The Era of the FM Analyst: How Data-Driven FMs Are Shaping the Modern Workplace

Facilities management has entered a new era—one where data-driven storytelling shapes the decisions that define workplace experience, cost structure, and organizational agility.

As Larry Charlip, Director, Real Estate and Occupancy Planning at Roku, put it during our recent webinar The Era of the FM Analyst: “Real estate and facilities are typically the second or third highest cost on your books. Making decisions without data is mind-boggling.”

Facilities leaders know this intuitively. What’s changed is the expectation: leaders now want FM teams to pair operational expertise with analytical fluency. They want clarity. They want confidence. They want to see the story inside the data.

Welcome to the era of the FM Analyst.

What Is an FM Analyst? The Modern, Data-Driven FM

Historically, FM professionals were measured by how well they kept buildings operating. Today, they’re measured by how well they help the business operate.

The FM Analyst is a facilities manager who:

• Collects, interprets, and communicates workplace data
• Identifies patterns and opportunities hidden in daily operations
• Guides executives toward better decisions
• Builds trust through accuracy, transparency, and strategic storytelling
  

And it starts with understanding the audience receiving the insight. As Charlip reminds us: “Understanding who your audience is is the most important part.”

An FM Analyst doesn’t just report data—they translate data into action. They are both a strategist and a storyteller. In 2026, it’s more important than ever that facilities leaders have access to clean data and a framework to tell that data story to drive business decisions. We built The 2026 Modern FM Toolkit to help you with that.

Why Data Confidence Has Become Essential for FM Teams

FM teams sit on a mountain of workplace data: occupancy signals, booking data, sensor data, cost data. But as Dr. Matt Tucker, Director of Research at IFMA, notes: “We have an abundance of data—the challenge is sifting through it and telling the right story.”

Data confidence—the skill to turn raw numbers into meaningful narratives—is what FM teams need to bridge that gap. It is the ability to:

• Question the quality of a dataset
• Interpret what a trend really means
• Understand when a metric is misleading
• Use evidence to influence decisions
  

The modern FM team needs shared data fluency—not just one “data person.” It means organizations must build environments where data is visible, accessible, and routinely discussed—creating a shared level of fluency across operations, HR, IT, and finance.

Get the Data Inventory Spreadsheet to identify, evaluate, and prioritize what you already have for informed space-management decisions. 

Closing the FM Skills Gap

Tucker’s global research uncovered something surprising: Most FM professionals learn analytics on the job—not through formal training.

This creates gaps:

• Skills vary widely between individuals
• Adoption of analytics is inconsistent
• Organizations miss opportunities because knowledge isn’t standardized

“People are learning to analyze data on the job. It’s not something that’s been pre-taught—and that needs to change.” — Dr. Matt Tucker

Organizations can support FM leaders in closing this gap by investing in:

• Structured upskilling programs
• Training tied directly to business outcomes
• Visible dashboards that encourage curiosity
• Systems that surface insights without manual effort
  

FM teams don’t need to become data scientists. They need a foundation—and the right systems—to interpret and communicate insights. When teams learn to interpret data with confidence, they learn to lead with confidence.

👉 Want to learn how leading FM teams are building the skills, confidence, and systems to thrive in a data-driven workplace? Download The 2026 Modern FM Toolkit to get started.

Becoming a Strategic Storyteller (Not Just a Data Collector)

Executives don’t want more dashboards—they want clarity.

The FM Analyst must adapt insights to the priorities of each stakeholder:

• CFO: cost per seat, footprint optimization, capital allocation
• CHRO: workplace experience, hybrid behaviors, occupancy trends
• COO: process efficiency, resource throughput, operational risk
• CIO: integrations, data cleanliness, digital maturity
  

Charlip describes this shift as moving from the “shadows to the front of the house,” using business language to explain FM recommendations.

“Tie your insights back to what executives understand: the bottom line.” — Larry Charlip

This is why storytelling, anchored in accurate data, is the defining skill of the FM Analyst.

Quick Wins That Build Data Confidence and Executive Trust

Progress doesn’t start with integrating every system. It starts with small, high-impact datasets that reveal immediate value. As Charlip says: “Pick something. Pick the low-hanging fruit and start.”

Examples FM teams can implement in days, not months:

• WiFi access logs showing actual attendance
• Video conferencing usage revealing meeting room demand
• Check-in compliance exposing ghost bookings
• Cost allocations clarifying spend per team or business unit

Where Skedda accelerates these quick wins

Auto Check-In + WiFi Presence Validation

Validates whether a booked seat was actually occupied, cleaning up utilization data and eliminating ghost reservations before they distort analytics.

Check-In Push Notifications

Increase compliance and improve dataset accuracy without requiring manual oversight.

