FM heads for the boardroom, but data holds AI back

JLL's 2026 Global State of Facilities Management report, based on 1,321 organisations, finds that 45% are already scaling or optimising AI in facilities management, a share it expects to reach 86% by 2030. Half of respondents now see FM as a significant source of competitive advantage. JLL's own research lead names data readiness as one of the biggest barriers to scaling AI.

For UK FM and building-services operators this confirms what the reactive desk already feels. The appetite for AI is there, and FM is being taken more seriously at board level, but nearly 70% of respondents reported disruption in the past year from trade-skill shortages and AI or technical skills gaps, and fewer than 45% feel ready to manage those risks.

The practical lesson is to fix the joins before buying the clever bit. Asset registers, work orders and engineer updates need to agree with each other before any model can schedule, predict or prioritise reliably. The report also notes that advanced adopters are far more likely to treat outside FM and technology partners as essential.

That is the work Sticklebrick does. The free Data Readiness Score shows where your CAFM, finance and field data leak, and a contained six-week Pilot proves one workflow on your own numbers, alongside the systems and people you already have.