Peter Smyth, director of innovation & technology, Bidvest Noonan takes a deep dive into smart buildings.
Smart buildings promise a great deal: automated systems, real-time data, lower energy costs and environments that respond to the needs of the people occupying them. For facilities managers, from those running university campuses to large commercial estates, the technology is firmly on the agenda. According to Bidvest Noonan's FM Technology Investment Survey 2026, almost three in five FM leaders (59%) rank smart building sensors and IoT as a top technology priority, the highest of any technology.
So, the question arises: with investment accelerating, why do so many smart building projects fall short of delivering on the vision? Time and again, the answer comes down to how systems are planned and connected from the outset.
When systems don't talk to each other
A building that is fitted with sensors, a digital facilities management (FM) platform and an access control system sounds capable. But if those systems cannot share data, the benefits stay locked away in their separate silos. Facilities managers end up switching between screens, manually reconciling information that should flow automatically.
The Bidvest Noonan survey found that nearly two thirds (65%) of FM decision-makers cited insufficient planning and needs assessment as a primary reason for technology underperformance. More than half (57%) identified integration complexity with legacy systems as one of their biggest current challenges. It’s a consistent pattern: when integration is overlooked during planning, even good technology underdelivers.
That’s because inadequate training compounds the challenge. The same research uncovered an intriguing training paradox. Almost two-thirds (64%) of FM leaders link poor training to technology underperformance, yet fewer than one-in-ten identified training as a critical factor when reflecting on technologies that had succeeded. To optimise smart building systems, as with any facilities management innovations or digital applications, organisations must continuously invest in the people who will be operating the technology. This will give staff the confidence to use it effectively, maximising the financial and environmental benefits.
Start with integration, not after it
A common mistake is treating integration as something to sort out once core systems are in place. By then, choices have been made, contracts signed and retrofitting connectivity between incompatible systems becomes expensive and disruptive.
The way forward is to define integration requirements before a single product is specified. What data does the building need to capture? Who needs access to it and in what format? How will the systems communicate? Questions like these belong at the start of the project, not the end. AI-powered software tools need to be part of that planning too.
Facilities managers bring a perspective no one else can
Smart building projects draw on a range of expertise. IT teams understand the architecture. Procurement understands commercial terms. Engineering understands the physical infrastructure. Facilities managers bring something distinct: the long view. They live with the decisions made during specification, often for years after the project team has moved on, and they see which features deliver and which create more work than they save.
FMs are usually involved in these projects. The question is when. Input once a system has been chosen comes too late to shape the decisions that matter most: what data to capture, how systems should integrate, what good performance looks like. When every relevant perspective is in the room at the right stage, the building that emerges is one its operators can actually run.
Legacy systems aren't always the barrier
Many building owners assume older infrastructure must be replaced before they can move forward. Often, that’s not the case. Modern APIs can connect legacy systems with newer platforms, allowing data to flow without wholesale replacement. With 97% of UK and Ireland FM decision-makers expecting technology investment to increase over the next 12 to 24 months, knowing what to replace and what to connect is becoming ever more important. Smart building sensors and IoT are leading that investment push, which makes connectivity decisions all the more pressing.
Ask the right questions from day one (now and in the future)
Building owners and operators should make interoperability a firm requirement from the start of any project. Ask vendors how their systems integrate with existing infrastructure. Request evidence, not assurances. And make sure the answers satisfy the people who will operate the building every day.
As smart buildings continue to grow in importance, future infrastructure is expected to evolve even further. FM leaders predict widespread integration of cleaning cobots and other autonomous machines, which are being increasingly adopted across the industry, with automatic deployment as required through the use of AI.
Regardless of how smart buildings look, now or in the future, success depends on systems that work together. Get integration right from the beginning and the technology will deliver on its full promise.