Revolutionary treatments require exceptional facilities. Facilities management (FM) teams equipped with modern tools help biopharma companies run more smoothly and consistently. They make sure buildings are compliant, keep costs under control and create great work environments for employees—all of which allows these companies to focus on what they do best: developing game-changing medicines and treatments.

As biopharmaceutical companies prep for the next wave of treatments, FM technologies have become key. Advanced tools enable proactive maintenance, reducing disruptions and their associated costs while creating seamless workspaces for employees. Technology-enabled FM services help companies adapt quickly to change, enhancing both operational efficiency and workplace satisfaction. Data and analytics drive smarter decisions that cut costs, grow portfolio value and improve environments where employees can thrive.

Leading biopharma companies are incorporating predictive maintenance strategies for critical equipment to improve uptime and save money. Wireless sensors and Internet of Things (IoT) devices gather equipment vibration, temperature, pressure and other performance data. Then, algorithms and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven analytics uncover data anomalies indicating excessive heat, vibration or other emerging performance issues.

With a view of performance trends, FM teams can prevent equipment failure and costly downtime. In addition, improved equipment performance typically increases energy efficiency and extends equipment lifespans, while helping FM personnel avoid potentially dangerous equipment malfunctions. Predictive maintenance also supports more accurate capital planning because FM teams can more closely forecast the end of an asset’s lifespan.

Integration with augmented reality (AR) further increases the power of a mobile platform in predictive maintenance, providing field technicians with real-time insights to identify and address failures proactively. For example, technicians outfitted with AR glasses can look at a chiller unit and see operating anomalies fed from sensor data.

Predictive maintenance is a smart way to take care of expensive machines that are essential for your research or production. But since this approach requires spending money on technology and hiring experts who know what they’re doing, sometimes it makes more financial sense to just fix or replace less critical assets.

Most large biopharmaceutical CRE teams use a computerised maintenance management system (CMMS) or integrated workplace management system (IWMS) for regulated spaces. However, your FM team may be spending too much time on work order management with these systems—while not fully using valuable system features.

The validated platforms are systems designed to manage regulated areas like labs and production facilities. In many cases, these systems can make work orders more complex and potentially costlier due to added compliance requirements. This becomes particularly challenging in hybrid facilities—which are increasingly common—where regulated lab spaces coexist with standard office areas under the same roof.

To improve efficiency and reduce costs, consider a tiered approach where a standard system tracks repairs and manages equipment in non-regulated spaces, while validated systems handle GxP-critical areas. For example, an FM professional today can use a cloud-based mobile app like Corrigo while moving around the building. These apps stream your work by automatically assigning tasks, finding vetted vendors, tracking repairs, managing budgets and more. A comprehensive mobile app can connect to your main CMMS database, giving you instant access to each piece of equipment's repair history, serial numbers, photos and other important information.