The impact of tactical and strategic FM automation

This paper promotes an overview of facilities management (FM) and the impact of information technology (IT). It opens with a definition of FM automation and a brief history of the generations of development. This is followed by key demand impacts which have both enabled and stimulated the growth of FM automation during the past and into the future. Specific attention is then given to the tactical and strategic impacts of the technology affecting the organisation within the emerging and complex business environment. Some examples are cited together with the effects of discontinuous change and the resistance to such change. Finally, a brief look at the impact of system selection is also included to assist FM organisations in their determination of automation needs within the paradigms of change, complexity and dependence.