Space Attributes + Custom Booking Fields

Allow FM teams to tag spaces with equipment, capacity, or departmental relevance—leading to granular insights about what types of spaces employees truly prefer.

Interactive Floor Plans

Skedda’s interactive maps transform basic booking information into immediate visual insight. They reveal:

• Real-time availability
• Seat-level occupancy
• Department clustering via user tags
• Underutilized zones of the office
  

Instead of manually auditing floors, FM teams can see utilization patterns at a glance—making quick wins easier to identify and operationalize. These early wins build credibility and unlock support for larger initiatives.

Building the FM Analyst Tech Stack

Modern facilities management analytics relies on merging multiple datasets:

• Network presence
• Badge activity
• Booking systems
• Sensors and IoT
• P&L and departmental allocations
• Visitor management
• Workplace experience tools

👉 Dive deeper with The 2026 Modern FM Toolkit: Templates, guides, and real-world examples to help your team make smarter, insight-driven decisions—at any scale.

Where Skedda fits into this data ecosystem

Two-Way Calendar Sync with Google & Microsoft 365
Ensures conference room availability is always accurate—no conflicting systems, no double bookings, no manual data clean-up.

SCIM User Provisioning
Automates user setup and ensures accurate role-based access, reducing errors and IT overhead as organizations scale.

Slack & Teams Integrations
Show who is onsite in real time, helping teams coordinate naturally and giving FM teams another reliable occupancy signal.

Space Insights Dashboard
Skedda’s Insights Dashboard provides FM teams with:

• Real-time utilization patterns
• Peak-day attendance clarity
• Breakdowns by space type, department, or location
• Instant visibility into which areas are over- or under-used
  

This removes the need for spreadsheet wrangling and gives FM Analysts immediate, defensible metrics for executive presentations.

Creating a Culture of Data Confidence

A single FM Analyst cannot transform an organization alone. Data confidence must become cultural.

That means:

• Making data visible
• Discussing insights openly
• Rewarding evidence-based decisions
• Encouraging curiosity at every level

How Skedda helps normalize data conversations

Space Insights Dashboard
Transforms raw booking activity into beautiful, intuitive visualizations. Teams learn to read utilization the same way they read weather forecasts.

Visitor Management Insights
Skedda’s Visitor Management analytics give FM teams clarity on:

• Daily/weekly visitor traffic
• Host-specific patterns
• Security staffing needs
• Visitor/employee ratios on peak days
  

This helps FM teams operationalize front-of-house planning with the same rigor as space planning.

Interactive Maps as Shared Knowledge Tools
These maps become “public dashboards” that:

• Reduce anxiety
• Improve wayfinding
• Encourage transparency
• Create a shared understanding of how space supports work
  

Many Skedda customers began making smarter decisions simply because the data became visible.

Proving ROI With FM Analytics: The R-O-I Model

R — Reduce Costs

Organizations reduce unnecessary spend when they clearly understand what is used and what isn’t.

Lighthouse Credit Union

By switching to a hybrid model with Assigned Spaces and desk hoteling:

• Lighthouse avoided equipping dozens of unused desks
• Resulting in $10,000+ in equipment savings
• With near-zero IT support tickets due to Skedda’s intuitive UI

“We probably saved easily $10,000 worth of IT equipment by not having to provision all these extra desks.” — Sean LaBrie, VP of IT Infrastructure

See how Lighthouse translated small insights into big financial impact.

O — Optimize Operations

Optimization is where FM analytics create the most measurable value.

Woolcock Institute

Skedda’s utilization insights revealed:

• Consultation rooms that were only 50% booked
• A direct revenue opportunity tied to clinical throughput
• High utilization of research computers → justification for investing in two additional supercomputers
  

“If we increase bookings, we increase our revenue.” — Frances Wilson, Information & Governance Manager

See how Woolcock used Skedda to make operations visible, measurable, and repeatable.

I — Improve Experience

Workplace experience is not a soft metric. It directly impacts attendance, collaboration, and retention.

Pella Northland

Skedda eliminated uncertainty about where employees would sit. Pella used two-way calendar sync and interactive maps to:

• Orchestrate peak days without chaos
• Improve meeting alignment across teams
• Reduce friction during all-hands events
  

“Skedda alleviated the stress and anxiety of not knowing where you’ll sit.” — Lisa Weck, Senior Administrator

See how attendance increased naturally for Pella when employees were given visibility and choice—not mandates.

👉 Organizations like Lighthouse, Woolcock, and Pella are already transforming space management with real-time data, automated rules, and occupancy insights. Book a demo and see how your own space could perform with clean utilization data.

