow services

• Pressure washing and exterior maintenance

• Janitorial, mechanical, and specialty services
  

“Clients who consolidate services under Olio typically realize a 5–12% reduction in total costs, along with improved service delivery through unified strategy, centralized reporting, and significant time savings driven by operational efficiency.

Consolidation doesn’t mean compromise—it means control, cost savings, and consistency.

4. Sustainability Is Becoming a Core FM Priority

Sustainability is no longer a “nice to have”—it’s becoming a requirement. Environmental regulations, ESG mandates, and rising utility costs are pushing facilities managers to prioritize green practices across maintenance and CapEx planning.

What’s changing:

Stakeholders—from REITs to regulators—are demanding action. From reducing irrigation to minimizing salt usage and runoff, every FM decision now has an environmental angle. The shift is especially visible in outdoor maintenance and landscape development, where sustainable design has a direct financial impact.

How Olio helps:

Our Landscape Development & CapEx services are designed with long-term sustainability in mind. We help facilities meet green goals and lower operating costs through:

• Rainwater harvesting systems to reduce freshwater consumption

• Wetland planting & stormwater routing for erosion control and compliance

• Native/low-water plant design to lower maintenance and irrigation needs

• Energy efficiency audits for outdoor systems like lighting and irrigation

  
  

Our approach balances regulatory compliance with operational efficiency—helping clients reduce environmental impact without increasing spend.

We help clients turn sustainability goals into measurable results—with cost savings baked in.

5. Real-Time Visibility Is Now the Industry Standard

Gone are the days of chasing vendors for updates or wondering whether services were completed. With increasing responsibilities placed on facilities managers—across budgeting, compliance, staffing, and risk management—there’s simply no time to micro-manage vendors. Let alone worry if they showed up at all.

What’s changing:

Facilities leaders are under immense pressure to validate services, justify spending, and catch issues before they escalate. They need proof of performance, photo documentation, and real-time oversight built into their workflows.

How Olio helps:

The Olio Engine is our all-in-one transparency tool. It gives clients:

• Live service tracking with GPS and timestamps

• Before-and-after photo documentation for every job

• Site-specific dashboards for frequency, spend, and vendor performance

• Custom alerts for missed services, cost anomalies, or seasonal patterns

  
  

Everything is centralized—no spreadsheets, no emails, no guesswork. Just a clear view of your operations, 24/7.

If you’re still wondering whether your vendor showed up, it’s time for an upgrade.

The FM industry is changing rapidly—and facility managers are being asked to juggle more than ever before. But the good news is, you don’t have to do it alone.

At Olio Group, we’ve built a service model around technology-backed efficiency, nationwide coverage, and full-service accountability. Whether you’re managing 10 properties or 1000, we provide the visibility, reliability, and results you need to stay ahead.

📩 Reach out to us anytime at operations@oliogroupmn.com or visit www.OlioGroupMN.com.