Managing director Samantha Fuller speaks to FM magazine about what facility managers in Australia can learn from their counterparts in Canada, and vice versa.
Facilities management (FM) in Australia and Canada is at a pivotal point. While the core responsibility of keeping buildings safe, compliant and operational remains unchanged, how FM work is planned and delivered is shifting rapidly. In my role as managing director of Service Works Global across these regions, I see these pressures playing out in parallel but often addressed in different ways. Sustainability imperatives, digital transformation and commercial constraints are forcing FM leaders to rethink long established approaches.
Net zero and sustainability: from policy to practice
Both Australia and Canada have legislated targets to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, yet neither is currently considered a global leader. Australia has committed to a 43 percent emissions reduction by 2030, while Canada is targeting 40 to 45 percent.
For FM, these targets are not theoretical. The sector is impacted significantly by emissions decisions at all stages of the building life cycle: from planning and construction to ongoing management and maintenance, highlighting the need for earlier FM involvement.
Sustainability extends well beyond energy use. Procurement, supplier selection and service delivery models are all under scrutiny, with carbon emissions increasingly shaping decision-making. In Australia, sustainability deliverables are becoming more embedded in FM contracts, while in Canada, a stronger emphasis is being placed on consistency and governance. Each approach has merit, and combining momentum with discipline could help both markets accelerate progress.
Technology adoption and predictive maintenance
Technology is one of the clearest points of divergence. While the speed of technological advancement makes awareness and adoption challenging, Australia has been relatively quick to adopt practical tools such as drones and sensors.
Drones are now commonly used for roof inspections and damage assessments, reducing site visits, costs and emissions. Sensors enable predictive maintenance, shifting FM teams from reactive work to targeted, planned interventions. From my discussions with clients, Australian organisations are generally more willing to implement these technologies.
Canadian FM leaders agree with the concept, but face some constraints due to the heavier prevalence of existing long-term, complex PPP (public-private partnership) structures.
The pace of technology adoption has direct implications for artificial intelligence. Connecting data from systems such as building management systems, security, computerised maintenance management systems, room bookings and patient management can unlock powerful insights into asset performance and space utilisation. The Canadian market is actively engaging with AI-driven decision-making; however, slower deployment of connected technologies means there is often insufficient data for AI to fully realise its potential. Data and AI must mature together to deliver meaningful outcomes.
Geography and logistics
Australia and Canada share another defining challenge: scale. Vast geographies and extreme climates complicate the movement of materials and skilled people. Heat, floods, snow and ice can all disrupt supply chains and increase carbon emissions. Canada especially has evolved to manage climate impact on sites, with a strong focus on preventive maintenance plans adapted for seasonal stress to get ahead of failures that could impact building users.
PPP models and incentives for change
Both countries have long histories of public-private partnerships, with Canada in particular placing a strong emphasis on this model. Agreed pricing structures within long-term contracts can sometimes reduce the incentive for service providers to implement change when an existing model is already working.
Some contracts, however, include financial incentives tied to asset performance or life cycle outcomes, and here investment in technology is increasing. As these benefits are becoming clearer, adoption will grow across more contracts.
In terms of building information modelling and digital twin adoption in PPPs, it’s our clients in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region who are more ready to invest. They are a less mature market, but are quickly developing in volume and diversity of infrastructure.
Learning across borders
Australia and Canada face remarkably similar FM challenges, shaped by different environments, but driven by the same global forces. My experience across both markets reinforces that progress accelerates when ideas, lessons and missteps are shared. Cross-pollinating approaches is not just valuable, it is essential for building more resilient, sustainable and future-ready FM outcomes on both sides of the Pacific.