Global Differences in FM Analyst Maturity

Tucker’s global study found meaningful regional differences:

• North America & Europe: sophisticated systems, slowed by legacy infrastructure
• APAC: highly advanced buildings, but FM under-recognized strategically
• Africa & South America: fewer legacy systems but leapfrogging into modern digital tools

Understanding these variations helps global teams design realistic transformation roadmaps.

The Future of the FM Analyst: AI + Human Judgment

AI will not replace FM leaders—but FM leaders who harness AI will outperform those who don’t.

Tucker frames it clearly: “AI is not going to take over all of our jobs, but those not using it will be left behind.”

AI excels at:

• Pattern recognition
• Predictive maintenance
• Cleaning demand modeling
• Occupancy forecasting
  

Humans excel at:

• Contextual judgment
• Empathy
• Negotiation
• Strategy
• Storytelling
  

The FM Analyst’s strength is combining both—using AI and automation for scale while relying on human insight for direction. They will be tasked with:

• Gathering clean, reliable datasets 
• Automated insight generation
• Human-led interpretation
• Influence, communication, and strategic framing

Conclusion: Step Into the Era of the FM Analyst

FM leaders are stepping into the most exciting moment the field has ever seen—a moment where operational expertise, data literacy, and compelling storytelling converge into a strategic superpower.

To lead effectively in this era:

• Start small with quick wins
• Build data confidence across your team
• Strengthen your tech stack with reliable data sources
• Use the R-O-I model to anchor insights in business value
• Pair analytics with empathy and judgment
• Embrace AI as a partner, not a threat
  

This is the era of the FM Analyst—and those who embrace it will shape the workplaces of the future.

Ready to build data confidence across your FM team and uncover the quick wins that drive real ROI? Explore The 2026 Modern FM Toolkit for a curated set of resources to help you reduce costs, optimize operations, and improve workplace experience—all powered by clean, reliable data.

FAQs

1. What is an FM Analyst?
An FM Analyst is a modern facilities management professional who combines operational expertise with analytics, data interpretation, and stakeholder storytelling.

While traditional FMs focused primarily on maintenance and day-to-day operations, FM Analysts help organizations make strategic decisions powered by data—such as optimizing hybrid workspaces, improving occupancy, reducing operational costs, and forecasting future space needs.

2. Why are facilities management analytics becoming so important?
Facilities management analytics provide clarity in a world where hybrid schedules, rising real-estate costs, and shifting space needs create constant uncertainty.

Analytics help FM teams understand how spaces are truly used, uncover inefficiencies, justify investments, and demonstrate ROI to leadership. Without accurate data, organizations risk misallocating resources, overspending on space, and making decisions based on outdated assumptions.

3. What is “data confidence” in facilities management?
Data confidence is a team’s ability to interpret workplace data accurately, question assumptions, and communicate insights clearly to decision-makers. It’s not about becoming statisticians—it’s about understanding:

• What the data really says
• What decision the data supports
• Where the data may be incomplete
• How to frame insights for different stakeholders
  

Organizations with strong data confidence make faster, more accurate decisions.

4. What are some quick wins for getting started with facilities management analytics?
Quick wins help FM teams build momentum before investing in large-scale integrations. Examples include:

• Reviewing WiFi access data to understand real attendance
• Using booking system analytics to spot underutilized spaces
• Eliminating ghost bookings with check-in validation
• Analyzing conference room usage to right-size meeting space
• Clarifying cost-per-team or cost-per-department allocations
  

Tools like Skedda provide instant visibility into booking patterns, utilization, and space performance—making these wins achievable in weeks, not months.

5. How does the R-O-I model apply to facilities management?
The R-O-I model—Reduce, Optimize, Improve—is a simple framework for demonstrating the business value of workplace decisions.

• Reduce Costs: shrink unused footprint, cut equipment spend, improve energy efficiency.
• Optimize Operations: increase space throughput, reduce scheduling friction, justify investments using real utilization data.
• Improve Experience: give employees predictable access to the spaces they need, improving attendance and satisfaction.
  

This model helps FM Analysts communicate in a language executives understand.

6. How does AI impact facilities management?
AI enhances—but does not replace—the FM function. AI is particularly strong at:

• Identifying patterns in occupancy
• Predicting maintenance needs
• Automating routine administrative tasks
• Guiding cleaning and staffing plans
  

FM leaders remain essential for strategic oversight, empathy, judgment, and stakeholder alignment. AI is a tool—FM Analysts are the strategists who know how to use it.

7. What tools do FM Analysts need to succeed?
A modern FM analytics stack includes:

• A booking and scheduling platform
• Occupancy data (WiFi, sensors, check-ins)
• Visitor management analytics
• Financial data (P&L, chargebacks, allocations)
• Integrated systems (calendar sync, SSO, SCIM)
  

Platforms like Skedda combine booking data, interactive floor plans, and utilization dashboards to give FM teams a unified, accurate source of truth.