Comment from Matt Bailey, Workplace Specialist at Matrix Booking on World FM Day 2025

“Evolving employer demands, shifting employee preferences and changing work styles mean facilities managers must not only be resilient but also adaptable. Gone are the days of designing standardised workspaces. Now, FMs face the challenge of creating connected workspaces that tackle this fresh set of requirements. Whilst it’s no easy feat, doing so will mean they design offices where people want to work – not just where they’re required to be.

“This poses the question: how can FMs overcome this challenge to unlock the potential? The answer lies in valuable data that can be gathered via smart workplace technology such as access control systems, occupancy sensors and resource booking software. A workplace strategy that combines the essential data from these sources stands to help businesses make more informed decisions that benefit them and their teams before they enter the office, during their time on-site and after they leave. This could look like optimising offices for efficiency, accessibility, productivity and sustainability. With the right insights and supporting technology like machine learning in place, facilities managers can anticipate demand and allocate resources more effectively – making sure they match the desired employee experience and remove potential barriers to entering the office.”