World FM Day 2026: Why Facilities Management Is Becoming One of the Most Strategic Functions in Business

Will Metcalfe - Chief Operating Officer

Most people only notice facilities management when something goes wrong. The reality is, great FM shapes how people experience a building every single day, often without them even realising it.

Today is World FM Day, and this year’s theme, ‘Cultivating belonging through built environments’, feels particularly timely.

Facilities management has always been about people. The environments we look after influence how people work, collaborate, recover and perform every day. That responsibility carries more weight now than it ever has before.

The FM industry is evolving quickly. Businesses now expect facilities management providers to support sustainability goals, hybrid working, compliance and increasingly connected buildings. Smart technology, live building data and AI-driven maintenance are no longer future concepts. They’re becoming standard expectations across the built environment. The IWFM continues to highlight how workplace and facilities management is becoming increasingly strategic as organisations respond to changing operational and workplace demands.

Workplaces now need to flex constantly as organisations adapt to hybrid working. Clients need facilities management solutions that can respond quickly without compromising energy efficiency, compliance or employee experience. Research from JLL shows that workplace experience is now closely linked to employee engagement and long-term business performance, placing even greater importance on the role of FM teams.

A few years ago, smart buildings and AI-driven maintenance sat firmly in the “future of FM” conversation. Today, they’re becoming part of the standard expectation. Clients want live data, better visibility, stronger compliance and environments that support both operational performance and employee wellbeing. Sustainability is under far greater scrutiny too, especially as ESG targets become more measurable and accountable.

In practical terms, that could mean identifying an issue with critical plant equipment before it causes disruption, or using live building data to reduce wasted energy across an estate. Deloitte estimates that the average commercial office building now generates around 150GB of data every day, highlighting the scale of information FM providers now need to manage intelligently. Predictive maintenance, digital asset management and integrated facilities management services are becoming essential parts of modern FM delivery.

At the same time, legislation continues to evolve. Wider compliance pressures are raising the bar across the built environment sector. Facilities management companies are expected to deliver more insight, more resilience and more technical capability than ever before.

That shift is creating a clear divide in the market. Some FM providers are adapting early and building for what comes next. Others are still trying to catch up. For us, the last twelve months have been focused on making sure we stay ahead of that curve.

Our brand evolution reflected far more than a new identity. It marked a wider transformation across the business. We’ve reshaped our operating model, strengthened our technical capability and invested in the systems, infrastructure and people needed to support the next generation of facilities management services.

Our acquisition and integration of Sowga has been a major part of that journey. Bringing their expertise into Pareto has strengthened our technical services capability and expanded our experience across compliance and complex estates management. That combination of technical expertise, operational experience and strong culture has strengthened our ability to support clients operating across complex estates with demanding compliance, operational and workplace requirements.

What matters now is helping clients operate their buildings more intelligently. Clients want clear insight into performance, compliance and long-term resilience, not just day-to-day service delivery.

The FM providers leading the market will be the ones that can combine strong operational delivery with adaptability, technical expertise and a clear understanding of where the built environment is heading.

For all the conversation around AI, automation and smart buildings, the core purpose of facilities management still comes back to people. Great built environments help people feel safe, supported and able to perform at their best. We’re confident in where the industry is heading and focused on continuing to evolve alongside it. Staying ahead means investing in smarter, more resilient environments that support the people using them every day.