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The AI Revolution and its Impact on Facilities Management by Ronnie Wendt

William Attardi on May 2, 2026

The idea of AI replacing technicians maintaining HVAC systems, plumbing infrastructure or electrical components feels a long way off. That’s because the complexity and variability of building systems make that kind of automation difficult, according to Jonathan Slain, founder and CEO of Autobahn Consultants. Slain says the highest returns for AI are in back-office functions. “It’s in finance, communication and project management.”   Tasks like assembling proposals, drafting RFPs, managing workflows, communicating with team members, and evaluating submissions from multiple vendors are well-suited for AI support. These processes are structured and repeatable, allowing AI tools to streamline comparisons, highlight differences, and speed up bid-to-decision timelines. AI can slash the time required to evaluate bids and manage communication. Many facilities managers already use generative AI to summarize documents or draft emails. But a more advanced phase of this technology, called Agentic AI, is already here.  For more insights on how growing companies are navigating this transition, Slain explores these ideas further in “Rock Your Business: Navigating the Road from $50 Million to $500 Million and Beyond,” available soon on Amazon.  The AI Revolution and its Impact on Facilities Management – Facilities Management Insights

Agentic AI Can Transform Manufacturing, Deloitte Report Finds by Cary Gitter

William Attardi on October 16, 2025

Agentic AI refers to autonomous generative AI agents that possess “agency”—the ability to both act and choose actions to take—which enables them to independently complete complex tasks and achieve human-defined objectives with minimal or no supervision. Multiagent systems consist of multiple AI agents completing specific objectives and collaborating to accomplish sophisticated workflows.Agentic artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to transform the manufacturing industry in the coming years,  according to a new report released by Deloitte in September. Powered by large language models, autonomous generative-AI agents with the “agency” to work independently alongside people could be used to support multiple aspects of companies’ operations. In general, due to its ability to act autonomously, agentic AI can be an important new tool to help manage the complexity that manufacturers can face throughout the organization. It may also serve as an important building block for the future of automation in the industry, including robotics achieving increasing degrees of agency, or workers having enhanced access to process and equipment trend information on industrial tablets as agentic AI helps to break down data silos. Agentic AI Can Transform Manufacturing, Deloitte Report Says | Manufacturing News Desk | advancedmanufacturing.org

Agentic AI Explained: Definitions, Benefits & Examples of AI Agents

William Attardi on March 10, 2025

Agentic AI refers to a new class of artificial intelligence systems designed to act with autonomy, making decisions and taking actions without direct human intervention. These systems can accomplish specific goals with limited supervision, processing vast amounts of data and adapting to real-time changes in their environment. Unlike traditional AI, agentic AI demonstrates a high degree of adaptability and can handle complex tasks such as strategic planning, dynamic problem-solving. reasoning, and learning from experience much like a human agent. Agentic AI Explained: Definitions, Benefits & Examples of AI Agents

Remembering the Solemn Purpose of Memorial Day

Memorial Day is a federal holiday in the United States observed on the last Monday in May to honor and mourn U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the armed forces. The holiday traces its roots to the years immediately following the American Civil War (1861–1865), which caused massive casualties—roughly 620,000 soldiers dead, about 2% of the U.S. population at the time. Communities across the North and South began spontaneously decorating the graves of fallen soldiers with flowers, wreaths, and flags, a practice that gave rise to the original name: Decoration Day. On May 5, 1868, Major General John A. Logan, commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR)—a powerful Union veterans’ organization—issued General Order No. 11. This proclaimed May 30, 1868, as a nationwide “Decoration Day” to honor those who died in the Civil War. After World War I, the holiday expanded to honor all American service members who died in any war, not just the Civil War.  In 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act to create more three-day weekends for federal employees. This moved Memorial Day to the last Monday in May, effective in 1971, when it was also officially named “Memorial Day.” As one 1868 quote put it: “That Nation which respects and honors its dead, shall ever be respected and honored itself.”