11 Facility Management Challenges

Editor’s Note: Some comments from this post have been edited for clarity or brevity. Thank you to our amazing online community for their contributions and their commitment to knowledge sharing.  

Every day, facility managers encounter new facility management challenges tied to sustainability, cybersecurity, operational efficiency, and beyond. Navigating these challenges is what makes facility management such a dynamic and rewarding career.

Recently, we asked our LinkedIn community, "What are the biggest challenges you're facing as a facility manager currently?" Here are the top responses, along with actionable insights on how professional facility managers can address them.

1. Balancing Sustainability Goals and Cost Control

"I believe the key challenge we face is striking a delicate balance between sustainability goals and the need to control costs. Facilities Managers are tasked with finding ways to make buildings and facilities more energy-efficient, reduce waste, and minimize the environmental impact of their operations. This may involve implementing renewable energy sources, improving insulation and HVAC systems, and adopting sustainable practices such as waste reduction and recycling. Maintaining a comfortable and functional environment for occupants while also managing limited budgets can be a complex and demanding task, especially in today's increasingly eco-conscious world."

—Cale Burch, Director of Engineering at Holladay Properties

Facilities managers today must implement sustainable practices—like renewable energy sources, efficient HVAC systems, and waste reduction—while managing tight budgets. Adopting facility management software that tracks real-time data on energy use can help optimize building maintenance and reduce costs.

Solution: Start with a preventive maintenance plan and energy audits to identify low-cost sustainability wins. Utilize government incentives for green initiatives to offset initial costs.

2. Overcoming Budgetary Constraints for Green Projects

“The organization is striving to attain sustainability and secure green certification to attract additional investments. Despite the intent, financial constraints limit the ability to allocate sufficient capital expenditure (CAPEX) towards crucial projects that facilitate the reduction of carbon footprints and contribute significantly to sustainable practices. This presents a challenging scenario to FMs where the aspirations for eco-friendly initiatives intersect with budgetary limitations, making it difficult to undertake the desired sustainability journey.”

—Vikas Phulpagar, Chief Manager Administration at ICICI Lombard

One of the most significant challenges facilities managers face is securing funding for sustainability initiatives despite evident ROI. Budget limitations hinder the adoption of energy-saving technologies.

Solution: Present a business case backed by real-time data and projected savings to decision-makers. Demonstrate how facilities management helps reduce maintenance costs and streamline operations long-term.

3. Prioritizing Investments Amid Low Occupancy

“One of my current challenges is prioritizing which projects to invest in when occupancy rates are still relatively low compared to pre-pandemic numbers.”

—Marissa Baccam, Building Manager for Federal Reserve Board

Low occupancy complicates business decisions around facility investments. Facilities must be maintained to standards, but capital expenditures need sharper prioritization.

Solution: Focus on building maintenance projects that improve air quality, preventive maintenance, and space usage optimization to prepare for future occupancy increases. Find actionable insights through predictive analytics in facilities management software.

4. Advocating for Technology Investments

“One of the biggest challenges in FM in my 14 years of work is getting upper management to understand the value of CMMS-CAFM. No organization is ready to spend money on any computerized maintenance management system, all they want is an analog set of job.”

—Engr. Stanley Okeroghene, Head of Facilities Management for American Christian Academy

Introducing computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS) or facilities management software can streamline operations and lower maintenance costs. Yet, resistance from leadership is common.

Solution: Highlight case studies that show ROI on CMMS investments. Start small with pilot projects that demonstrate efficiency gains and savings.

5. Securing Funding for High-Cost Projects Post-ESG Initiatives

“While there is a global push for ESG initiatives, once the low-hanging fruit is completed, companies are having a hard time budgeting or getting approval for big dollar projects despite good ROI due to low occupancy still compared to pre-pandemic numbers, especially in the leased vs owned buildings. HEPA filters, HVAC/BMS systems, CMMS systems are all beneficial but selling them to the decision-makers is no easy task.”

—Robert Pettit, Real Estate Associate Manager at Arrow Electronics

Facilities managers struggle to justify big-budget projects like HVAC upgrades even when they offer operational efficiency and reduced energy consumption.

Solution: Emphasize risk mitigation—such as avoiding emergency repairs and costly problems with old equipment. Show how proactive maintenance aligns with regulatory compliance and enhances core business activities.

6. Navigating Stakeholder Interference

“Most stakeholders always want to do your job for you. The trust is not there even when they already know FM is an important sector of their business, they also want to be the professional FM without having the skill sets and experience to be one. This has seriously affected the growth of most business in my environment.”

—Okeowo Ayodeji, Facilities Manager at Trocadero Management Consultancy Limited

Facilities management issues can arise when non-expert stakeholders interfere with daily operations. This often hampers efficiency and leads to costly mistakes.

Solution: Improve communication by establishing clear responsibilities and boundaries. Offer stakeholders education sessions on the value of professional facility managers.

7. Balancing Lease Agreements with Facility Impact

“One of the biggest challenges I’ve been dealing with since recently is making commercial/brokerage staff consider facility issues when signing leases. I’d name this as reasonable balancing of occupancy KPI vs impact to facility and costs.”

—Timur Khazratkulov, Director of PM & FM at Uzbek-Oman Investment Company

Lease negotiations often overlook facility-related considerations, leading to operational inefficiencies and inflated maintenance costs.

Solution: Collaborate with leasing teams early. Use facilities management software to offer data-driven insights into space usage and maintenance implications.

8. Addressing the Skilled Labor Shortage

“One of the significant challenges that Facility Managers often face is the shortage of qualified employees, especially because of the diverse skill set which is needed.”

—Bartlomiej Dzięgelewski, Senior Partner & Co-owner at LOREDO Real Estate Solutions

Professional facility managers are hard to find. Managing daily operations, maintenance, and technology requires versatile skills.

Solution: Invest in training and onboarding programs. Partner with organizations like IFMA to access credentialing programs such as the Facility Management Professional (FMP®) and Certified Facility Manager® (CFM®).

9. Managing Scarce Resources During Emergency Situations

“Getting key expert suppliers, carrying out necessary repairs & servicing. Resources are scarce & the load is huge! Business continuity & resilience are essential to operate.”

—Ivan Scicluna, Facilities Management Consultant

Emergency repairs and maintaining business continuity are incredibly stressful when supplier networks are strained.

Solution: Build strong supplier relationships in advance. Create a preventive maintenance and proactive maintenance plan to minimize emergency situations.

10. Building Pride in Facilities Management

“Getting everyone to love the facilities that we gave most of our effort to care about.”

—Elsie Marie D-Lim Lee, Facilitiies Management at TaskUs

Facilities managers often operate behind the scenes, making it difficult to gain recognition for their contributions to organizational success.

Solution: Regularly communicate the impact of facilities management on comfort, productivity, and efficiency. Celebrate facilities management milestones and successes internally.

11. Navigating Budget Approval Processes

“The number 1 challenge is getting the budget approved without deductions and omissions.”

—Georges Fares, MSc, ICIOB, AEE, MEP Operations & Facilities Manager

Securing a facility management budget that fully funds necessary initiatives is a persistent battle.

Solution: Present clear, actionable insights into how requested budgets support preventive maintenance, emergency repairs, and long-term cost savings. Leverage management software to show the consequences of deferred maintenance.

Facility management challenges will continue to evolve, but with the right strategies and support, facilities managers can ensure the functionality, comfort, safety, sustainability, and efficiency of every built environment they manage.

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